Saying yes feels good. It’s helpful, it’s human—and it’s how your firm quietly bleeds to death. 😵

In this episode, John and Mark dive into the real power of saying NO: qualifying hard, protecting your pipeline, and choosing clients and marketing efforts that actually move your firm forward. Plus, they explore the cognitive traps (hello, sunk cost fallacy and FOMO) that keep you from doing it.

00:00 Introduction
02:06 Welcome
03:21 Qualification
08:16 Cognitive Biases
10:48 FOMO
14:25 No Keeps The Buyer's Interest In Mind
15:31 Saying 'No' To The Wrong Types Of Clients
22:36 People Over Projects
27:38 Saying No To Marketing Overload
34:27 Wrap Up

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Your CRM is haunted. Not by ghosts...but by cold leads, stalled proposals, and “maybe next quarter” conversations that never saw the light of day. In this episode, John and Mark take you on a guided tour of the Pipeline Graveyard—where dead deals lurk, and second chances await.

Despite the Halloween theme, this one’s evergreen. Because let’s be honest: deals go dark year-round. We’ll show you how to diagnose the truly dead, spot signs of life, and—when the timing’s right—resurrect opportunities without looking desperate.

It’s part sales therapy, part post-mortem, and part playbook for turning silence into closed-won. So grab your flashlight and a shovel. We’re digging in.

CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction
00:48 Welcome
01:16 Introduction
02:57 Common Causes of Deals Failing
06:29 Diagnosis
11:17 Signs There Is Still Life In The Deal
13:27 New Information
15:03 Reflection
18:19 How To Raise The Dead
24:50 Digging In The Graveyard
34:43 Segmenting

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Go ahead, put all of BD on the shoulders of your most expensive asset. What could possible go wrong?

In this episode, John and Mark explore the pros and cons of partner involvement in business development. They look at the benefits and drawbacks of a firm partner's role in both marketing and sales. Identify actionable strategies for helping your firm's partners engage in the right kind of business development efforts.

CHAPTERS
00:00 Welcome + Listener shoutouts
03:18 Episode Rundown
04:49 Marketing and Sales Continuum
05:16 Pros of Partner Involvement in Marketing
08:39 Cons of Partner Involvement in Marketing
13:12 Pros of Partner Involvement in Sales
18:01 Cons of Partner Involvement in Sales
27:31 What Good Look Like
30:33 Rapid Fire: Who's the Bottleneck?
35:16 Takeaways and Conclusion

Share your feedback in our listener survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8V9T6Z7