Return-Path: Delivered-To: andrew@sterlingcal.com Received: from reseller401.webserversystems.com by reseller401.webserversystems.com with LMTP id sJefCR25g2hwKw0AchKAPA (envelope-from ) for ; Fri, 25 Jul 2025 12:04:29 -0500 Return-path: Envelope-to: andrew@sterlingcal.com Delivery-date: Fri, 25 Jul 2025 12:04:29 -0500 Received: from o170.ptr9231.mail.beehiiv.com ([159.183.140.172]:31126) by reseller401.webserversystems.com with esmtps (TLS1.2) tls TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_AES_128_GCM_SHA256 (Exim 4.98.1) (envelope-from ) id 1ufLqO-00000003eMA-1Y8x for andrew@sterlingcal.com; Fri, 25 Jul 2025 12:04:29 -0500 DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=mail.beehiiv.com; h=content-type:date:from:mime-version:subject:reply-to:list-unsubscribe: list-unsubscribe-post:to:cc:content-type:date:from:subject:to; s=s1; bh=M/gMNMUBwBP/k3g697cwsY+N0D7lGMXYiLLpDmlsdQQ=; b=Bf/9twq6RGlnneBhWvX97DolVSPm792CHIaIIdXaDp3M2iyyJZxNc+c95GoM0Zj/uP9N gGOlaUuPsDI02JtXjym3pcGwL1a4p9LBETWBTfRRT0lH93W2e3nJMu0IA2EpOGP1JYedRz fV6YHaoS7aNISxzpZyblw3/w43VuoDu0USmuB201YzfTDURLTK/os6+GOsHVEBilNw/0Vc UU80Y2vnUUIaYNyHXDNtfgy5SHGNL+P6etbbB0IuR6nN5qonVYDfXRCGF07bBg9jGZsFae E+U1p/+WDINdSbFv6iqt8sV/pUVwQcstCoPNxCTPUyrTrgOfPu5KL3MmWYhJRM0A== Received: by recvd-564db9f6b-thhg8 with SMTP id recvd-564db9f6b-thhg8-1-6883B8FE-74 2025-07-25 17:03:58.537049557 +0000 UTC m=+4408430.377417472 Received: from NDAyMzQxODk (unknown) by geopod-ismtpd-8 (SG) with HTTP id DFQv0lfNT92DRes_IatGtw Fri, 25 Jul 2025 17:03:58.501 +0000 (UTC) Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary=375c34f3d8df35d0c6178dec0a94a86a67acac466433c87bdcf8be73d0f3 Date: Fri, 25 Jul 2025 17:04:16 +0000 (UTC) From: Collin Stewart Mime-Version: 1.0 Message-ID: Subject: Getting "do nothing" off the table Reply-To: Collin Stewart Feedback-ID: =?us-ascii?Q?872f2c8d-6e0a-41fc-b07f-2517cfd5fe76=3Anewsletter=3A3c5b97ff-00a9-?= =?us-ascii?Q?4acc-916d-c137bca24b1d=3A23270855726497d?= List-Unsubscribe: =?us-ascii?Q?=3Cmailto=3A3c5b97ff-00a9-4acc-916d-c137bca24b1d+1d17dc26-c1df-44e?= =?us-ascii?Q?0-812a-883b6ad5b6bc+872f2c8d-6e0a-41fc-?= =?us-ascii?Q?b07f-2517cfd5fe76=40unsub=2Ebeehiiv=2Ecom=3E=2C?= =?us-ascii?Q?_=3Chttps=3A=2F=2Ffoundersedition=2Eco=2Funsubscribe=2FeyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbG?= =?us-ascii?Q?ciOiJIUzI1NiJ9=2EeyJzdWJzY3JpYmVyX2lkIjoi?= =?us-ascii?Q?MWQxN2RjMjYtYzFkZi00NGUwLTgxMmEtODgzYjZ?= =?us-ascii?Q?hZDViNmJjIiwicG9zdF9pZCI6Ijg3MmYyYzhkLT?= =?us-ascii?Q?ZlMGEtNDFmYy1iMDdmLTI1MTdjZmQ1ZmU3NiIsI?= =?us-ascii?Q?mxhc3RfcmVzb3VyY2VfZ3VpZCI6IlBvc3Q6ODcy?= =?us-ascii?Q?ZjJjOGQtNmUwYS00MWZjLWIwN2YtMjUxN2NmZDV?= =?us-ascii?Q?mZTc2In0=2E74G4k-OocP0M2K3YCKPfeOemi9XRC5?= =?us-ascii?Q?=5Fg3AK-7h5AJfU=3E?= List-Unsubscribe-Post: List-Unsubscribe=One-Click sId: 3c5b97ff-00a9-4acc-916d-c137bca24b1d x-beehiiv-ids: =?us-ascii?Q?{=22account=5Fname=22=3A=22https=3A=2F=2Ffoundersedition=2Eco=2F=22=2C=22campaign=5Fid=22=3A=228?= =?us-ascii?Q?72f2c8d-6e0a-41fc-b07f-2517cfd5fe76=22=2C=22c?= =?us-ascii?Q?ategory=22=3A=22newsletter=22=2C=22email=5Fgenerated=5F?= =?us-ascii?Q?at=22=3A1753463038=2C=22user=5Fid=22=3A=223c5b97ff-00a9?= =?us-ascii?Q?-4acc-916d-c137bca24b1d=22}?= x-beehiiv-type: newsletter x-list-id: 3c5b97ff-00a9-4acc-916d-c137bca24b1d x-list-owner: x-newsletter: https://foundersedition.co/p/getting-do-nothing-off-the-table x-newsletter-id: https://foundersedition.co/ x-newsletter-signup: https://foundersedition.co/subscribe X-SG-EID: =?us-ascii?Q?u001=2E7ozyt+tmjDsHnEocxX8pymFA2v5OOh2V4Pdr6hGVjZo99sLHT4OeEg7as?= =?us-ascii?Q?oEFtQzIa0qAOkk1QezFA4qrCcff9558yNK8x6zQ?= =?us-ascii?Q?0aLhxDCyAuB9kgcSLas3IIKR+fvCUJBB+0z0rXo?= =?us-ascii?Q?xjYVzs4sqigFq+ypejAS4D7+iPJ2TmXSmvueMHa?= =?us-ascii?Q?ZXP54PSqiybwY9vG+LwcS4dWrPnI6CAzPnwyJLe?= =?us-ascii?Q?goZhQgl9sI2rbX+T3ugQ4QwhGRmHLhvql693Z38?= =?us-ascii?Q?GmRf9wYuk7rksxOTadglqDT3pI=2FBVyjzP5x9xtX?= =?us-ascii?Q?hd55MpjM=3D?= X-SG-ID: =?us-ascii?Q?u001=2ESdBcvi+Evd=2FbQef8eZF3BpTL9BgbK5wfSJMJGMsmprD1ZcmFObA4po1bG?= =?us-ascii?Q?aUE6gycJ+LfRoc8X0Wm0MSorFVcoWHrIixZYD9z?= =?us-ascii?Q?w25Z143eglkAJWbQrLxndYtch6lhNuMZAjzTdhS?= =?us-ascii?Q?+p7WkO424Ipk13O34SdX8bx0Vq1+NisSaeD36ep?= =?us-ascii?Q?UIn+Pjq6OdGQaI5Zcdcaz3oHBAvOteaQ+Z+xKcs?= =?us-ascii?Q?AlSpD36mtSAjp69d8G=2FcxnMBso8vvMeDCGAlZEH?= =?us-ascii?Q?CW+I35+If+qfIUKXHcCcM3nNSikXdo5PBpXzaHD?= =?us-ascii?Q?MP=2FXTAJ5N=2FwnNz=2FJw1srI2tezM4VNFlWrDcyPeB?= =?us-ascii?Q?cgjImvVGbVdxbUZvfYDh=2FTN+y881wrPK1yie9ox?= =?us-ascii?Q?6wTvG=2FufSbLwp6M?