116: The #1 Objection in 2025: “I Don’t Think I Can Do It”

Summary

Courage & Clarity Podcast Episode 116: The #1 Objection in 2025: “I Don’t Think I Can Do It”

Host: Steph Crowder
Release Date: January 24, 2025
Description: Insights into overcoming the most prevalent objection in today's entrepreneurial landscape—self-doubt. Steph Crowder delves deep into understanding, reframing, and tackling the pervasive belief that “I don’t think I can do it,” providing actionable strategies for female entrepreneurs to build confidence and achieve their business goals.

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Introduction

In Episode 116 of the Courage & Clarity podcast, host Steph Crowder addresses the most significant objection entrepreneurs are encountering in 2025: “I don’t think I can do it.” Drawing from her extensive experience as a former sales training director and current coach, Steph explores the roots of this objection, its various manifestations, and effective tactics to overcome it.

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Understanding the Objection: “I Don’t Think I Can Do It”

Steph begins by identifying the core of the objection, emphasizing that it stems from self-doubt. This sentiment is pervasive across all niches and industries, affecting individuals regardless of their expertise or the value they offer.

Notable Quote:

“I believe the biggest thing holding customers back in 2025 is self doubt.”
— Steph Crowder [04:38]

She highlights that often, when prospects present this objection, they're not questioning the value or expertise of the coach or mentor but are battling their own insecurities and lack of belief in their abilities.

Example of Objection Manifestations:

• “You’re great, Steph, but I’m not sure I can succeed.”
• “It’s not you, it’s me.”
• “I’ve tried before, and nothing worked.”

Steph explains that these variations all circle back to the same underlying issue: the prospect's lack of confidence in their ability to achieve the desired outcomes, not a reflection of the coach’s capability.

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Why is This Objection Prevalent Now?

Steph posits that the rise of readily available information through AI, Google, and social media has paradoxically increased self-doubt among entrepreneurs. With an abundance of free resources, the perceived gap between one’s current state and their aspirations has widened, fostering feelings of inadequacy.

Notable Quote:

“All the information in the world will not help you stop doubting yourself.”
— Steph Crowder [10:29]

She criticizes the outdated strategy of "info dumping," where entrepreneurs inundate prospects with free content in hopes of demonstrating value. Instead, she advocates for belief building—fostering confidence and creating a sense of possibility within prospects.

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Shifting from Information Dumping to Belief Building

Steph introduces a transformative approach to overcoming self-doubt by shifting focus from merely providing information to building belief.

Key Strategies:

1. Share Micro Wins:
   Instead of showcasing grand successes, share small, relatable victories that prospects can see themselves achieving.
   Example Quote:

   “Jane landed her first paying client after a single call.”
   — Steph Crowder [28:37]

2. Offer Safe Spaces to Test and Try:
   Create environments where prospects can take small steps without fear of failure, such as bite-sized challenges or workshops.
   Example Quote:

   “Offer safe spaces to test and try.”
   — Steph Crowder [31:14]

3. Utilize the Window of Possibility Concept:
   Encourage prospects to envision a future where they have overcome their doubts and achieved success through your guidance.
   Example Quote:

   “Cracking open the window of possibility.”
   — Steph Crowder [31:14]

4. Foster Willingness:
   Emphasize the importance of taking the first step, as action breeds clarity and builds confidence.
   Example Quote:

   “Clarity comes from action.”
   — Steph Crowder [33:04]

5. Reverse Engineer Success:
   Help prospects visualize their success by breaking down their goals into achievable steps, making the path forward less intimidating.
   Example Quote:

   “If somebody's like, I just need to make my investment back… Let's do the math.”
   — Steph Crowder [35:20]

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Practical Ways to Address “I Don’t Think I Can Do It”

Steph provides actionable tactics to help entrepreneurs effectively counteract this objection:

1. Replace Confidence with Belief:
   Shift the narrative from merely providing strategies to instilling confidence.
   Notable Insight:

   • Confidence is the new currency in sales conversations. When prospects gain confidence in their abilities, they are more likely to invest in your offerings.

2. Reduce Information Overload:
   Avoid overwhelming prospects with excessive content. Instead, deliver concise, impactful information that empowers them to take manageable steps toward their goals.

3. Leverage Specificity in Testimonials:
   Use detailed, specific success stories rather than vague accolades to make accomplishments more relatable and attainable.
   Example Quote:

   “Jane landed her first paying client after a single call” is more effective than “Jane made 500k in my program.”
   — Steph Crowder [29:11]

4. Create Contrast with Previous Experiences:
   Differentiate your program from past unsuccessful attempts by highlighting how your approach fosters belief and incremental progress rather than just more information.

