I used to open calls with a story about what we could build. People nodded. Then they ghosted.
Now I send a screenshot or a short loom of the actual workflow before we even meet. Broken state. Fixed state. What changed. It’s less impressive as a speech and way more useful as a decision.
If I can’t show it, I’m not ready to sell it. That rule has saved me from a lot of vague conversations that were never going to close.