Lead The Risk Conversation
The best way to reduce fear is to talk about it — out loud.
📍The Lesson
Fear is the hidden driver of hesitation in every deal. Buyers may nod along, ask smart questions, and even agree with your value - but inside, they're running the "what if" loop:
What if this fails?
What if it costs more than we expect?
What if I look bad for choosing it?
Most salespeople avoid these conversations. They hope silence means safety. But silence doesn't shrink fear - it grows it.
The strongest seller lead with courage. They raise the risk conversations before the buyer does.
You reduce fear by:
• Naming it: "A lot of leaders worry about adoption rates. Does this resonate?
• Normalizing it: "Every company I work with has faced this concern."
• Neutralizing it: "Here's how we help ensure adoption in the first 90 days."
When you invite fear into the open, you build trust. You prove you've thought about the hard stuff. And the buyer realizes they don't need to imagine worst-case scenarios alone.
You don't avoid risk talk. You lead it.
And when you do, confidence rises, decisions move faster, and deals close stronger.
🎧 Audio Story
The Deal That Closed When We Talked About the Fear
🛠️ The Tool : The Risk Conversation Framework
Next time you sense hesitation, guide the buyer through these four moves:
1. Surface it:
“What's the biggest risk you see if we move forward?”
2. Acknowledge it:
“That's a fair concern, and many leaders feel the same way.”
3. Share proof / process:
“Here's how others navigated it”
4. Reframe risk:
"The bigger risk is doing nothing and staying stuck with the current problem."
Use it in discovery, in proposals, or when a deal stalls.
Common Shift