Impact Pricing

Most sales conversations assume buyers make rational decisions. Ted Olson argues that's exactly why so many deals stall.
Ted Olson is a sales strategist who helps founders, consultants, coaches, and sales teams use behavioral science to improve how buyers make decisions. He is the author of Feel Good About Selling and the upcoming book, Distinct, where he explores what happens between a buyer saying, "This makes sense," and actually saying, "Yes." 
In this episode, Ted and Mark challenge one of sales' biggest assumptions: why buyers hesitate. Is it fear or a lack of confidence? Their lively debate uncovers what really drives buying decisions and how sellers can help buyers confidently say yes. 
 
Why you have to check out today's podcast:
Learn why buyers hesitate and why it often has nothing to do with your price.
Discover how great salespeople build buyer confidence instead of pushing harder to close.
Understand what "We'll think about it" really means so you can reduce hesitation before objections show up.
 
"Indecision is fear-based. Status quo is fear-based. If you can address that fear, you can double your close rates."
–  Ted Olson
 
Topics Covered:
02:05 – Are Buyers Rational? The Psychology Behind Every Buying Decision. Are buyers driven by logic or emotion? Ted and Mark debate how buyer psychology, perceived value, and decision-making influence pricing more than most companies realize.
05:45 – Buyers Buy Futures, Not Features. Learn why listing more features rarely wins deals. Discover how buyers imagine future outcomes and why too much information creates uncertainty instead of confidence.
09:10 – Why Buyers Say, "We'll Think About It". Is it really about price? Ted explains why buyer indecision is usually driven by fear and uncertainty, not budget or competition.
13:30 – Buyer Confidence vs. Buyer Fear. Mark introduces his Buyer Confidence Framework—payoff, probability, and anticipated regret—while Ted argues that every hesitation can be traced back to fear.
17:15 – Handle Buyer Objections Before They Happen. The best salespeople don't overcome objections—they prevent them. Learn how anticipating buyer concerns early makes closing feel natural.
23:00 – Stop Building Trust. Start Building Buyer Confidence. Ted introduces his new sales philosophy: Always Build Confidence. The goal isn't getting buyers to trust you—it's helping them trust their own decision.
26:20 – Why Buyers Push Back When You Try Too Hard. Learn how psychological reactance causes buyers to resist pressure, urgency, and traditional sales tactics—even when your solution is the right fit.
30:05 – How to Become the Obvious Choice. Ted shares the PACE Framework (Positioning, Authority, Conversion, Expansion) and explains how experts become the first choice before pricing is even discussed.
32:45 – What Really Shapes Willingness to Pay? Does willingness to pay come from ROI alone? Ted explains how context, experience, status, and perceived risk dramatically influence what buyers are willing to spend.
 
Key Takeaways:
"If we think about pricing purely rationally, we'll miss the mark 100%." — Ted Olson
"Buyers buy when they feel safe enough to buy." — Ted Olson
"When I train sellers, I don't think about making them better sellers. I think about making them better decision-making coaches." — Ted Olson 
 
People & Resources Mentioned:
Matt Dixon & Brent Adamson – Authors of The JOLT Effect, referenced for their research on reducing buyer indecision and limiting information overload.
Alex Hormozi – Mentioned in relation to identifying every reason prospects hesitate to buy.
Charlie Munger – Referenced for his perspective that value can be viewed as reward divided by punishment (or risk).
Zig Ziglar – Mentioned during the discussion about helping buyers understand their own problems more clearly.
 
Connect with Ted Olson:
Website: https://tedolson.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tedolson/
 
Connect with Mark Stiving:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/
Email: mark@impactpricing.com

This is an Impact Pricing Blog published on April 27, 2026, turned into an audio podcast so you can listen on the go.
Read Full Article Here: https://impactpricing.com/blog/being-chosen-isnt-winning/
If you have any feedback, definitely send it. You can reach us at mark@impactpricing.com. 
Now, go make an impact.
 
Connect with Mark Stiving:
Email: mark@impactpricing.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/

Dan Rochon is the creator of the Teach to Sell methodology and host of the No Broke Months podcast, where he teaches professionals how to build trust and influence without pressure.
Buying isn't usually the hard part. Committing is.
In this conversation, Dan explains why buyers often hesitate at the final moment, even after they've decided what they want. Mark challenges Dan's ideas on buyer psychology, emotion, and trust, leading to a fascinating discussion about what really happens between deciding and saying yes.
 
Why you have to check out today's podcast:
Discover why commitment is the hardest part of every buying decision.
Learn how trust helps buyers overcome fear and hesitation.
Understand why buyers don't just compare prices—they compare risks.
 
