Sales Reframed | Why Great Sellers Diagnose First (And How You Can Too)
A diagnosis can change everything… But not just in a hospital.
What if the most powerful move in sales isn’t having the perfect pitch, but asking questions that unlock what your customer actually needs?
This episode of Sales Reframed opens with a true story from Eric Janssen’s time as a CRO, where a few simple questions helped him avoid partnering with… the Fyre Festival. (Yes, that Fyre Festival.)
From there, the conversation moves into a place you might not expect to find sales lessons: the world of medicine.
Dr. Behfar Ehdaie, a world-leading cancer surgeon, shows how the right questions and the right communications framework can literally save lives – and executive coach Shakeel Bharmal builds on it by revealing how questions, curiosity and genuine co-diagnosis help people uncover what they actually need.
Across both worlds, one idea becomes unmistakably clear:The best problem-solvers and sellers never rush to prescribe. They diagnose first. And the questions you ask matter more than you think.
Reframe Takeaway
After listening, you’ll understand that it’s not about dazzling with answers. It’s about slowing down, getting genuinely curious, and co-diagnosing the problem together before ever prescribing a solution.
Episode Guests
Dr. Behfar Ehdaie: Surgeon at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (ranked #1 in the nation for Urology Cancer Care), Harvard and Georgetown graduate, named America's Top Doctor by Castle Connolly in 2024 and 2025
Shakeel Bharmal: Founder of Oceanblue Strategic, executive coach, and Program Director at Ivey Business School Executive Education.
Top Episode Learnings
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Diagnose before you prescribe. Set aside assumptions, ask thoughtful questions, and create space for the other person to share what really matters. Co-discovery brings clarity, and once the real problem comes into focus, the path forward does too.
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Embrace the golden ratio. Top sellers listen 60% of the time and talk 40%. But it's not just about the ratio: use your talk time for thoughtful, open-ended questions that spark reflection and deepen understanding. Ask questions you don't know the answer to.
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Fit-First Selling Protects You. The Fyre Festival story is a reminder that walking away can sometimes be the right move. In sales, diagnosis isn’t just a step toward the deal, it can also be a safeguard for your reputation, resources, and relationships.
Resources Mentioned in This Episode
Case Example: Fyre Festival & Intellitix– How fit-first selling and diagnostic questions helped Intellitix avoid association with a historic disaster
Active Surveillance for the Management of Localized Prostate Cancer (Cancer Care Ontario Guideline): American Society of Clinical Oncology Clinical Practice Guideline Endorsement – Article by Ronald C. Chen, R. Bryan Rumble, D. Andrew Loblaw, Antonio Finelli, Behfar Ehdaie, Matthew R. Cooperberg, Scott C. Morgan, Scott Tyldesley, John J. Haluschak, Winston Tan, Stewart Justman, Suneil Jain
Judgment under Uncertainty: Heuristics and Biases – Paper on the principle of “Anchor and adjust” in decision making and influence by Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman
Long term cancer-specific anxiety in men undergoing active surveillance for prostate cancer: findings from a large prospective cohort – Journal by Karim Marzouk, Melissa Assel, Behfar Ehdaie and Andrew Vickers
Gong Labs “Golden Ratio in Sales” research – Analysis of hundreds of thousands of sales calls revealing the 60/40 listen-to-talk ratio of top performers
The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande – On the power of standardized approaches in high-stakes situations
A Systematic Approach to Discussing Active Surveillance with Patients with Low-risk Prostate Cancer – Journal by Behfar Ehdaie, Melissa Assel, Nicole Benfante, Deepak Malhotra, and Andrew Vickers.
Supplementary Material to “A Systematic Approach to Discussing Active Surveillance with Patients with Low-risk Prostate Cancer” – This additional checklist is a practical communication guide—originally designed for clinicians—that can also serve as a powerful tool in sales, showing how to uncover client needs, frame options effectively, build trust, and guide people toward confident decisions.
About Sales Reframed
Sales Reframed is a podcast that redefines sales as the ultimate life skill. Blending research, storytelling, and strategy, it explores how influence, resilience, and purpose drive success in every field.
Developed by award-winning professor and entrepreneur Eric Janssen, and powered by Ivey Executive Education, the show makes sales human, practical, and accessible to everyone.
3 days in-person
Toronto