= To: "andrew@sterlingcal.com" X-Entity-ID: u001.RuZ2+X9IBGtjUb8qq3teHQ== X-Spam-Status: No, score=-4.3 X-Spam-Score: -42 X-Spam-Bar: ---- X-Spam-Flag: NO --375c34f3d8df35d0c6178dec0a94a86a67acac466433c87bdcf8be73d0f3 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 Mime-Version: 1.0 Hello Andrew,=20 _**Pre-order club**__: our next meetup is August 8th at 930am PT and is ope= n to anyone who pre-ordered the book. My goal is to help 3-5 companies work= through a revenue related challenge every time. Forward me your receipt an= d I=E2=80=99ll add you to the invite. _ **_About the book: _**_Most sales books are written by people who've never = actually had to find their own customers. They're full of theory that falls= apart on real sales calls._ _The Terrifying Art of Finding Customers is different. It's a no-BS guide t= o the messy, uncomfortable work of turning strangers into buyers=E2=80=94wr= itten for founders who have to sell their own stuff. _[_Get your copy here_= ](https://www.amazon.com/Terrifying-Art-Finding-Customers-Sleep-Deprived/dp= /1774586134) _"Finally, a sales book by someone who's actually made quota.=E2=80=9D - Me= _=20 This newsletter is also available as a talking head video, [check it out he= re](https://youtu.be/5xgznqzG6Kc?feature=3Dshared) if you prefer that forma= t. # =E2=80=9CDoing Nothing=E2=80=9D Here's a mistake I see founders making every day in sales calls: they're pi= tching to people who have zero intention of buying anything. They spend hou= rs crafting demos, writing proposals, and following up with prospects who a= re just curious about what's out there. Today I want to teach you how to identify real buyers from tire kickers usi= ng one simple concept: whether or not "do nothing" is off the table. ## What Does it Mean? Getting "do nothing" off the table means your prospect has recognized that = their current way of doing things is broken and they're going to make a cha= nge. It doesn't necessarily mean they'll buy from you, but they've agreed t= hat continuing to do nothing would be the wrong course of action. Think about it this way: changing anything is a pain in the ass. Your prosp= ect has to allocate budget, get stakeholder buy-in, implement new processes= , train their team, and deal with the inevitable hiccups that come with any= change. The default state for most businesses is inertia - keep doing what= they're doing, even if it's not perfect. Doing nothing _is always_ your bi= ggest competitor.=C2=A0 But when "do nothing" comes off the table, they've mentally crossed a thres= hold. They've admitted that their current approach is causing enough pain t= hat the cost of change is worth it. ## Why This Concept Matters for Your Sales Process This distinction matters for three critical reasons: **First, it separates tire kickers from real buyers.** Tire kickers are jus= t curious about what's out there. They might take your demo, ask thoughtful= questions, and even seem engaged. But they haven't committed to solving th= e underlying problem. Real buyers, on the other hand, are committed to maki= ng a change and are evaluating solutions to help them do it. **Second, it prevents you from wasting time on expensive demos and trials.*= * Nothing burns through your resources faster than giving detailed demos an= d setting up trials for people who aren't actually in buying mode. When you= can identify whether someone has taken "do nothing" off the table, you can= invest your time appropriately. **Third, it helps create urgency.** Someone who's committed to solving a pr= oblem usually wants it solved quickly. Once they've decided the status quo = is unacceptable, every day they wait is another day of pain. ## How to Identify When "Do Nothing" Is Off the Table Here's what I look for to determine if a prospect has genuinely committed t= o change: They're already spending money trying to solve it, even inefficiently. This= might look like hiring people to manually pull data, paying for expensive = workarounds, or cobbling together multiple tools that don't integrate well.