Response Potential: The One Tactical Shift That Changes Everything
I’m going to teach you something that most sales trainers will never tell you.
Not because they’re hiding it. But because they don’t know it exists.
It’s called response potential.
And once you understand it, you’ll never approach a sale, a negotiation, or an influence situation the same way again.
What Response Potential Actually Is
Response potential is the capacity and willingness of a person to take a specific action.
Not just capacity. Not just willingness. Both. Together.
If either one is missing, response potential is zero. And if response potential is zero, no amount of persuasion is going to work.
Let me break this down with a tactical example you can use immediately.
The $10K Coaching Scenario
You’re selling high ticket coaching. Six months. $10,000.
You have three prospects:
Prospect A: Loves the idea of coaching. Sees the value. Excited about transformation. But doesn’t have $10,000.
Prospect B: Has $10,000 in the bank. Financially stable. But thinks coaching is a waste of money. Doesn’t see the value.
Prospect C: Has $10,000 AND already values coaching. Has invested in similar programs before. Sees themselves as someone who invests in growth.
Which prospect has response potential?
Only Prospect C.
Prospect A has willingness but no ability. Response potential = zero.
Prospect B has ability but no willingness. Response potential = zero.
Prospect C has both. Response potential = high.
Now here’s the tactical application:
Most salespeople waste time trying to close Prospect A and B with better pitches, better objection handling, better language patterns.
That’s not the problem.
The problem is no response potential.
The Tactical Framework
Before you try to influence anyone to do anything, ask two questions:
Can they do it? (Ability)
Do they want to do it? (Willingness)
If the answer to either question is no, don’t try to close. Build response potential first.
How To Build Ability
Give them the resources they need.
For Prospect A who wants coaching but doesn’t have $10k:
Offer a payment plan that fits their cash flow
Start with a smaller engagement to demonstrate value
Help them find the money (suggest cutting expenses, finding additional income)
Provide a lower tier option that builds to the full program
You’re not manipulating. You’re removing obstacles.
How To Build Willingness
Connect it to what they already value.
For Prospect B who has money but doesn’t see coaching as valuable:
Share case studies of people like them who got results
Offer a small win first (mini session, audit, assessment)
Connect coaching to goals they already have
Reframe coaching as investment, not expense
You’re not convincing. You’re aligning.
The Tactical Questions That Reveal Response Potential
Don’t ask “Do you want to buy this?” That creates pressure and resistance.
Instead, ask exploratory questions that assess response potential:
For Ability:
“What would it take logistically for you to move forward with something like this?”
“If this were the right fit, what would need to be in place on your end?”
“Walk me through what implementation would look like in your world.”
For Willingness:
“On a scale of 1 to 10, how ready do you feel to make this kind of investment?”
“What would need to be true for this to be a no-brainer for you?”
“What’s the biggest thing holding you back from moving forward?”
These questions do two things:
They reveal where response potential is low
They don’t create resistance because you’re not pushing
The One Thing That Kills Response Potential
Neediness.
When you need the sale, when you’re desperate, when you’re pushing because you have to hit quota, you destroy response potential.
Here’s why:
Neediness communicates that you don’t have leverage. That you’re not confident. That maybe this isn’t as valuable as you say it is.
People feel neediness. And when they feel it, trust dies. Without trust, willingness dies. Without willingness, response potential dies.
The tactical fix:
Come from abundance, not scarcity.
Be genuinely okay with them saying no.
Focus on finding people with response potential, not convincing people without it.
When you do this, something interesting happens. You build response potential naturally because you’re not needy. You’re helpful. You’re consultative. You’re trustworthy.
The Specific Tactic: The Two-Step Assessment
Here’s exactly how to apply this in your next sales conversation:
Step 1: Assess Current Response Potential
Early in the conversation, ask: “On a scale of 1 to 10, if 10 is ‘I’m ready to move forward right now’ and 1 is ‘I’m just gathering information,’ where would you say you are?”
If they say 7 or higher, you can move toward closing. Response potential is likely high.
If they say 6 or lower, don’t try to close. Build response potential.
Step 2: Identify The Gap
Ask: “What would it take to get you from a [their number] to a 9 or 10?”
This tells you exactly what’s missing. Ability or willingness or both.
Then you build what’s missing before you ask for the sale.
The Paradox That Changes Everything
When you stop trying to close everyone and focus on building response potential first, your close rates go up.
Way up.
Because you’re only asking people who are actually ready.
And when people are ready, they say yes.
This is what separates amateurs from professionals:
Amateurs try to close everyone with better techniques.
Professionals build response potential and only ask when it’s there.
The One Tactic To Take Away
Before your next sales conversation, commit to this:
You will not try to close unless response potential is high.
If it’s low, you’ll focus the entire conversation on building it. Not on pitching.
This single shift will transform your results.
Because you’ll stop creating resistance and start creating readiness.
And readiness converts.
Want to go deeper on influence fundamentals? Start with 30 Fast Start Lessons at https://NeuroInfluenceProject.com/sub
Ready to access hundreds of hours of proven training? Join Influence Architects at https://TheInfluenceArchitects.com/sub
Want the complete Master Models system with AI integration? Get P.O.W.E.R. Influence at https://Master.ThePowerArk.com/sub