5. Encourage Fast Forward Thinking:
   Guide prospects to envision their future success by addressing what would make their investment worthwhile, thereby shifting focus from fear to potential gain.
   Example Quote:

   “What would you have to be able to say to be like, I’m glad I did that?”
   — Steph Crowder [34:19]

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Conclusion: Embracing Confidence and Clarity

Steph wraps up the episode by reinforcing the normalcy of encountering self-doubt and emphasizing the importance of addressing it head-on. By fostering belief rather than just delivering information, entrepreneurs can bridge the gap between where their prospects are and where they aspire to be.

Final Insights:

• Overcoming objections like “I don’t think I can do it” is crucial for sustainable business growth.
• Building a coaching environment that prioritizes belief and small, achievable steps can effectively dismantle self-doubt.
• Confidence, more than information, serves as the key to unlocking a prospect’s potential.

Notable Quote:

“Your clients are simply missing that last spark of belief. If you provide that spark or help them find that spark within themselves, you’re on the path to truly helping them and creating the clients that you’re ready to have this year and beyond.”
— Steph Crowder [37:03]

Steph encourages listeners to adopt these strategies to not only overcome objections but also to cultivate a supportive and empowering space for their clients, ultimately leading to meaningful transformation and business success.

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Connect with Steph Crowder:
For more insights and to join upcoming programs, visit stephcrowder.com or reach out via Instagram @hey.stephcrowder.

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This comprehensive summary encapsulates the key discussions, insights, and practical strategies presented by Steph Crowder in Episode 116 of Courage & Clarity. By focusing on belief-building and addressing the root causes of self-doubt, entrepreneurs are better equipped to transform objections into opportunities for growth and client success.

Transcript

[Steph Crowder]

Foreign welcome to the Courage and Clarity Podcast. I'm your host, Steph Crowder. I'm a former sales training director who's helped thousands of entrepreneurs earn a living doing something they love over the past 10 years. On your journey, you'll need the courage to be bold, to take risks, and to do what looks crazy on paper. You'll also need the clarity, the brass tacks, simple strategies that actually work. And on this podcast, we deliver both in equal measure. Oh, and by the way, we've got absolutely no time for bs, gross marketing tactics or get rich quick schemes. Just sustainable business strategies for good humans with big dreams. If that sounds like you, you're in the right place. Let's go. Hello Hello CNC listeners. Welcome to the podcast. So excited to be hanging out with you today. This is episode number 116 and we are talking about the number one objection out there in the world right now that all of you are going to be hearing. I don't care what your niche is, what your subject matter is, who you're selling to, what you're helping them do this. I think I've maybe mentioned this, especially if you listen to my 2025 prediction episode, which by the way was a very popular episode. So go back a couple if you want to hear my personal predictions for what we're going to be seeing in 2025. I believe I may have touched on this in that episode, but I really felt it was worthwhile to do a whole episode not only about this objection pointing out how big of a deal it's going to be for all of us who are looking for new clients this year, but also talking about some tactical ways to reframe it and overcome it so that you can help clients past this objection. That objection is I don't think I can do it.

[Co-host or Guest]

Okay.

[Steph Crowder]

I don't think I can do it. We're going to talk about all the different flavors this objection might show up as, but it's a really, really big one. So we're going to talk about why this objection is so rampant. I think there are a few big reasons why how to spot it out there in the wild. So, you know, with all objections, I talk a lot in my both my programs, same day sales and sold out group programs about really getting to the true heart of an objection, getting to the objection behind the objection. And sometimes the actual question that someone is asking when they present present an objection can be obscured behind the words that they're saying. Right? So we're going to talk about how to spot this Objection. The different sneaky forms it can take and how you can tell that this is, this is what we're really dealing with. When you hear it, how to reframe it and how to offer hope. This is going to be a big one that comes down to hope and possibility. Possibility is going to be the name of the game. When we talk about the objection. I don't think I can do it. Okay, so let's talk about why this objection is king or queen, however you want to look at it, Right? Why is this objection such a big deal right now? And again, the reason I'm recording this episode is because I literally just coached on this this week. I was reflecting my coaching call for my Mastermind clients. My mastermind is called Sold out Group Programs. And we have been talking about this objection a lot. I have been seeing this objection a lot. I've probably mentioned here on the podcast that in my most recent launch of Sold out Group Programs, it was easily the biggest thing that was coming up for people. So, like, why is that? Why is it now more than it has been in the past? Well, I have a few, I have a few theories as to why. I, I believe the biggest thing holding customers back in 2025 is self doubt. So let's just go ahead and call a spade a spade. This objection is a self doubt objection. I don't think I can do it. What the client or prospect is really saying is sometimes, sometimes they're saying this theoretically, sometimes these are the actual words. Like I have heard these actual words in sales conversations. Sure, you're great. Like, Steph, I think you're amazing. Right? But I'm not sure I can actually succeed. It's not you that I'm doubting. Teacher, coach, mentor, creator, you're great. It's me. It's not you. It's me is another way to think of this objection. The it's not you, it's me objection is actually maybe even a better name for it.

