Why Ignoring Risk Kills Your Sales (And How To Reverse It)
Most lost sales have nothing to do with price.
Nothing to do with your competition either.
It’s risk. The quiet little voice in the prospect’s head asking “what if this goes wrong?” And while the mass mediocre majority bang on about how great they are, that voice kills the deal stone dead.
Here’s the story – and the fix.
The No Bullshit Version
- Where some see opportunity, others see risk – and risk stops buyers dead
- Ignoring risk doesn’t make it vanish. It festers and kills the deal
- The fix: drag the risk into the light, address it, neutralise it, reverse it
- The business that removes the risk gets the sale – and can charge more for it
Went to Oxford recently.
Did something at the university.
Long story, not that interesting.
Anyway, while we were there, I noticed the number of bikes in that town.
Bikes everywhere.
Bike lanes, pavements, motorways, pubs.
Oxford has feral cyclists.
And the shocking part wasn’t the level of kamikaze pedalling.
It was the crazy pedalling without a helmet.
Bold from a city supposedly stuffed with the brightest minds.
As I watched one bloke wobble cheerfully into the path of a 40-tonne HGV.
I turned to Emma (my wife) and huffed:
“Who exactly does he think is going to win here, his skull or that lorry?”
Emma’s response:
“Safety first?! From the man who wants to go bull riding? That’s a bit rich.”
Touché.
In that moment, I was reminded of two things.
One, I still haven’t found an insurance policy that covers bull riding.
Two, risk is a funny thing.
And only the second one matters to you.
Because where some see opportunity…
Others see risk.
And once someone sees risk, it’ll stop them dead.
Especially when it comes to money.
And here’s where most businesses get it wrong…
They ignore risk.
They hope it’ll go away.
If you just talk about how great you are, they’ll get over the risk, right?
Wrong.
Risk doesn’t vanish when ignored.
It festers.
Like a wound left in the prospect’s mind.
An infection that’ll always kill the deal.
My advice?
Go left when the world goes right.
Do the opposite.
Drag the risk into the light.
Address it.
Neutralise it.
And if you’re smart, reverse it.
Because the business that removes the risk usually gets the sale.
And can usually charge the big bucks too.
Make More. Provide More. Be More.
Charlie Hutton
FAQ
Why do prospects say no even when the price is right?
Risk. Every prospect has a voice in their head asking “what if this goes wrong?” – and if you don’t answer it, the deal dies. Price is rarely the real objection. Unaddressed risk is.
What is risk reversal in sales?
It’s taking the risk off the buyer’s shoulders and putting it on yours. Guarantees, trial periods, pay-on-results – anything that means the prospect loses nothing if it goes wrong. The business that removes the risk usually gets the sale.
Does talking about how great my business is overcome buyer risk?
No. Bragging doesn’t kill risk – it ignores it. Risk festers like a wound in the prospect’s mind until it kills the deal. You have to drag it into the light and neutralise it head-on.
Can removing risk let me charge more?
Yes. When the buyer carries zero risk, price stops being the battleground. The mass mediocre majority compete on cost. The business that reverses the risk charges the big bucks – because the prospect has nothing to lose.
What To Do Next
You’re not evil for wanting to replace jobs with profit. You’re running a business, not a crèche. If you want the full playbook – the exact method hundreds of UK men have used to hit £1 million without a payroll dragging them under – start with my best-selling book. It’s here on Amazon
