The phone panel followed a standard process of first defining the customer before attempting to sell them a product. This approach was aimed at identifying the potential customers' needs and preferences, which would help in tailoring the product offering to their specific requirements. However, there was an issue with this process. The problem was that it was too focused on defining the customer and their needs, which resulted in a longer sales cycle. This approach could be frustrating for some customers who were already interested in the product and just wanted to make a quick purchase.