By Brent Adamson, Co-Founder of Qoos

After two decades of research into B2B sales and buying behavior, one of the most surprising discoveries was this: the more precisely you tailor your offer to individual stakeholders within a buying group, the less likely that group is to purchase a high-value, complex solution.

Counterintuitive, right? You’d think that customizing your pitch to align perfectly with what each person cares about would inspire enthusiasm across the board. But the opposite happens. Instead of rallying around your solution, the buying group stalls or splinters, ultimately walking away from the bigger deal altogether.

So, what’s going on?

From “Collection of Yeses” to “Collective Yes”

Here’s the core challenge: in B2B sales, it’s not just individuals who buy—it’s groups of individuals. And within these groups, stakeholders don’t just need to agree with you; they need to agree with each other.

When you focus exclusively on aligning your message with each stakeholder’s unique priorities, you inadvertently make it harder for the group to align on a shared vision. Instead of building consensus, you risk creating friction among stakeholders as they advocate for their own priorities without a unified understanding of the bigger picture.

The result? A fragmented buying group unable to reach a “collective yes.”

Helping Stakeholders Agree with Each Other

The key to overcoming this challenge is a shift in focus. As sellers, we often think our job is to build connections between ourselves and individual stakeholders. But the real work lies in helping those stakeholders connect with each other.

This means elevating the conversation to a higher level—beyond individual goals and concerns—to identify the shared outcomes and collective challenges that bind the group together. When stakeholders can see how their unique priorities fit into a larger framework, they’re more likely to rally around a unified solution.

How to Build the Collective Yes

Here’s how you can guide stakeholders toward agreement:

1. Elevate the Conversation:

Don’t just address individual concerns. Look for the broader goals or strategic initiatives that matter across the group. For example, rather than tailoring your message to “reduce costs” for one stakeholder and “improve efficiency” for another, find the unifying vision—like “streamlining operations to drive long-term growth.”

2. Map Shared Outcomes:

Work with your customers to map out their collective goals. At Qoos.ai, we recommend a collaborative approach where you identify not just individual priorities but also the overlaps and intersections that create alignment.

3. Facilitate Stakeholder Collaboration:

Give stakeholders the tools they need to align with each other. This might include shared frameworks, visual roadmaps, or collaborative workshops to help them clarify their objectives and build consensus.

4. Provide Contextual Microlearning:

Equip stakeholders with bite-sized insights tailored to the buying process. Qoos.ai’s microlearning capabilities deliver actionable content to help teams navigate complex decision-making—right within the tools they use daily.

5. Coach the Group:

Be a guide, not just a seller. Use Qoos.ai’s AI-guided coaching to support the group in overcoming internal disagreements, navigating roadblocks, and staying focused on their shared vision.

From Friction to Alignment

When you prioritize helping stakeholders align with each other, you transform the buying process. Instead of a fractured group struggling to reconcile competing priorities, you create a united front ready to move forward with confidence.

At Qoos.ai, we’re here to help you master this shift. Our platform combines microlearning, deal qualification tools, and AI-guided coaching to give sales teams the resources they need to build consensus and drive results.

The next time you sit down with a buying group, remember: it’s not about winning over individuals—it’s about uniting the team. Help them reach their “collective yes,” and you’ll unlock the true potential of your solution.

Let’s redefine how B2B sales works—together.