"Logic makes you think. Emotion makes you act."  
–  Dan Rochon
 
Topics Covered:
02:10 – Why Buyers Don't Decide With Logic Alone. Dan explains why emotion drives buying decisions long before logic justifies them.
04:04 – The Emotional Side of Every Buying Decision. Why even B2B buyers are motivated by trust, confidence, and how they'll be perceived.
08:13 – Every Purchase Is a Prediction. Mark shares his buying framework and Dan explains why people move away from pain faster than they chase desire.
12:14 – Are You Selling an Aspirin or a Vitamin? The difference between solving painful problems and fulfilling aspirational desires.
14:05 – The Hardest Part: Saying Yes. Why buyers hesitate at the moment of commitment—and how to help them move forward with confidence.
17:17 – Teach to Sell, Don't Pressure. Dan introduces his trust-based approach to guiding buyers instead of convincing them.
23:41 – Ask Better Questions, Build More Trust. How deep, thoughtful questions uncover what buyers really care about.
25:01 – Ethical Influence vs. Manipulation. The simple mindset shift that separates helping buyers from persuading them.
29:22 – Dan's Pricing Advice for Every Business. How awareness, positioning, and the right buyers make premium pricing possible.
30:51 – The One Mindset Every Sales Professional Needs. Why serving the buyer's goals—not your own—is the foundation of ethical influence.
 
Key Takeaways:
"It's about identifying what their pain is and what their desire is, then demonstrating that you are the bridge." –  Dan Rochon
"The difference between manipulation and ethical influence is whose goals you're serving." –  Dan Rochon
"Leadership is to teach somebody else how to think so they can get what they want." –  Dan Rochon
 
Connect with Dan Rochon:
Website: https://teachtosellbook.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danrochon/ 
 
Connect with Mark Stiving:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/
Email: mark@impactpricing.com

This is an Impact Pricing Blog published on April 20, 2026, turned into an audio podcast so you can listen on the go.
Read Full Article Here: https://impactpricing.com/blog/i-was-wrong-about-will-i/
If you have any feedback, definitely send it. You can reach us at mark@impactpricing.com. 
Now, go make an impact.
 
Connect with Mark Stiving:
Email: mark@impactpricing.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/

Robin Waite is the founder of Fearless Business and author of Fearless Pricing, helping coaches, consultants, and freelancers stop selling time and start charging for results.
In this episode, Robin shares the experiments that transformed his business—from raising prices 5X (and making more money with fewer clients) to packaging expertise into premium offers. Along the way, Mark challenges Robin on value-based pricing, guarantees, and competition, creating a practical and engaging debate.
If you're still charging for your time instead of your results, this episode will make you rethink your pricing strategy.
 
Why you have to check out today's podcast:
Learn how to charge for results, not hours, and package your expertise into premium offers.
Use a simple pricing exercise to see if your prices can actually hit your income goals.
Discover why higher prices often lead to better clients, less stress, and more profit.
 
"It's all about results and outcomes. If you can't articulate what they actually want to achieve by working with you, you shouldn't sell to them."
— Robin Waite 
 
Topics Covered:
02:00 – The 5X Price Increase That Changed Everything. Robin shares how raising prices dramatically increased profits—even after losing 40% of his clients.
05:15 – From Burnout to Business Coach. Why Robin walked away from his agency and discovered his passion for pricing and productizing services.
12:30 – Can You Really Charge Based on ROI? Mark challenges Robin on value pricing, competition, and money-back guarantees.
16:00 – Inside Robin's New Book, Fearless Pricing. How to package services, overcome pricing fears, and escape hourly billing.
21:00 – Will AI Kill Hourly Billing? Robin explains why AI will make experts more productive—but many will still charge the wrong way.
23:30 – Meet "RobBot" How Robin is using AI to turn eight years of coaching into an on-demand business coach.
25:00 – The One-Page Pricing Plan Every Business Needs A simple exercise to calculate the right price based on your income goals and capacity.
 
Key Takeaways:
"You need to become a master at working out the return on investment your clients are going to get when they work with you." — Robin Waite 
"The goal of running a business is not to enroll every single client. The goal of running a business is to build a profitable and sustainable business." — Robin Waite 
 
People & Resources Mentioned:
Built to Sell by John Warrillow – The book that inspired Robin to productize his services.

 
Connect with Robin Waite:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/RobinMWaite 
Book: Fearless Pricing: How to package your offering and confidently charge more : https://www.amazon.com/Fearless-Pricing-package-offering-confidently-ebook/dp/B0FC6Y77LR?ref_=ast_author_mpb 
 
Connect with Mark Stiving:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/
Email: mark@impactpricing.com