[Co-host or Guest]

Right?

[Steph Crowder]

So that's what it can sound like. People are believing in you, but they aren't sure they can get the results. This is a huge objection. Again, we're going to talk about why, but what I think is really, really fascinating is the way that all of you, many of you are trying to overcome this objection is not actually getting to the heart of their issue at all. It's not getting to the heart of the issue. Let me tell you what I see most people do when they hear this objection. Or really we could say, like in any sales environment. And if you do this, it's not your fault. This is literally what was taught to us. A lot of us came up in the 2015, let's call it 2015 through 2018 era. At that time, at that moment in time, the be more valuable, be as valuable as you can possibly be era is what it was, right? It was like, hey, if you just give it all away. I was actually talking to a client about this this week who really pointed this out. She was like, oh, wow, this is really kind of breaking my brain. Because, like, I was always taught that we should just, like, give more, more, more, more, more. The strategy behind this method was to kind of try to create the thought for a client or a prospect. Like, whoa, if this is all this person's free stuff, if they're giving this away for free, I can't imagine how amazing the paid stuff is. Like, wow, if they're this great in the free area, in the podcast, in the challenge, in the freebie, the email, if this stuff is free, then, whoa, I can't even imagine how much the paid offer is going to break my brain. That was really the strategy. Okay, but I want you to. I invite you to really consider how throwing more information and more, Another free, Maybe another checklist, another bonus, another this, another, another that. That. That is the common response to really any objection. I see my clients doing that a lot where they're like, well, let me just go ahead and give more. Let me go ahead and put more in my program. Let me go ahead and offer them another call. Let me just keep saying, more, more, more, more, more. But remember, what was the heart of the objection? The heart of the objection was, you're great. Guess what? They already think you're great. Stop trying to make them think you're great. You already did that part. That's not the problem. They think you're amazing. They think you're smart. They know you have all the great information. That's not in question. What's in question is their own belief in their self. So you can give them all of the checklists, all of the lessons, all of the cheat sheets in the whole wide world. But if I don't believe that I can help myself, I am never going to be able to do it. You could give me all the tools in the world. The visual. The visual that's coming to mind for me is like, imagine if I were stuck 10ft down in a hole, right? And you start just, like, throwing me all kinds of tools. You. You throw me a rope ladder. You throw me, like, those Sticks that you punch into, like, stakes that you punch into the side of the wall to try to climb your way up. You throw me a shovel. You throw me all kinds of different things, and you're just like, come on, one of these tools. Like, you have all the tools that you need. But I'm standing there paralyzed in fear, focused on the fact that I'm 10ft down in the ground in a hole, and I. My dominant thought is, hey, I'm glad that you think you could get yourself out of the hole. Maybe I even watched you climb out of the hole because that's how a lot of our prospects see us. They're like, oh, I know that you did it. I know that you're super smart. I know that you're strong, but that was you. I don't believe that I can do it. So I'm just going to stay paralyzed down here in my hole, focused on the fact that I'm stuck in the hole. There's not all the tools in the world aren't going to help me if I don't first have the belief, hey, I bet I could make it out of this hole. I bet with looking at these tools, and if I try enough times, I bet I'll get out. Y'all aren't accounting for creating that belief that getting out of the hole is even possible. That's what I really want you. I want that to land. As we set the table for this episode, that first, someone has to even believe in the possibility. They're standing there being like, no, I'm good. I'm just gonna die in this hole. It's fine. I had a good run, right? I tried to climb out of the hole before, and it was terrible. I fell, I bruised myself, and I'm just gonna stay here. You know, maybe. Maybe a helicopter will come one day. I'm not really sure. I haven't thought that far, but I'm. I'm good. I don't need to try to climb up again. That was that. I tried that, and it was miserable. Right? So that's a reframe for you and how you think about this. Objection. Here's the other thing. In 2025, we have the wonderful world of information. We have AI like never before. You all don't need me to say that. You already know that, right? Let me be a full disclosure chat. GPT helped me organize my thoughts for this episode.

[Co-host or Guest]

Okay?

[Steph Crowder]

I. No shade to AI. I think AI is amazing. I think it's the future. I think we all need to get on board there's no point resisting it. But I'm just pointing out that AI, Google and social media have made information plentiful and free. Okay? Information, it no longer holds the value that it did before.

[Co-host or Guest]

Right?

[Steph Crowder]

And like, by itself. Just bear with me. I promise it's not bad news. It's not bad news at all. It's just that, you know, in 2015, when the strategy was like, give it all away, give it all away so they see how valuable you are, it was a totally different landscape. Trust me when I say you don't want to be trying to compete with AI. You don't want to be trying to compete with Google or social media, okay? We're not going to have infowars. We're going to let the robots have the information. They win. Like, hands down, they win.

[Co-host or Guest]

Okay?

