How to Sound Like an Insider, Not a Salesperson

TL;DR: One email that spoke the prospect's exact language booked a 7-figure deal for our customer. The secret? Stop using vendor language. Retailers don't have "stores"—they have "core stores" and "off-mall locations." They don't track "energy costs"—they track "$/sq ft efficiency." This framework shows how to systematically capture insider language. And yes, AI can now do this at scale.

"I saw you're at 12% toward your 25% reduction mandate while retrofitting core stores. With energy as your third-largest OpEx and the challenge of HVAC optimization during seasonal inventory shifts..."

This email booked a 7-figure opportunity for one of our customers.

Not because they had a better product. Not because of perfect timing.

Because they sounded like they already worked there.

Here's how we helped them crack the insider language code—and how I discovered what actually makes the difference.

The Discovery Behind the Deal

After that success, I needed to understand why this approach worked so well. What were we doing differently in our research?

I asked an AI to analyze my prospect research process, feeding it two examples: energy management research for retail companies and a deep dive into a SaaS company's sales organization.

The AI found patterns—sustainability profiles, operational economics. True but generic. Then I added: "Identify their personas and what they do, title-specific language specific to their company."

Everything clicked. We weren't just researching companies. We were learning their language.

Why Language Changes Everything

That 7-figure email worked because it didn't sound like a sales pitch. It sounded like an internal memo.

Every company has its own language—terminology that separates insiders from outsiders. When you use their exact words, you bypass the vendor filter entirely.

Looking back at my research, the pattern was obvious:

A major retailer doesn't just have "stores"—they distinguish between "core stores," "specialty stores," and "off-mall locations." They don't have "energy goals"—they have "25% reduction mandates by 2025" tied to board commitments and investor promises.

That SaaS company doesn't just have "sales development reps." They have MDRs (Marketing Development Reps) and BDRs (Business Development Reps) with completely different KPIs and reporting structures.

A sporting goods chain doesn't measure "energy costs"—they track "$/sq ft efficiency" because facilities are their third-largest operational expense. Their HVAC optimization isn't about "saving energy"—it's about "protecting margin during seasonal inventory shifts."

This wasn't just terminology. This was the difference between sounding like someone who read their website and someone who sits in their meetings.

The Three-Phase Framework

Phase 1: Know Yourself First
What problems do you actually solve? Not your marketing speak—your real value. This becomes your filter for recognizing relevant language.

Phase 2: Research Their Reality

• How do THEY describe where they're going?
• What do they call things? (titles, tools, metrics)
• What terminology is unique to their world?

Phase 3: Connect the Dots
Translate your value into their language. When a retailer talks about "$/sq ft efficiency," they're talking about maximizing every inch of expensive real estate—not just cutting energy bills.

The Transformation

Vendor Version: "I noticed your retail chain is focused on sustainability. Our energy management solution helps multi-location retailers reduce costs..."

Insider Version: "I saw you're at 12% toward your 25% reduction mandate while retrofitting core stores. With energy as your third-largest OpEx and the challenge of HVAC optimization during seasonal inventory shifts across different store formats..."

The second version demonstrates you understand their world:

• "Core stores" = you know their store segmentation strategy
• "25% reduction mandate" = you've read their board commitments
• "$/sq ft efficiency" = you speak their ROI language

You're not explaining their business to them. You're speaking as someone who already gets it.

Where to Find Their Language

Skip the website. Look at:

• Job postings - How they describe roles internally
• Earnings calls - How executives explain the business
• Industry forums - How employees talk when vendors aren't around
• Internal documents - Sustainability reports, investor decks

Try This Once

Pick one high-value prospect:

1. Find 3 sources showing how they talk about their business
2. Document their specific terminology
3. Write an email using their words for both problems and solutions

The response quality will shock you.

Scaling What Works

After seeing multiple customers land major deals with this approach, we faced a new challenge: This doesn't scale manually. You can't spend hours learning every prospect's language.

But AI can.

That's what we've built at Strama—AI that learns to speak your prospect's language. It knows retailers track "$/sq ft efficiency," not just "energy savings." It understands the difference between "core stores" and "off-mall locations."

The same approach that booked that 7-figure deal? Now it's available at scale.

The Choice

Most salespeople won't do this level of research. Templates are easier. Assumptions are faster.

But for those willing to learn their prospect's language—or let AI learn it for them—the results speak for themselves. Real deals. Real revenue. Real transformation.

You stop being a salesperson trying to get in the door.
You become an insider who happens to have a solution.

Ready to sound like an insider?