Hi Reader!

Welcome back to my newsletter. I greatly appreciate you taking the time to read this edition!

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It’s pretty rough out there, eh?

People are losing their jobs, the AI frenzy is continuing to grow, and the economy isn’t getting any better.

And this isn’t just hurting people who are looking for full-time employment.

It’s hurting business owners, too.

I recently spoke with a fairly successful business owner, and he mentioned that the time it takes to sell his offer has doubled. What used to take 2 weeks from meeting the person to onboarding them, now takes 4-8 weeks.

People are more cautious than ever with their money.

This isn’t surprising at all. Especially with more and more business owners using AI automation, people are worried they won’t get access to the expert themself.

I’ve spent the last month trying to understand the issue.

• I’ve read Reddit posts where people are open about it
• I’ve looked through LinkedIn conversations
• And I’ve even read those LinkedIn posts fantasizing over the em-dash

And now, I want to share a framework I’ve refined over the past 4 years:
​Voice of Buyer.

And I want to explain how it can tackle the following challenge:

The doubled time-to-sell cycle (from 2 weeks to 4-8 weeks).

Let’s take a common example: the discovery call.

You hop on the call, ask them a few questions, and then walk them through your offer.

They nod along, and you expect them to sign on…

But they don’t. Instead, they say they’ll “circle back soon.” So, you let them go.

And then comes the very…long…delay.

Here’s what I’ve learned from listening to real buyers about this challenge:

They appreciate business owners asking questions, but they don’t trust that you understood what they wanted to achieve.

Buyers today aren’t looking for more expertise. They believe ChatGPT is their friend when it comes to learning new things.

They’re looking for someone who can reflect back what they’re trying to do…and clearly show how you’ll help them get there.

This is precisely why I developed the Voice of Buyer framework.

It flips the script from “Here’s what I offer” to “Here’s how this helps you reach your finish line faster.”

Instead of jumping on a call unprepared to help them reach their finish line, you conduct research.

Just like I did at the beginning of this email!

We can all do this:

• Read unfiltered posts on Reddit
• Watch the conversations unfold on LinkedIn
• And yes, even learn from people ranting about em-dashes

Then you take the language you’ve read, reflect it to the person during the call, and offer your solution using their language.

Simple.

Want to apply this to your next discovery call?

Reply with one sentence your buyer has actually said, and I’ll help you turn it into a pitch that lands in 60 seconds or less.

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And that's all! I hope you enjoyed and learned something from this edition.

Take action right now using the ideas above, and let me know if you have any questions.

If you have enjoyed it, it would mean A LOT if you could share the newsletter. And it would mean even more if you replied to this email to share your thoughts​!

Until next time.

All the best,

Ian Efford
Your Growth Partner

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P.S. Whenever you’re ready, here are 2 ways I can help you attract clients effortlessly:

1. ​Client Acquisition Audit: Get a 1:1 audit of your client acquisition process to identify what’s working, what isn’t, and how to create a system that brings in high-ticket clients consistently. 600 entrepreneurs have converted at least 1-2 extra clients from this audit.
2. ​Demand Sprint Product: Book a full day of support to establish a complex marketing system that consistently brings in high-ticket clients without filling up your calendar.