[Steph Crowder]

But here's what AI, Google and social media can never fix. They will never be able to create possibility. They will never be able to create belief. That is a human skill. It is a conversational tool. It is a connection based tool that has to come into play in order to help people past doubting themselves. Contrary to popular belief, all the information in the world will not help you stop doubting yourself. All of the information in the world is not going to get you to believe you can do it. All of the information in the world is not going to get you to take a damn step. Your clients and prospects may think they need more information and they'll say that. So you're gonna be like, but Steph. But they, they say they want more. They say they need another checklist. They say they need an. Yeah, I know, I know, I know. That's what they think, right? But there's a difference between what they think they need and what is actually the truth. Okay, so let's talk about how we spot this objection in the wild and then I'm gonna help you solve it. This is one of my favorite objections to solve. My clients are always like, what is wrong with you? When you talk about how you love overcoming objections. I love overcoming objections because I love understanding people and I love getting to the bottom of like, what is somebody actually thinking and what is the boulder that is in their way, the big fat obstacle? Like, an objection is nothing more than an obstacle. Someone is standing on the path. They want to move forward. That's another thing that I see a lot of folks getting wrong. They're like, oh, oh, they threw up an objection. They don't, they don't want to move forward. You know, I want to respect them. I want to respect. Look, they're standing on the path. If they book a sales call with you, they're not doing it for their health, right? They want to move forward, but they are standing there and there's a big fat boulder standing or sitting, stuck in their path, and they're on the phone with you, they're emailing you, they're dming with you. Because they're like, even if they're not saying this, they're hoping that maybe you can help them get the boulder out of the way. So I look at object overcoming objections and clearing objections is some of the most sacred work I do as a coach. Because if we can help overcome an objection, we can help clear the path. It's like we can just clean it up for them and help them finally take a step on their journey. It's some of the most important and I think amazing work that any of us will do when it comes to getting clients. So other flavors of this objection is, I've tried this before and nothing worked.

[Co-host or Guest]

Okay?

[Steph Crowder]

I've tried it before. Nothing worked. I did it all. I hear this one a lot, right? I was in a coaching program, I was in a group, I took a course, I had a coach. Nothing worked, right? Another version is I don't think I can follow through. Lot of people talking about accountability in 2025, right? I tried. I buy stuff and it just sits on my computer, right? I don't believe fundamentally I'm the kind of person who can follow through. And that ties into the I'm too blank. Insert your limiting identity of choice. I'm too disorganized, I'm too tech averse. I'm too old, I'm too shy. I'm too busy, right? It all goes back into the same self doubt. A lot of you all are misunderstanding, by the way, the I'm too busy objection. Lots of my clients love to believe that one. When their clients tell them that when their prospects are like, I'm too busy, y'all are like, okay, look, they. Hey, they said they're too busy. I don't know. They know their calendar, right? I nev. I love you all so much if you have a sales call with me. But I never believe that right off the bat, okay? I never take any kind of objection like that at face value. I ask questions and I may walk away being like, damn, okay. They really have no time in their calendar, fine. But when somebody says to me, I think I'm too busy for this, I got nothing but questions, right? I'm like, all right, well, what does busy look like to you? What are you doing? What's going on over there?

[Co-host or Guest]

Right.

[Steph Crowder]

What? Busy doing what? And I really tried to get to the heart of what that actually means. It's really fascinating that I'm too busy often translates to I am out here throwing so much spaghetti at the wall, I can't even stop to consider doing something different. Right. Or if I stay busy or I stay in motion, I don't have to consider myself doubt. I don't have to overcome my self doubt. I don't have to try again if I'm too busy to try, even though I desperately want the result. Okay? So when you hear these, we've got to uncover the real fear. Remember, they're not doubting you. I. I can't say that one enough. And I need you to really let that land. They're not doubting you. I see so many people taking objections so personally. They're like, they don't like my program. They don't think I'm smart enough. They don't think I'm a good enough coach. They don't think I'm good enough to do this.

[Co-host or Guest]

Okay.

[Steph Crowder]

That is not what they're saying. Remember, it's the. It's not you, it's me. Objection. Right. They're not doubting you. They're doubting their own ability to succeed. And in a lot of ways, the more amazing they think you are, the more it's highlighting their own insecurity.

[Co-host or Guest]

Right.

[Steph Crowder]

They're like, oh, you're so amazing. I could never be that.

[Co-host or Guest]

Right?

[Steph Crowder]

They're not doubting you. They're doubting their own ability to succeed. Another thing to consider with this, that this one has been really helpful for me is assume everyone at this point has been in another program that sucked. Just go ahead and assume that. If you're a business coach 100%, you need to assume that maybe there's some other niches where people haven't been in programs online or they haven't taken courses. But for a lot of us at this point, after 2020 and the great rise and not fall of courses, but like the big swell that we had of people being on Zoom and people taking, you know, having extra money to invest, assume everyone has been in an online program. I think it's a good assumption because when you assume it, then you're not going to be sideswept or shocked when they tell you that for any number of reasons, they felt let down by their last coach or the last container they were in. Anticipate that and be like, yeah, okay. And I want you to avoid the temptation to have the thought like, oh, well, if they thought that last group was bad, what if they think my group is bad?

