Dr. Jean, The Results Queen® welcomes back Kyle Smith of Strata Cloud Accountants for a candid conversation about business development, value-based selling, financial leadership, and the lessons business owners learn when things don't go according to plan.

What happens when you know you could have helped a prospect, but one mistake in the business development process costs you the opportunity?

You learn from it.

Kyle shares the story of a major prospect he felt confident his team could help. During the conversation, the prospect pushed him for a price range before Kyle had fully scoped the engagement.

Kyle gave him one.

Almost immediately, he knew he'd made a mistake.

The prospect took that number, found a lower-priced alternative, and Kyle lost the opportunity.

Instead of simply moving on, Kyle examined what happened, identified where he abandoned his process, and changed how he approaches business development.

Dr. Jean and Kyle break down why price should never replace value, why discovery has to come before pricing, and why the goal of business development isn't getting someone to say yes. It's determining whether the prospect actually needs what you provide, understands its value, and is the right fit.

They also explore how the same thinking applies to financial leadership. Kyle explains why a fractional CFO shouldn't simply report numbers. The CFO should be the company's "chief numbers translator," helping business owners understand what the numbers mean so they can make better decisions, improve profitability, increase enterprise value, and ultimately build a business that doesn't depend entirely on them.

It's a candid conversation about mistakes, money, growth, and one of the most important lessons in business:

Don't let perfection be the enemy of progress.

The next time a prospect asks for your price before you've completed discovery, resist the temptation to throw out a number.

Instead, ask more questions.

Understand the problem. Define the scope. Establish the value. Then present the investment.

And inside your own company, ask yourself:

What does the business need from me today?

The answer may be very different from what you've been spending your time doing.

Dr. Jean, The Results Queen® continues her Dealing with Difficult People series with The Maybe Person.

What do you do with someone who just can't seem to make a decision?

Maybe this. Maybe that. Maybe they'll commit. Maybe they won't.

The Maybe Person isn't necessarily trying to be difficult. They often see both sides of a situation and struggle with the discomfort that comes with making a definitive choice. Rather than risk making the wrong decision, they avoid making one altogether.

For a fast-moving leader or entrepreneur, that indecision can be incredibly frustrating.

Dr. Jean explains why the answer isn't simply pushing harder. Instead, leaders can create a safer environment for decision-making, explore potential obstacles, recognize the hedge words that signal uncertainty, and develop systems that help the Maybe Person confidently move forward.

She also connects this personality to EOS® and LMA, explaining why some employees need more than leadership. They need consistent management, accountability, and follow-through after the decision has been made.

Because getting someone to say yes isn't the finish line.

The decision still has to turn into action.

The Maybe Person doesn't need you to make the decision for them. They need an environment and a process that makes it safer to decide.

Help them explore the options, identify potential obstacles, make the best decision they can with the information they have, and understand that new information doesn't mean the original decision was a failure.

You can always pivot.

The next time someone on your team keeps saying "maybe," don't immediately push them for an answer.

Ask: What's keeping you from making the decision?

Then help them explore the options, identify the obstacles, and create a process for moving forward.

And once they've decided, don't disappear. Reinforce the decision and stay involved until it becomes action.

Contact Dr. Jean here:

Website: www.gettingresultswithdrjean.com

Email: jean@cavemanbrain.com

Dr. Jean, The Results Queen® breaks down the psychology behind the three-bid process and explains why the first person a buyer speaks with may actually be the strongest candidate, yet still lose the business.

Being the first person a prospect talks to sounds like an advantage.

But what if going first actually makes it harder to win the business?

According to Dr. Jean, the first conversation often educates the buyer. The second helps confirm what they've learned. By the third conversation, the buyer finally feels ready to make a decision.

And that's where Caveman Brain® can influence the outcome.

Dr. Jean's solution is simple: get yourself into the fourth spot.

If you're competing for the business, ask the prospect how their decision will be made. If they're speaking with other candidates, ask for another conversation after they've completed those meetings.

That final conversation gives the prospect an opportunity to bring back new questions, compare what they've learned, and reconsider the person they originally believed was the strongest candidate.

And if you're the buyer? Give that first candidate another opportunity before making your final decision.

The next time a prospect tells you they're talking with other providers, don't simply wait for their decision.

Ask: "Would it be okay if we had another conversation after you've spoken with everyone else so I can answer any additional questions that come up?"

That one question may give you the fourth spot and another opportunity to win the business.

Contact Dr. Jean here:

Website: www.gettingresultswithdrjean.com

Email: jean@cavemanbrain.com