= The key is they're already investing resources because the problem is real= . They've expressed real frustration with their current process. I'm not talk= ing about mild annoyance or academic interest in optimization. I mean genui= ne frustration where you can hear the pain in their voice when they describ= e their current situation. There's external pressure. This could be new board requirements, investor d= emands, compliance issues, or competitive pressure. When the pressure is co= ming from outside their immediate team, "do nothing" becomes much harder to= justify. You can tie it to one of the big three: making money, saving costs, or redu= cing risk. If you can connect their problem to a clear financial impact or = risk mitigation, you have a much better chance of getting "do nothing" off = the table. ## The Right Questions to Ask The key is knowing how to surface this information, and timing matters. The= se aren't questions you ask at the beginning of a call when you're just bui= lding rapport. Generally, I bring these up after a good discovery conversat= ion where I've established that there's real pain we can solve. If you have good rapport with the prospect, you can be direct: "Is this a p= riority to solve right now?" If you want to soften the approach: "Where does this sit on your priority l= ist - is this number one or number ten?" For timing context: "Is this a this month, this quarter, or this year probl= em?" One of my favourites when people seem hesitant to share: "Help me understan= d - what would happen if you choose not to solve this right now?" Then expl= ore the first, second, and third-order consequences of inaction. The most important piece is simply to ask. This isn't generally a yes-or-no= question - it's a topic you want to explore. "Can we talk about priority l= evel here?" If they say yes, go deeper. Get them to articulate why change i= s necessary. ## Red Flags vs. Green Flags **Red flags that "do nothing" is still on the table:** * Vague answers about timing ("We'll probably look at this next year") * Talk about future budgets rather than current ones * Focus on planning and exploration rather than evaluation and implementati= on * Reluctance to bring in other stakeholders **Green flags that "do nothing" is off the table:** * They bring additional stakeholders without you asking * They ask about trials, integrations, or implementation details * They want to understand your procurement process * They're trying to negotiate terms rather than questioning whether they ne= ed a solution ## A Real Example I was recently talking to a founder I work with who had a prospect commit t= o a $1,500 paid trial. When they sent the Stripe invoice, the payment faile= d. Then it failed again. That prospect tried paying the bill 15 times until= it finally went through. That person had clearly taken "do nothing" off the table. Compare that to s= omeone who just wants to "see a demo" without sharing any context about the= ir problems or timeline. ## Your Homework Here's what I want you to do: In your next sales call, ask one of the prior= ity questions. You'll be shocked at how many people will just tell you wher= e they really stand. This isn't some secret sales trick - it's just two hum= ans having an honest conversation about their priorities. Stop wasting time on people who haven't committed to change so you can focu= s on the ones who have already decided they need to solve this problem. Whe= n you ask these questions directly, you might be surprised by the clarity y= ou get. The goal isn't to manipulate anyone into buying - it's to have honest conve= rsations about whether there's a real fit between your solution and their g= enuine need for change. When "do nothing" is truly off the table, both you = and your prospect can move forward with confidence and appropriate urgency. Remember: not every prospect needs to buy right now, and that's okay. But y= ou deserve to know where you stand so you can allocate your time and energy= to the opportunities that are most likely to move forward. Collin=C2=A0 PS -=C2=A0thanks to everyone who replied to last week=E2=80=99s email, I=E2= =80=99ve been away with the family this week so I=E2=80=99m still catching = up. If I haven=E2=80=99t replied to you by the time this lands in your inbo= x, know that a reply is coming shortly.=20 =E2=80=94=E2=80=94=E2=80=94 You are reading a plain text version of this post. For the best experience,= copy and paste this link in your browser to view the post online: https://foundersedition.co/p/getting-do-nothing-off-the-table --375c34f3d8df35d0c6178dec0a94a86a67acac466433c87bdcf8be73d0f3 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset=utf-8 Mime-Version: 1.0 Getting "do nothing" off the table
<= td align=3D"center" valign=3D"top" style=3D"border-width:0px 0px 0px 0px;bo= rder-style: solid; border-color: #FFFFFF;border-radius:10px 10px 0px 0px;ba= ckground-color:#FFFFFF;" class=3D"c">