[Co-host or Guest]

Right.

[Steph Crowder]

You are not that person. And that's where you've got to make sure your doing the work to build up your own belief and have some swagger with it that they are not you.

[Co-host or Guest]

Right.

[Steph Crowder]

So that's an important thing to. To have in your mind as well. And it's also important for me to point out that this objection, the it's not you, it's me objection, often masks as budget issues or time constraints, but fundamentally, they don't trust themselves.

[Co-host or Guest]

Okay, guys.

[Steph Crowder]

It's always easier to hide behind money and time. It can be a phenomenal hiding place. And that's because most people know that that can be like a conversation ender, Right. And they don't have to have the inspective conversations where they're actually looking at themselves. If they just say, oh, no, no, I don't have the money.

[Co-host or Guest]

Right?

[Steph Crowder]

I don't have the money, I don't have the time.

[Co-host or Guest]

Okay?

[Steph Crowder]

So when someone is standing in front of you telling you that they want a result, you have to take them at their word. And I choose to, like, if someone's telling me, I don't know about spending the money, or I don't really know if I have the time. But they've also told me because they filled out an application with me that says, I want to grow in my business, I want to make more money, I want to have more clients. I am much more interested in that piece than whatever excuse they've been holding onto to keep themselves safe.

[Co-host or Guest]

Right?

[Steph Crowder]

Okay. So that's kind of spotting this objection in the wild. And I'm willing to believe that all of you have heard some flavor of this objection at this point. So here's the big shift that I think is key and core to overcoming this objection. I want you to think about shifting from info dump, info dumping to belief building. We are going to shift from info dumping to belief building. This alone is going to blow your mind, because I watch my clients go, oh, my goodness. They enter a totally different headspace when they are selling. So we have to talk about marketing that prioritizes belief building versus information dumping. And I want to say this piece loud and clear as well. Confidence In 2025, confidence is a bigger currency than ever before in your sales process. Confidence is the currency. When people say, I don't have the money, I want you to picture them saying, I don't have the confidence.

[Co-host or Guest]

Okay.

[Steph Crowder]

When you have the belief, suddenly it. Not every time, believe me, I. Look, I always feel the need to say this. I'm not saying that there's no such thing as a financial objection. Not what I'm saying. There are absolutely situations where I do think it doesn't make sense for someone to invest. What I am saying though is that when we replace self doubt with confidence or belief, it's pretty funny how all of a sudden people are like, well, maybe I could, right? Or maybe I. Maybe there's a way. Maybe I can move some things around. Maybe I can deprioritize this other thing I was going to spend money on. And spend money on like everything comes onto the table when you have confidence, right? So confidence is the currency in this conversation. Okay, so here's the old way. Let's talk old way and new way. Thinking specifically about your sales process. The old way is throwing more tips, ebooks, course modules, checklists, you name it. Throwing more and more and more at them in hopes of convincing them. Convincing them that you know what you're talking about. Convincing them that there's a magic bullet. Convincing them that they don't have the right information. Just like trying to be more and more and more and more informative. Thinking that that's going to turn the tides. Like if you just say the right thing, if you just give enough away, it's going to create confidence. That is so huge for you to hear. Giving more stuff away does not create more confidence. We're going to talk in a minute about what creates confidence. Okay, so the whole giving it all away to make yourself seem super valuable, we're going to go ahead and leave that in 2015. Okay, look, and I want to also say, because I think this is coming up for me as well. I'm not saying don't be valuable. I'm not saying don't help it. I mean, I'm sitting, I'm sitting here recording this podcast and I'm pretty sure this is pretty valuable, right? I'm just saying that when you are like if, if we think about that model of selling the currency, there is information or tips or steps or strategies. That's what it is. Strategy. Used to be a lot of people mentally would think like strategy was the currency, people are buying the strategy.

[Co-host or Guest]

Right?

