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🧠When Your Prospect Thinks They’re the Smartest Person in the Zoom Room

Spoiler: They're not. But neither are you.

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Ryan Hogan & Elana Burr
June 20, 2025

🎉 WE’RE BACK! Season 2 of Confessions of an Implementer Has Launched!

Get ready for more unfiltered, raw, and eye-opening👀 stories from the frontlines of business transformation. We’re thrilled to kick off this season with a powerhouse episode that’s as insightful as it is inspiring.

🎙️ Season Premiere Highlight: "People Over Profits"

In this must-listen episode, expert EOS Implementer Mike Abercrombie shares a deeply personal journey of leading with heart.

Mike opens up about the harsh reality of prioritizing profits over people—how it led to burnout and breakdown—and how the EOS framework helped him rebuild with purpose and clarity.

💡 Here’s What You’ll Take Away:

  • 🔑 Why peer groups are the secret sauce to growth.

  • 🧠 How personal well-being directly impacts business success.

  • 🌱 What it takes to foster a thriving team culture that lasts.

Burnout to breakthrough—tune in! ✨

🤓The Genius in the Room

What’s it like to pitch a deal to Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton, or Socrates? 🤔 We’ll never know. These legendary brainiacs are long gone.

But let’s imagine: closing a deal with them would’ve been no walk in the park.

Now, what if your prospect thinks they’re a super genius—and worse, they want you to know it? 💥

👉 This is the high-wire act that Max T., a medical supplies rep, recently found himself attempting.

Another day, another 200 IQ prospect.

❓️To the mailbag…

📩 Dear Elana and Ryan,

I’ve been working with a major prospect who thinks he’s the smartest person in every room—including mine.

Every insight I share gets side-eyed or steamrolled. I leave calls feeling like a student defending a thesis instead of a sales pro guiding a solution.

How do I hold my ground, keep my cool, and win him over when I’m treated like a dummy?

Max T., Medical Supplies Representative, Baltimore, MD.

🕹️The Mental Game  

Right off the bat, Max, we feel you.

Pitching to someone with an oversized IQ—and an ego to match—is no walk in the park.

What is it about folks who read one Harvard Business Review article and suddenly think they’re John Nash from A Beautiful Mind? Or maybe they fancy themselves Will Hunting? 😏

It can feel daunting, but don’t worry—you don’t have to be the smartest person in the room to close the deal. You just need to connect in a way that works for both of you.

Here’s how to play the mental game—and win big. 🏆

Game on!

🎮The Tips: Winning Over the ‘Smartest’ in the Room.

Tip 1: Don’t Peacock Right Back 🦚

Ryan’s story of golfing ⛳️ with a show-off prospect is a perfect example. Instead of trying to outshine them on the green, he redirected the convo to what mattered: their business needs. 💼

🔑 The takeaway: Keep your ego in check and focus on providing value.

Focus on the win.

Tip 2: Let Them Talk 🗣️

Know-it-alls love to talk. Let them.

Elana mastered this when dealing with a vent-happy client. Sometimes, all it takes is a few nods and “uh-huhs” to make someone feel heard. 🤷‍♀️

🔑 The takeaway: Their brilliance doesn’t diminish yours. Let them shine so you can guide the spotlight where it counts—on your solution.

I wonder what’s for dinner…

Tip 3: Remember—They May Not Be So Bright 🤔 

If they were truly that brilliant, they wouldn’t need to flex it so hard.

Their know-it-all routine might just be insecurity wearing a disguise. Show them why you’re the real MVP—without bruising their ego.

🔑 The takeaway: Go easy on their ego, then subtly showcase why you’re the expert they need.

You tried..

Send Us Your Burning Questions! 🔥

Speaking of brilliance🧠, we hope Max’s story and our tips gave you the edge you need. Ready to tackle your own tricky sales situations!

Send them our way📩. We’ve got (intelligent) answers—no side-eye required.🙌

THAT’S A WRAP

We’ll be back before you know it 😉

To your sales success, 🚀

P.S. Don’t ghost us — vote below or drop a quick reply. We really wanna know!

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Ways we can work together…

1. Get to know Elana and Ryan. We even made a silly video for you a few months ago.

2. We not only teach recruiting, we also fancy ourselves as the best sales recruiting firm on the planet (we joke a lot, but not about Talent Harbor).

We also believe that 30% commission is ransom, not recruiting. So if you’d like to learn more (or just trade sea stories), here’s a link directly to my calendar.

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