July 25= , 2025   |   Read Onli= ne

Getting "do nothing" off the = table

3D"share
 
3D"share
 
3D"share
 
3D""
<= /div>
<= /tr>=

  • Vague answers about timing ("We'll probably look at this next = year")

  • Talk about future budgets rather than = current ones

  • <= span style=3D"color:rgb(44, 62, 80);">Focus on planning and exploration rat= her than evaluation and implementation

  • Reluctance = to bring in other stakeholders

= <= tr>

Hello Andrew,

Pre-order club: our next meetup is August 8th at 93= 0am PT and is open to anyone who pre-ordered the book. My goal is to help 3= -5 companies work through a revenue related challenge every time. Forward m= e your receipt and I=E2=80=99ll add you to the invite.

About the book: <= span style=3D"color:rgb(44, 62, 80);">Most sales books are written by pe= ople who've never actually had to find their own customers. They're= full of theory that falls apart on real sales calls.

The Terrifying Art of Finding Custome= rs is different. It's a no-BS guide to the messy, uncomfortable work of= turning strangers into buyers=E2=80=94written for founders who have to sel= l their own stuff. = Get your copy here

"Finally, a sales book by someone who's actually mad= e quota.=E2=80=9D - Me=C2= =A0

This newsletter is = also available as a talking head video, check it out here= if you prefer that format.

=E2=80=9CDoing Not= hing=E2=80=9D

Here'= ;s a mistake I see founders making every day in sales calls: they're pi= tching to people who have zero intention of buying anything. They spend hou= rs crafting demos, writing proposals, and following up with prospects who a= re just curious about what's out there.

Today I want to teach you how to identify real buyers = from tire kickers using one simple concept: whether or not "do nothing= " is off the table.

What Does it Mean?

Getting "do nothing" off the table means your prospect h= as recognized that their current way of doing things is broken and they'= ;re going to make a change. It doesn't necessarily mean they'll buy= from you, but they've agreed that continuing to do nothing would be th= e wrong course of action.

Think about it this way: changing anything is a pain in the ass. Your pr= ospect has to allocate budget, get stakeholder buy-in, implement new proces= ses, train their team, and deal with the inevitable hiccups that come with = any change. The default state for most businesses is inertia - keep doing w= hat they're doing, even if it's not perfect. Doing nothing <= span style=3D"color:rgb(44, 62, 80);">is always your biggest competitor.=C2=A0

But when "do nothing" comes off= the table, they've mentally crossed a threshold. They've admitted = that their current approach is causing enough pain that the cost of change = is worth it.