[Steph Crowder]

But if you were to shift into thinking that it's confidence, confidence is what's going to pave people's way and help them catapult into the future. Belief and confidence, you would act totally Different. Also, I love thinking about this piece. Overloading people with content can really backfire. Okay, More info does not fix self doubt and in fact it can make it worse. So I'm often telling my clients when we, and we're going to talk about this in a minute, we're going to talk about sales of sales events like challenges or webinars. Let's talk about challenges in particular. A lot of times I see my clients, they'll send me in my program, I help you build a really impactful, high converting five day challenge. If you want to, you can do a challenge or a webinar. A lot of people do a challenge. I've done challenges and when I first review, I, I'll review it for you and I'll help you make it better. And when I first review people's challenges, it's way too much information. I will typically take someone's challenge from what they send to me down to 25% of what they're planning to teach. Why do I do that? Is it because I want you to hide the good stuff? Is it because I want you to hold back and make them pay for the good stuff? No. Nope, it's not that at all. It's because if you have your people drinking from the fire hose, you're blasting them with that high power fire hose and they're just trying to drink and they're getting their face blown off by all the amazing information, unfortunately, especially for someone who's coming to you with self doubt, any level of self doubt. By the way, self doubt doesn't have to be like really dramatic. It can even just be like a little. The thing about self doubt is it's, it's insidious. It's like the littlest drop of it will poison the whole well. Okay, so it's a sneaky thing. It's not necessarily people being like, I can't do any, I can't do anything.

[Co-host or Guest]

Right.

[Steph Crowder]

It's not, that's not even necessarily what I'm talking about. Talking about people coming to your things, being like, yeah, I'm gonna learn from this person. But like I'm not gonna invest anything because like I just, I can't invest in anything else right now because I always, I never open the things I invest in.

[Co-host or Guest]

Right.

[Steph Crowder]

Like that's more of what we're talking about when you blast them with the fire hose and then it's your five day challenge. And by day or two, by day two or three, they have fallen off, they have fallen behind. Their thought is now, see I knew I couldn't do it. Like, I can't even keep up with her free stuff. If I can't do her free stuff, there's no way I can go into her paid stuff. Because I know her paid stuff's going to be amazing. I know her coaching program's going to be incredible. But, like, I can't even do a five day challenge. Look how busy I am. Look how busy I am. I knew I didn't have time. I knew I couldn't prioritize it. I knew I had too much going on right now. I'm gonna invest later. Cause I can't even do her free stuff.

[Co-host or Guest]

Right.

[Steph Crowder]

Versus let's look at the new way. If we think about the new way, I want you to think about. In my programs, I talk about something I call the window of possibility. And how any good sales event, be it, be it a challenge, a webinar, anything else, in any good sales event, you are cracking open the window of possibility. Okay, how do we do that? So if you think about challenges, webinars and emails, for example, again, going back to the example of a challenge, and my number one focus is to help you take a baby step. Like, I actually, in my challenge, you came in and you didn't have blank, and by the end you actually did something. Your reaction to that is like, look at that. I did it. Dopamine, right? I checked it off, I got a result, I took action. And those baby steps build their confidence because you know, what thought that creates. If I was able to take a step and actually see, see a change, do something different, you know, it can be the smallest thing. Right. I've talked a lot about how in my Selling made Simple challenge, I have people pick one person, isolate one person to kind of represent the type of client that they would want to help. And I have them name that person and identify what qualities of that person constitute, like, the type of person they want to help. And then I help them write a before and after story for that person. It's the whole challenge takes five days, right? And people actually do it. People actually get it. And by the end of the week, people are saying, I feel more clear on who I'm supposed to be helping and what they actually want than I ever have before. And when I first did this challenge I had, it was loaded with stuff. I just kept breaking it apart, breaking it apart, breaking it apart. I told my clients this week, your challenge should almost feel dumb to you. Okay? Not that your people are dumb, far from it. But, you know, the Material so well, it's going to feel really, really simple and really, really basic because you're the expert. But remember, these are folks who are even just trying to get onto the board in terms of making progress, right? And what happens when somebody watches themselves take a step, just one step, then suddenly there's possibility, right? They think to themselves, if I was able to do this in her free challenge, I wonder what I could get done in a year of coaching with her, right? I've never been able to get anything out of a free challenge, but I got something out of hers. There's something different here. Suddenly you've created contrast between yourself and all of the other crappy programs or crappy challenges that just sat on their desktop being full of information, right? But they couldn't digest it, they couldn't sink their teeth into it, so they just buried it in a drawer. So I want you to think about possible possibility over pure education. So much more important to to think about that possibility. So anytime you use stories, small wins and baby steps, you are going to build their confidence. You're going to crack open the window of possibility. I wonder what would happen for you if during your sales events you stopped focusing on trying to be so smart and trying to seem like the best expert and trying to seem like you even have the, you don't even need to have the best strategies, right? What if that wasn't your focus? What if your focus instead was in on cracking the window of possibility? What if your number one objection or objective by the end of your sales event, be it a challenge, webinar or something else, your number one objective was, I'm gonna make people start to believe that maybe this is possible if they were to work with me, that maybe they could do this. How would you approach it? I'm guessing that you would approach it totally differently than you have been so far. Okay, now we're gonna talk a little bit about practical ways to address the I don't think I can do it. The it's not you, it's me.

[Co-host or Guest]

Right?

