The Tie Back Formula
Over the past few weeks we have been talking about this mystical formula and how well it works for sales and leadership to gain engagement. Today we learn the process for creating the tie back questions and start adding a tool to our toolbox for better sales and engagement.
Most salespeople know they should sell benefits, not features. But here’s the twist: the best way to highlight benefits isn’t by telling, it’s by asking.
That’s where tie-back questions come in.
A tie-back question connects your product’s features to the customer’s real-world needs. The stronger the question, the clearer the benefit becomes, and the more the customer convinces themselves of your value.
Grab a sheet of paper. Write your product’s features across the top. Under each, list the benefit. Then, under the benefit, list the need it answers.
Example: In my trainings, I use a clicker with a button that blanks out the slide.
· Feature: Slide blanking button
· Benefit: Audience attention shifts back to me
· Need: Refocus the group when making a key point
Once you know the need, craft questions that highlight it.
For the blank-slide feature, I might ask:
· “Would it be valuable if you could instantly refocus your audience during a presentation?”
· “How much more influence would you have if you could pause the slides to drive home a critical point?”
Notice what’s happening: I’m not pitching the button. I’m pulling the customer into imagining how much better their world looks with the benefit.
Below is the complete process of creating the questions that tie back your features and benefits:
Back when I sold stand-on lawnmowers (before they were a thing), I didn’t start with horsepower or specs. Instead, I asked questions like:
· “Have you ever had employees get stuck when a mower tipped near a retention pond?”
· “How do your crews handle steep inclines today safely?”
These questions tied directly to the mower’s feature, standing design with easy step-off, and the benefit: greater safety and maneuverability. Customers quickly connected the dots themselves and could see the advantage that the product was offering them. A safter way operate and have less lawsuits!
Tie-back questions do three things:
1. Expose real needs. You find out if the feature actually matters.
2. Highlight benefits naturally. The customer says “yes” to their own pain points.
3. Build alignment. By the time you present, you’re not pitching, you’re confirming.
Using this process with your products you will be able to make higher levels of engagement in your meetings with customers and gain traction / speed on their decision making. This is the essence of how we can make larger sales with the sales cycle decreasing.
The best part…When the customers start seeing the benefit you bring to them, they can’t help but tell all their collegues in the industry to contact you. Then your prospecting becomes more efficient allowing you to have more freedom and income in your pocket.
Does that sound like a value to you? If so, implement this and see how well it works for you. If you have questions reach out!
Master the Art of Influence: Build Trust, Drive Sales, and Lead Effectively
Are you ready to become the magnetic force that attracts top performers and your best customers?
I’m Kevin Sidebottom—keynote speaker, sales trainer, and author—and I help organizations unlock the power of influence to achieve breakthrough results.
In this blog, I reveal why influence is the ultimate currency in business and leadership—and how you can use it to:
✅ Motivate customers to stay loyal and buy again
✅ Build trust and engagement with your team
✅ Transform your leadership approach to inspire stronger performance
With decades of experience studying why people buy and how leaders earn loyalty, I equip sales professionals and executives to deliver lasting value, strengthen customer relationships, and drive higher revenue.
👉 Featured Resources to Grow Your Influence:
· Email: kevin@kevinsidebottom.com
· The Sales Process Uncovered Membership
· The Sales Process Uncovered (Book on Amazon)
If you’re serious about elevating your sales process, leadership impact, and team performance, this blog will show you the path.