Clients don’t buy when they understand you. They buy when they feel understood.
You can explain what you do perfectly.
Your process, your method, your expertise... clear, logical, impressive.
But if a client doesn’t feel that you understand them, none of it sticks.
People don’t buy because they fully grasp your service, they buy because they believe you get them.
The trap of overexplaining
Most experts-turned-business owners fall into the same pattern.
They try to prove their value by explaining every detail: the steps, the benefits, the framework, the outcomes.
It comes from a good place: you want clients to see how well you can help them.
But when you explain too much, you shift the focus away from them and back onto you.
And that’s when their attention, and often their commitment, starts to fade.
Understanding beats explaining
The most powerful sales conversations don’t feel like explanations, they feel like recognition.
When a client hears their own situation, language and frustrations reflected back to them, they feel seen, they trust you faster and stop questioning the “how” and start believing in the “who”.
Because when someone truly feels understood, they don’t need to be convinced, they just need a next step.
How to make clients feel understood
- Listen past their words.
Don’t just hear what they say, pay attention to what they mean. The hesitation, the frustration, the ambition behind their words tells you more than the surface answer ever will. - Reflect their language.
Use their phrasing when you talk about their challenges. It shows you’re not just hearing them, you’re connecting with their world. - Lead the conversation gently.
Instead of proving your expertise, show it through calm guidance. The most confident experts don’t rush to convince, they ask the right questions that make the client think differently.
Why this matters
Being understood makes people feel safe, and people buy when they feel safe.
That’s why emotional intelligence in sales isn’t “soft”, it’s strategic.
Because when your clients feel understood, they trust you enough to move forward.
And trust, not information, is what drives decisions.
Final thought
The next time you’re on a sales call or writing a proposal, don’t ask yourself: “Did I explain it clearly enough?”
Ask: “Did they feel understood?”
One gets you polite interest.
The other gets you a yes.