[Steph Crowder]

So I've shared some already, but we'll just kind of put them all in one place. So the first one is sharing micro wins. Micro Micro wins. Highlighting quick results or small client stories.

[Co-host or Guest]

Right?

[Steph Crowder]

Here's an example. Jane landed her first paying client after a single call.

[Co-host or Guest]

Okay.

[Steph Crowder]

Notice it's not Jane made 500k in my program. Right? Because what's gonna happen when you read that story if you already have self doubt? You're like 500K. I can't even make $50 or you know, $5,000. Right. So somebody that actually your amazing, incredible big blowout success stories are actually potentially aggravating someone's self doubt. It's increasing the chasm between where they are right now and where they want to be. They're like, that's great for Jane but I have no idea how to do that. I don't believe I could do that.

[Co-host or Guest]

Right.

[Steph Crowder]

So the difference between Jane made 500k and Jane landed her first paying client after a single call. What does that do in your brain? It makes you be like what she, what did Jane do on that call? I could do a call. What do you mean? Got her first paying client. I want to get my first paying client. Right? So it's the small, the, it's the scale, right? So it's a small micro win. It's a quick result. And also I say this all the time and I'll never stop saying it. It's specific. I always say, I've been saying it for years. Specificity sells specificity over general. I see a lot of people's testimonials are like, it was great, she was great. We were all great and great. It was great. Doesn't sell. Okay. The specific here is something that happened that is what gets people's wheels turning. And they go, they might. But listen, hearing Jane landed her first paying client after a single call doesn't immediately take away all my self doubt but it does make me say how'd she do that? And listen, if your prospects have questions, you've got them exactly where you want them. You want them being curious about you. That's the first step in the window of possibility is getting somebody to be like, maybe this is different than something I've seen before. Once you're in the maybe this is different. Now we're talking curiosity and now they're paying attention.

[Co-host or Guest]

Okay.

[Steph Crowder]

That's one of the big problems in 2025. A lot of people are going to walk right by because they've seen it all before, right? They're like, I've been, I, I've, I've, I saw this movie, I got the T shirt. I don't need to read this email until you can help them have the thought maybe this is different than what I've done before. That is also one of the biggest antidotes to the self doubt. Okay, so sharing micro wins number two. And we talked about this one. But just to really hammer it home, offer safe spaces to test and try. Offer safe spaces to test and try. This is where that Challenge or workshop approach broken down into teeny, teeny tiny pieces will really create that safe, padded room.

[Co-host or Guest]

Okay?

[Steph Crowder]

We're not going to go, like, if we're talking about, like, becoming a ninja, there's no knives in this room. Nobody can hurt themselves, okay? Because if they cut themselves trying before, they don't even want to go in the room anymore because they're like, I can't risk that again.

[Co-host or Guest]

Right?

[Steph Crowder]

So how do we make it safe? How do we make it a test lab? We make it teeny, teeny tiny, okay? And we help them experience success without a huge commitment. Absolutely huge in terms of helping them see that maybe this could be different.

[Co-host or Guest]

Right?

[Steph Crowder]

So that was number two, offering safe spaces to test and try. Number three is really using that window of possibility concept. So letting the seeds of progress be the evidence they need to believe that this time can be different. So what I mean by that is, if they do the challenge with you or they go through a workshop and they do something different than they have before, they see it differently. They actually put their pen to the paper, they complete the task. They close the loop. They actually do what you told them, and they're like, look at that.

[Co-host or Guest]

Right?

[Steph Crowder]

Look at that. I actually did it. Let the seeds of progress, tiny, tiny progress. Be the evidence they need to be like, maybe with this person's help, I could take a step. Maybe I should fill out that application. Maybe I should just Let me. I should just see.

[Co-host or Guest]

Okay?

[Steph Crowder]

That's all we need is cracking that window of possibility. If they come to you with that window shut tight, how do you just crack it? Is what the visual is in my own brain is. I'm always asking myself, what would it look like to create a window of possibility for somebody?

[Co-host or Guest]

Okay.

[Steph Crowder]

Also, I want to talk just for a moment about willingness. Willingness. What a lost art. Being willing.

[Co-host or Guest]

Right.

[Steph Crowder]

Willingness alone can be enough to spark action. Remember, clarity comes from action. A lot of your people who are giving you the I don't think I can do it, they're like, I'm gonna wait. I'm gonna wait until I, like, I don't. I'm gonna wait is the sister of I don't think I can do it. They go together. I don't think I can do it. I'm gonna wait. I'm gonna wait until I feel more sure. I'm gonna wait until I feel more clear. Well, you and I both know the problem with that clarity comes from action. So how are you ever gonna get clear if you don't take a step? So we have Willingness. How do we help people feel willing? It's like you got your heart broken and it's time to start dating again.

[Co-host or Guest]

Right?

