The Last Minute - Think Problem - 037

Most business conversations fall apart in the final minute, right when connection turns into a pitch. In this episode, Bryan Buckley breaks down "the last minute" of his 1st 5 Minutes framework, showing why diagnosing the real problem matters more than rushing to a solution. Listeners walk away with practical questions and a two-step approach to build trust and close with confidence, not pressure.

• Why the last minute determines trust or a hard sell
• The prescription pad vs. stethoscope mindset shift
• Three pitfalls that derail the last minute
• Bridge questions that uncover the real problem
• The two-step approach: repeat, then transition

Timestamps
0:00 - The Doctor Who Never Listens
1:49 - The Last Minute Think Problem
3:56 - The Pivot From Rapport To Business
7:16 - Three Pitfalls That Kill Trust
9:40 - Connection Self-Evaluation Challenge
10:39 - Humility And Perspective Create Clarity
13:13 - Repeat The Problem Then Transition
16:18 - Three Action Items For Next Call
19:07 - Next Guest Tease And Final CTAs 

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Transcript

The Doctor Who Never Listens

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Picture this. You're having some major health issues, and well, you're very concerned. You walk into a doctor's office, you sit down, and before you say a single word about why you're there, the doctor rips off a sheet of a prescription pad and hands it to you. Here you go. Take two of these a day, you'll be just fine. I see this issue all the time. But yet you never describe the pain, you never got to ask a simple question. What would you do? Well, I'd fire that doctor on the spot. And most importantly, you leave feeling unheard, frustrated, and you walk out with no resolution to the problem. Here's the uncomfortable truth. That's exactly what most people do in business conversations all the time. Somebody who's supposed to help you get the handle on what's happening before the pitch, before the product, the solution, before they've ever asked one real question about what's really wrong. Well, today we're going to talk about the moment that separates the professionals who prescribe from the professionals who diagnose. It's the last minute of the first five minutes framework. And by the time we're done, you're going to know exactly how to train your prescription pad for a stethoscope. So let's get after it. Welcome to the Elite Business Connector Podcast, where we believe how you interact with people will make or break your opportunity to develop a real and influential connection. Now, whether you're a rookie or a rock star with people, you're in the right place right now. Let's do it.

The Last Minute Think Problem

SPEAKER_00 1:49

Welcome to the Elite Business Connector Podcast. I'm your host, Brian Buckley, husband of one, father of five. And I'm on a mission to help you develop, deepen, and master your business communication skills. And as you've heard me say, week after week, my promise is if you listen and subscribe, I'm going to bring my best content and energy every week to help you get better at communicating and connecting in a business environment. And if you're in sales, customer service, hospitality, or leading teams in these areas, you're in the right place right now. Here's this episode's big idea. The last minute isn't about closing the sale, it's about diagnosing the real problem before you ever reach a solution. Anyone can pitch a product. And do you know the biggest mistake I see in the last minute of the first five minutes? It's going from building a connection in the first four minutes to turning into what I call a cold hard seller. Now you can insert the word killer before seller too. All the deposits you've made in those first few minutes are now drained in mere seconds. But making the other person feel the connection was all just a big manipulative game. Eyewitness it all the time. And what you think you're feeling, finally getting to the good stock, and what the customer is feeling could not be further from accurate. It's not the good stock. You need to wait. Only an elite business connector has the humility, the patience, but also the curiosity to uncover the real problem first and most importantly at the right time in the right way. So here's where we're headed today. First, I'm going to show you the crossroads every one of us hits once connection has been built in that last minute, and then the three pitfalls we often trip over and need to avoid. Then, after the break, I'm handing you the tool for getting real clarity, a two-step approach that keeps you from solving the wrong problem. And then the reason repeating someone's problem back to them is far more powerful than any pitch you've got right from the start.

