Ted Olson’s Post

The way many sellers address objections triggers an immediate eye roll. Sellers often say something like, "Oh, you don't care about closing more deals faster?" I get the strategy: who wouldn’t want the great outcome your product provides? The problem is they aren’t objecting to the outcome. In my latest video, I cover the three things your prospects are ACTUALLY objecting to so you can ask a thoughtful (non-cringy) question to follow up and understand the situation further. Would love to hear what you think if you take a few minutes to watch! ___________ I'm running my first live training in January. Limited spots are available, and email subscribers will have the first opportunity to sign up. The topic will be the deal-winning discovery that your buyer doesn't hate. It will be a deep dive into how to set up discovery in a way that allows you to get deep into meaningful conversation quickly instead of limping around for 25 minutes trying to find something worth discussing. Get on the list at salesintroverts.com!

Struggling to Create Buyer Urgency? Here’s how to emotionally move buyers closer to a decision. One of the biggest obstacles in sales isn’t a lack of interest—it’s getting buyers to act with urgency. That’s where the Time Machine Questioning Technique comes in. It’s designed to create urgency by helping buyers experience the future impact of your solution and the consequences of inaction. Here’s how it works 👇 Instead of just telling your buyers about the value of your solution, ask the following two strategic questions: ❓ Question 1: What would your business look like in 6 months if you implemented this solution today? This helps pleasure-driven buyers see the positive impact of acting now. ❓ Question 2: What happens if you continue doing what you're doing for the next 6 months? For pain-driven buyers, this highlights the risks and costs of inaction. Why it works: ➡️ You create a sense of urgency by highlighting how time impacts results. ➡️ You help them visualise the real impact of your solution. ➡️ You turn hesitation into action without being pushy. If you can get your buyer to picture owning your solution, you're halfway to the finish line. It’s a simple yet powerful way to move buyers off the fence and into action, but it's also a great way to disqualify buyers too. What’s your strategy for creating buyer urgency?

https://lnkd.in/eW_rD74d Some great advice into using the JOLT method to prompt buyer action: 1. J = Judge their level of indecision This involves understanding if they are overwhelmed by choices, still in the research phase, or concerned about the risk involved in the purchase. 2. O = Offer a recommendation Once you have gauged their indecision, offer them a recommendation tailored to their situation. 3. L = Limit the exploration Encourage your customers to stop endless research and start trusting you as the expert. Help them narrow down their options and focus on what truly matters for their needs. 4. T = take risk off the table Address any concerns about risk associated with the purchase by (1) proactively resetting expectations, and (2) establishing “safety net” options like implementation support, specialized terms, and close collaboration to ensure the customer achieves their goals.

👇🏼Actual text conversation with a past supplier - who I now call a friend. Me: “I’ll tell you what — getting into the sales side of the business is no joke. I’m starting to see qualities in myself that I’ve always admired in you. I’ll be reaching out soon to discuss initiating Itivate’s advisory board.” Them: "Excited to be a part of your company's growth and the advisory board.” This is how more buyer/seller relationships should sound like. No matter what side you’re on, here’s how to make the relationship work for you: 1️⃣ Ask more questions and for their opinion. Let solutions and opportunities emerge from the conversation. 2️⃣ Align your metrics and how success is measured. If they’re failing, so are you; take an interest in designing solutions together. This is something most relationships are lacking. 3️⃣ Overcommunicate on what you need. Get into the details. Run scenarios now so you don’t throw each other under the bus later. 4️⃣ Honor your agreement. If things aren’t working out, correct it. The 3 points above will get you started. So, what qualities do you value most as a buyer or seller?

You know what a prospective buyer loves? When you talk AT them. No, really. You should do it. For the whole meeting. Never ask questions. Don't listen. You should do that. Works great. 🙄 #sales #consulting

"The price is way too high for us." A friend asked me last week: "How do you handle this objection?" Here’s the truth: if your prospect believes your price is too high, the problem didn’t start in negotiation—it started earlier, likely in discovery. Why? Because if the value exchange isn’t clear, your customer won’t: A) Fully grasp the size of their problem. B) See you as the solution to solve it. But let’s make this real. Most of us are tired of hearing, “Fix your discovery calls!” (Though it’s true 😉). Here’s how I’d respond live: Customer: “The price is too high.” Seller: "That’s interesting. Here’s what we’ve uncovered: [Problem Y] is costing your business [X], affecting [Colleague 1] and leading to [Outcome Z], which we validated. We’ve solved this for others. Maybe I've not conveyed a good enough value exchange, would you mind if we take a couple of steps back and scope through this one more time? Afterward, if you still believe it is too expensive we're happy to walk away" You see - it's not their fault they don't perceive the value. It's yours. Label it clearly and ask permission to build the value together. But I'm also wondering there's a lot of awesome sellers I'm connected too; How would you respond to this objection? Would you handle it differently? ⬇ ⬇ ⬇

30% of buyers “no show” their 1st meeting with a seller. Here’s how to get prospects to actually show up. ↴ If your prospect ghosts & doesn’t reschedule, that means: • the problem isn’t big enough to solve for. • the impact isn’t big enough, to need to avoid. • and so solving for it, just isn’t an urgent priority. If we want to set our buyers into motion, and get them into a first meeting… It’s going to take more than an easier scheduling process + a couple follow-up emails. Instead, sellers need to: • Uncover a MASSIVE problem for the buyer. • Diagnose the size & nature of the problem. • And quantify the impacts, if they don’t solve for it now. P.S. Have you ever been “no showed”? Let us know in the comments! 💬

The key to a successful cycle lies in three elements: ‣ Talking to the right person ‣ Addressing the right problem ‣ Engaging at the right time

This. This. This. And SO MUCH This. When clients feel truly seen, they recognize that you've understood their unique needs and challenges, which fosters trust and connection. This is equally true for brands and consumers. By centering messaging around the consumer's journey and addressing their needs directly, brands not only demonstrate understanding but also create campaigns that resonate on a deeper level. It’s this empathy and alignment that lead to impactful, successful campaigns.

Creating buyer intent isn’t about exaggerating existing problems.  It’s about something far more powerful:   uncovering the challenges your buyers didn’t even know they had! Here’s the thing:  Most buyers are aware of surface level pain points.   But the real magic happens when you help them see the deeper issues   🟣 the ones quietly holding them back,   🟣 the ones they haven’t articulated yet.  When you reveal these unseen challenges,   it’s no longer about selling.   It’s about resonating.  Your message becomes the “aha” moment they’ve been waiting for.   The moment they realize:  “This isn’t just a nice to have. This is what we’ve been missing.”  The best salespeople don’t create urgency by exaggerating.   They create urgency by enlightening.  So ask yourself:   Are you just addressing the obvious?   Or are you helping buyers uncover what’s truly holding them back?  Best, Sixtus P.S. what do you think is the difference between making a pitch and making an impact.