[Steph Crowder]

What's that moment when you become willing to post your profile on the dating app or to be set up on the blind date by your friend? There's gotta be a willingness there to say, I'm ready to try again. Yeah, I bought something before and it sucked. Or I bought something before and I did nothing. Or I tried before and it failed.

[Co-host or Guest]

Okay.

[Steph Crowder]

The first step before they're ever gonna be a yes is willingness. So that's also what you're creating with the window of possibility.

[Co-host or Guest]

Okay.

[Steph Crowder]

The final thing to think about with the window of possibility and this. This to me is what I like to do on my sales calls is playing the tape forward, having, like, with your. With your prospect, having them go to, like, the fast forward button, Right? So kind of getting to the bottom of what would make it worth it to try again. I know that you don't think you can do it, or you tried before and it was terrible. You're terrified of investing again and feeling like you wasted it and having the shame of that. But what would make it worth it? Let's just say you did plunk the money down. Fast forward to a year from now, however long your program is. My programs are both a year, so I talk in years. Right? What would make it worth it? We're sitting here next year and you paid this money. What would you have to be able to say to be like, I'm glad I did that? Okay. That's the first thing is, like, even getting them to identify, well, what would make it worth it then? Can you present a doable path to actually getting there?

[Co-host or Guest]

Right.

[Steph Crowder]

For me, I like to reverse engineer. Like, if somebody's like, you know, I just need to make my investment back. Okay, well, let's do the math. How many clients is that? Get out your pen and paper. Let's figure this out. And usually once we come up with that, people look at it and they're like, all that's left is fear. And they can see that. They're like, I can see that it is totally feasible that I could get two clients in the next year. So the only thing keeping me from saying yes is just plain old fear. And a lot of people aren't willing to be held back by fear.

[Co-host or Guest]

Right.

[Steph Crowder]

Once they see that, they're like, all right, maybe I can ride with fear. Because most of us entrepreneurs know that, you know, we're going to have to be scared sometimes.

[Co-host or Guest]

Okay.

[Steph Crowder]

And the other thing to get people thinking about in the window of possibility is how might it be harder to get there on your own? Okay, so like thinking back to being stuck in the hole 10ft in the ground, and you're like, yeah, I just, I don't know. I tried to climb a ladder before, fell on my ass. I didn't like it. Okay, well, what's the plan for getting out of the hole, my man, my girl, my dude? Like, what is the plan for getting out of the hole? And when you ask that question a lot of times it makes them realize that no plan is actually a terrible plan.

[Co-host or Guest]

Right.

[Steph Crowder]

You're gonna die in that hole. They're like, well, I don't know, like, maybe a helicopter will come. That's all I got.

[Co-host or Guest]

Okay.

[Steph Crowder]

It's like waiting for a unicorn, waiting for a miracle. Sometimes when you help people, like, what's the alternative? Is one of my favorite questions. Sometimes people have an alternative and that's great. Like, cool. I tell people that all the time. I'm like, look, as long if you're not going to work with me, it's no problem. As long as you have something that you're doing, don't be out here doing nothing, right? Cause then you're gonna call me in a year and be like, I, you were right. I should have just worked with you. Cause I, I, I just took 10 steps backwards last year all by myself.

[Co-host or Guest]

Right?

[Steph Crowder]

So how might it get harder or be harder to get there on their own?

[Co-host or Guest]

Right.

[Steph Crowder]

Friends, I've thrown a lot at you in this episode with the it's not you, it's me objection. Huge. Huge. In 2025, we talk about it all day, every day, inside both of my programs, same day sales, which is my foundational sales training program that helps you build the skill of getting a sale whenever you want one. And then in my mastermind sold out group programs, I help you scale that initial sales traction into your sold out offer. But just remember, for right now, and by the way, you can go to stephcrowder.com get on the wait lists for those programs. We got stuff coming up. This year we're going to be opening enrollment. All the good things. But for this episode, I want to tie this up by just reminding you that I don't think I can do it is really normal. If you hear that objection, you didn't do anything wrong. In fact, you did everything right. You're getting to the heart of their true objection. And that's a beautiful thing. Everyone feels this way at some point, right? Real transformation starts with them daring to believe that they could succeed. You have nothing without that. All right, my friends, if you enjoyed this episode, I would love to hear from you. You can respond to any of my emails or just reach out at hey, Steph Crowder on Instagra. And just remember, when someone says, I don't think I can do it, they truly are simply missing that last spark of belief. If you provide that spark or help them find that spark within themselves, you're on the path to truly helping them and creating the clients that you're ready to have this year and helping again. Going back to that visual of helping clear the obstacle out of their way. They want to keep walking down the path. Okay, let's not have them give up when that boulder is sitting there. If we don't help people clear objections, we're basically saying to them, yeah, I think you're right. I don't think you can get around that boulder. You better just go home, right? So help get good at helping people overcome objections just like this one. Okay, friends, that's all for today. I am wishing you the courage and the clarity to go after what you love.