The Pivot From Rapport To Business

SPEAKER_00 3:56

The last minute's focus is identifying the problem, then we transition to the solution. Last minute, think problem. Let me introduce you to Jacob. Jacob's been running the framework right. He's read the room, began to banter, nailed the name in the first minute. He's found personal connection through our LTP or lead talking point. And then he's learning to leverage OQ observational intelligence. Then in the middle three minutes, think professional, he's starting to ask good questions. He's listening, locked in listening, and he's learning for both now and for later. He's used his proper work, could find the five before the five to find five connection points. And that's given him plenty to work with. But now, Jacob, well, he's hit a crossroads that most of us hit. How do you pivot from connection into business without sounding awkward or maybe worse pushy? That's the secret sauce to the last minute. This is where we shift from connection into purpose, identifying the real problem the other person is facing. And here's why this minute matters more than most people give it credit for. By this point, you've already earned credibility if you've ordered the first five minutes properly. You're not rushing to pitch. You're not wasting their time on chit chat. You've shown them that you care. So now it's time to uncover the problem. This is their frustration. This is their pain point. The gap that you can actually help close. There are two visuals that guide the last minute. So if you're listening, picture this. If you're watching, you're gonna see it. A blank prescription pad, and the second is a stethoscope. The prescription pad is what most of us default to. We hear a little bit, we think we've got the gist, and we start writing in the solution before the exam is actually finished. Looks efficient, looks confident. It's actually business malpractice because you're prescribing before you even get the diagnosis. Then there's the stoscope. This is the last minute done right. It's leaning in, it's pressing in close enough to hear what's actually going on underneath the surface. The stuff that doesn't show up on the first pass by just looking and apparently listening and think you know. A good doctor doesn't hand you the prescription because they assume they know. Their assumption may even be right. But here's the key you have to wait. Then listen first. Because the sound underneath can tell them what the scenes alone can't. And here's the truth people don't open up about their real problems unless they feel you care about them first, hence the first four minutes. And you've got to ask good questions. Listen and build trust. And that trust creates honesty. And this is the hidden goal of business conversations. Most people never get here. They either pitch too soon or they never get past the small talk, aka small talk triangle. So before we go any further, ask yourself right now, in your next conversation, which are you reaching for? The prescription pad? Or are you reaching for the scope?

Three Pitfalls That Kill Trust

SPEAKER_00 7:16

I come across three problems that most people face in the last minute. Here they are. Even with a plan, most of us seem to try trip over at least one of these pitfalls. Problem one. We think we already know. If you're seasoned, you've been here before. You've seen the problem a hundred miles away. But assumptions are dangerous. Secondly, if you assume you stop listening, and when you stop listening, you lose the connection you just spent four minutes building. That's the prescription pad again, writing the note before the exam. So what's the solution? Well, you go back all in, ask clarifying questions, confirm your theory instead of trusting it. Let their words define the problem, not your history with problems like that. Huge, huge growth area for those of us who are seating. Problem number two. We just wait for them to tell us. Man, wouldn't it be nice if they just said, so here's my problem. Detail, detail, detail. Can you solve it? Reality check. Most will never do that. They'll drop some hints. What kind of half share? They'll rarely spell it out. So what's the solution? We got to anticipate this. We need to use gentle probing questions to surface the real issue. Think surgeon with a scalpel, not a lumberjack with an axe. Here's the third problem. Sometimes, especially for new, we just feel awkward asking. Nobody wants to blurt out, so what's your problem? That's clunky at best and obviously rude at worst. Solution. This is where you use bridge questions that open the door without amount being pushy. It's asking curious questions like what challenges are you facing right now? Or what's most frustrating in your role recently? Or if I could hand you a magic wand to solve something in your business right now, what would that be? Questions like these, well, they soften the moments. They invite the customer to reflect. They show empathy on your part without you ever picking up the prescription path. You're getting the diagnosis. And once we avoid those three pitfalls, we're ready to gain clarity on the problem so you can transition to the solution. And we're going to tackle this right after a short break.

Connection Self-Evaluation Challenge

SPEAKER_00 9:40

Quick pause. If this framework is sitting home for you, I built a brand new resource called the Connection Self-Evaluation. Specifically to show you where you're strong and where you're losing trust in your own first find. Now, this assessment. It'll be incredibly reviewed. Those of you who take the time and then also respond with $40. You can get out. Just go to the show notes and you can grab your those of you who really want to take. I mean you'll really go into that next level. Go to download the take the 10 minutes. Go to the 10 seconds. Answer those 50 questions honestly, and use that as a growth. So that's my challenge. That's my double dog. But now back to our regularly schedule five.

