When was the last time you analyzed why customers hesitate instead of simply pushing harder on your sales pitch? Matt Sucha, CEO of Mind Works and consumer psychology expert, believes most businesses are solving the wrong problem. Speaking from Bratislava on the Expert Inside Interview with John Golden, Sucha shared game-changing insights from his book The Hidden Yes that challenge conventional sales wisdom.
The Motivation Myth That’s Costing You Conversions
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: your customers probably don’t need more motivation. A European bank learned this the hard way when it offered free travel insurance to hundreds of thousands of clients and saw almost zero uptake. Free insurance—who wouldn’t want that?
The issue wasn’t motivation. It was fear. Customers wondered: “Is this legitimate? Will I be auto-charged later without knowing?” Once the bank addressed these specific concerns directly in their messaging, conversions jumped 167%.
This illustrates Sucha’s core principle: psychological barriers kill more deals than lack of interest. Your prospects might want what you’re selling but feel paralyzed by uncertainty, hidden costs, or complexity. Stop adding more features to your pitch and start removing friction from the decision process.
The Subconscious Rules (And You’re Probably Ignoring It)
Research shows that 90-95% of our decisions happen below conscious awareness. Yet most marketing speaks exclusively to the rational brain—better prices, more features, logical benefits. We’re essentially shouting at the wrong audience.
A telecom company proved this by changing one simple question. Instead of asking “Which accessories do you want?” (which triggers defensive hesitation), they asked “Here’s a package of seven accessories—which ones aren’t you interested in?” That subtle reframe increased sales by 32%.
Similarly, a water heater salesperson who traditionally presented one “perfect” option started offering two choices—the recommended model and a premium alternative. His conversion rate nearly doubled, jumping from 16% to 28%. Why? Because choice reduces anxiety and empowers customers, even when they select the original recommendation.
The SURF Method: Your Framework for Better Decisions
Sucha’s SURF approach provides a practical system for influencing customer behavior:
- Surface psychological barriers before they sabotage the sale
- Understand the subconscious motivators driving decisions
- Reframe choices to reduce pressure and increase control
- Focus on clear communication goals at each touchpoint
Before launching your next campaign, ask yourself: What do I want customers to feel, think, and do? If you can’t answer all three, you’re not ready to communicate.
The Takeaway
Stop assuming motivation is the problem. Your customers might already want what you offer—they’re just stuck behind invisible barriers you haven’t identified. Address their specific fears, frame choices to empower rather than pressure them, and speak to the subconscious mind that actually makes decisions.
Want to dive deeper? Sucha offers a risk-free copy of The Hidden Yes at The Hidden Yes Read it for 30 days, then decide whether it’s worth paying for. No strings attached—just actionable psychology that could transform your sales approach.
Our Host
John is the Amazon bestselling author of Winning the Battle for Sales: Lessons on Closing Every Deal from the World’s Greatest Military Victories and Social Upheaval: How to Win at Social Selling. A globally acknowledged Sales & Marketing thought leader, speaker, and strategist, he has conducted over 1500 video interviews of thought leaders for Sales POP! online sales magazine & YouTube Channel and for audio podcast channels where Sales POP! is rated in the top 2% of most popular shows out of 3,320,580 podcasts globally, ranked by Listen Score. He is CSMO at Pipeliner CRM. In his spare time, John is an avid Martial Artist.
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