Selling Smarter: The Power of Strategic Disclosure

The Mistake That Hinders Deals Before They Start

Early in my sales career, I thought closing deals was all about sharing as much information as possible, as quickly as possible.

I’d flood prospects with feature lists, case studies, and every reason why our solution was the best—all in the first meeting.

The result? Ghosting, stalled deals, and prospects who “loved the product” but “weren’t ready to move forward.”

Here’s what I learned the hard way: sales isn’t about overwhelming prospects with information. It’s about releasing the right insights at the right time to drive momentum.

When you reveal too much, too early:

• They can't remember everything

• It puts all the information on the same level

• Information doesn't hit the same when you disclose it all at once 

The best salespeople treat information like a limited resource. They release it strategically to build curiosity, maintain leverage, and drive urgency at the moments when it matters most.

Let me show you how this works.

Example 1: Revealing a New Feature at the Right Time

Imagine you’re selling a SaaS product, and after a few discovery calls, you learn that Features B, D, and E solve your prospect’s most pressing challenges.

You also know that Feature F—currently in beta—could completely differentiate your solution from competitors they’re evaluating.

Many salespeople would rush to reveal Feature F early, thinking it would immediately win them the deal.

But that’s a mistake.

The Smarter Approach

1. Focus on Features B, D, and E in the early sales process. Show how your solution meets their current, most basic, needs.

2. Wait until the vendor selection phase—when the prospect is starting to seriously compare you against competitors—to introduce Feature F.

3. By revealing it at the right moment, you re-engage their interest, introduce a new competitive advantage, and create fresh excitement right when they are making their decision.

I’ve seen this tactic turn losing deals into closed deals simply by controlling when new information is introduced.

But it’s not just about features—you can use this approach in other high-stakes situations, too.

Example 2: Leveraging a Customer Logo for Maximum Impact

When I was at Algolia, I was selling to an Australian e-commerce company. The biggest challenge?

Our main competitor was an Australian company.

Even though Algolia had a superior product, they had a home-field advantage:
✔️They were local
✔️They operated in the same time zone
✔️They seemed like the safer choice

Luckily, I had a powerful card to play: I just closed the major Australian electronics retailer, JB Hi-Fi. 

Why I Didn’t Reveal It Immediately

Instead of sharing this win early in the sales process, I waited until after the Proof-of-Concept phase—when the prospect was still debating whether to take a risk on a non-Australian company.

When I finally revealed that Australia’s largest electronics retailer was already using Algolia, the conversation shifted immediately.

The message was clear:

• If JB Hi-Fi trusted us, why wouldn’t they?

• This wasn’t just possible—it was already happening in their market.

That one piece of information tipped the scales in our favor and greatly helped closing the deal—a six-figure contract.

Had I mentioned it earlier? It might have been less impactful, just another fact in a long sales pitch.

By saving it for the right moment, it became a game-changer.

The Takeaway: Master the Timing of Your Information

Most sales teams overshare too early. They want to close fast, but in reality, sales is a process, not an event.

To increase your close rate:

1. Hold back key information until it has the highest impact. Don’t reveal everything in the first meeting.

2. Use new information to re-engage prospects later in the sales process. Keep them curious, interested, and moving forward.

3. Think like a strategist, not a presenter. Your job isn’t to dump all your knowledge—it’s to control the flow of information to guide the decision.

By applying this approach, you’ll close more deals, differentiate from competitors, and make your sales process feel effortless.

Talk soon,
Guillaume

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