Why This Concept Matters for Your Sales Process

This distinction matters for th= ree critical reasons:

First, it separates tire kickers from real buyers. Tire kickers are just curious a= bout what's out there. They might take your demo, ask thoughtful questi= ons, and even seem engaged. But they haven't committed to solving the u= nderlying problem. Real buyers, on the other hand, are committed to making = a change and are evaluating solutions to help them do it.

Second, it prevents y= ou from wasting time on expensive demos and trials. Nothing burns through your resources faster th= an giving detailed demos and setting up trials for people who aren't ac= tually in buying mode. When you can identify whether someone has taken &quo= t;do nothing" off the table, you can invest your time appropriately.

Third= , it helps create urgency. Someone who's committed to solving a problem usually wants it solved = quickly. Once they've decided the status quo is unacceptable, every day= they wait is another day of pain.

How to Identify When "Do Nothi= ng" Is Off the Table

Here's what I look for to determine if a prospect has genuinely c= ommitted to change:

They're already spending money trying to solve it, even in= efficiently. This might look like hiring people to manually pull data, payi= ng for expensive workarounds, or cobbling together multiple tools that don&= #39;t integrate well. The key is they're already investing resources be= cause the problem is real.

They've expressed real frustration with their cur= rent process. I'm not talking about mild annoyance or academic interest= in optimization. I mean genuine frustration where you can hear the pain in= their voice when they describe their current situation.

There's external pres= sure. This could be new board requirements, investor demands, compliance is= sues, or competitive pressure. When the pressure is coming from outside the= ir immediate team, "do nothing" becomes much harder to justify.

You can = tie it to one of the big three: making money, saving costs, or reducing ris= k. If you can connect their problem to a clear financial impact or risk mit= igation, you have a much better chance of getting "do nothing" of= f the table.

The Right Questions to Ask

The key is knowing how to surface this information, and timin= g matters. These aren't questions you ask at the beginning of a call wh= en you're just building rapport. Generally, I bring these up after a go= od discovery conversation where I've established that there's real = pain we can solve.

If = you have good rapport with the prospect, you can be direct: "Is this a= priority to solve right now?"

If you want to soften the approach: "Where does this sit = on your priority list - is this number one or number ten?"

<= /td>

For timing context: "Is this = a this month, this quarter, or this year problem?"

One of my favourites when people seem hesi= tant to share: "Help me understand - what would happen if you choose n= ot to solve this right now?" Then explore the first, second, and third= -order consequences of inaction.

The most important piece is simply to ask. This isn't general= ly a yes-or-no question - it's a topic you want to explore. "Can w= e talk about priority level here?" If they say yes, go deeper. Get the= m to articulate why change is necessary.

Red Flags vs. Green Flags

Red flags that &= quot;do nothing" is still on the table:

Green flags that "do nothin= g" is off the table:

  • They bring ad= ditional stakeholders without you asking

  • They ask = about trials, integrations, or implementation details

  • They want to understand your procurement process

  • They're trying to negotiate terms rather than questioning whether th= ey need a solution

A Real Example

I was recently talking to a founder I work with who had a prosp= ect commit to a $1,500 paid trial. When they sent the Stripe invoice, the p= ayment failed. Then it failed again. That prospect tried paying the bill 15= times until it finally went through.

That person had clearly taken "do nothing" off the= table. Compare that to someone who just wants to "see a demo" wi= thout sharing any context about their problems or timeline.

Your Homework

Here's what I want you to do: In you= r next sales call, ask one of the priority questions. You'll be shocked= at how many people will just tell you where they really stand. This isn= 9;t some secret sales trick - it's just two humans having an honest con= versation about their priorities.

Stop wasting time on people who haven't committed to change = so you can focus on the ones who have already decided they need to solve th= is problem. When you ask these questions directly, you might be surprised b= y the clarity you get.

= The goal isn't to manipulate anyone into buying - it's to have hone= st conversations about whether there's a real fit between your solution= and their genuine need for change. When "do nothing" is truly of= f the table, both you and your prospect can move forward with confidence an= d appropriate urgency.

= Remember: not every prospect needs to buy right now, and that's okay. B= ut you deserve to know where you stand so you can allocate your time and en= ergy to the opportunities that are most likely to move forward.

<= /td>

Collin=C2=A0

PS -=C2=A0thanks to everyone who replied to = last week=E2=80=99s email, I=E2=80=99ve been away with the family this week= so I=E2=80=99m still catching up. If I haven=E2=80=99t replied to you by t= he time this lands in your inbox, know that a reply is coming shortly.

<= /tr>
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