Humility And Perspective Create Clarity

SPEAKER_00 10:39

We've identified the three problems that we'll face in the last minute. Did you find yours? Now we're going to see clarity as we identify what the problem really is. You don't just want a problem, you want the right problem, stated in their own words. I learned very on from a mentor who said to me very curtly, Brian, you're solving a $1 problem when that's a $100 problem to solve. I went in too early. So how do we get this clarity? Well, it starts with three very specific ways. First, it's hard. It's humility. It's dropping the assumptions. Curiosity will be arrogance every single time. It's asking those curious continual questions. You know, you're too Q1, two question minimum, double-clicking, so you can find the clarity. And it's hard to hold a position of humility and authority, but you're there to serve the customer and not compete with them. You need to be willing to put your price out, be willing to be told something that you may not know, something you may not expect, or maybe even something that you don't necessarily want to hear. Second is perspective. You need to learn the problem through their lenses, capturing their exact phrasing. Took me so long to learn that. But once I did, all of a sudden they may say, Well, you're I'm drowning in administration work. Well, I would reframe that as well. So you need productivity software? No. Repeat the words back in their language. And that phrasing becomes your compass when you frame the solution later. Maybe you keep a phrasing one. Jot down the exact words that your customers are using. It's incredibly helpful. Helps you pick up on cues. And when you use their words later, they all of a sudden feel heard. They feel understood and respected. Many of your competitors are not doing that. Here's the unglamorous truth. Impatience is your enemy right now. That urge jump in and fix is deadly. Learn to sit in that silence. Resist the urge to finish their sentences. Truly understand exactly what they're describing. Analogies like fishing. You don't yank the line the second you feel a nibble. You wait, you let it tug, and then you pull it in. It may feel like ambition, but can easily come across as arrogant by cutting the other person off, especially if you are correct. I know we get excited. I know we like we can help them. But there's a process, and that last minute is very key to make that work.

Repeat The Problem Then Transition

SPEAKER_00 13:13

So part two is transitioning to the solution. And the two-step approach is clarity for solutions. So once clarity is achieved, it's time for this specific two-step approach. That first step is repeat the problem. Don't gloss over this. What you hear and what they mean are often worlds apart. A simple check-in saves you both. I've learned to use this phrase. If I'm hearing you correctly, the problem you want solved, the challenge you're facing is. Now, for you, it ensures you're solving the right problem. For them, it reassures them that you truly get exactly what they're saying. It's also giving them clarity because sometimes, as they say it out loud, they realize actually the problem's a little bit different. Well, it's a little more complex. It gives them a chance to unpack that. So that clarity right there is absolutely key for you to both feel aligned. Identify the problem. Step two, transition to the solution. Now, and only now, you transition. Keyword, transition. This isn't a kill shot. Too many people go from, well, friendly to forceful in seconds. They go all Jekyll and hide, which kills trust. Avoid turning into that cold hard seller. Do Jekyll being nice and all of a sudden, hide being the cold hard seller going for that kill shot. Don't be that guy or that girl. A smooth transition shows you care more about the long term of the relationship than the short term of the sale. Catch that? A smooth transition shows you care more about the long-term relationship than the short-term sale. Think gears. You're not shifting awkwardly and hard from first to fifth. You're shifting smoothly into the next stage of the conversation. So why is repeating and clarifying the problem matter so much? Because when people feel the weight of the problem, then and only then are they ready for the solution. I like to use the analogy instead of going, well, would you like one? If you've done it correctly, they go, well, how do I get one? Because they feel the weight of the problem they want you to resolve it. So how do you create that weight? Simple. You learn to ask more questions. You're not solving yet. You're deepening. These questions expand the problem. Remember the $1 solution? There's problem compared to the $100 problem. This is where you find that out. You surface those pain points and you reveal that urgency. Research from the Journal of Applied Psychology shows that people who articulate their own problems in their own words feel their ownership over the needed solution. That means when you guide someone through their own pain, through their own challenges and their own words, they'll be far more committed to the fix that you actually and eventually present. That's the difference between the prescription they resist and diagnose that they really want.

Three Action Items For Next Call

SPEAKER_00 16:18

So let's get some two-front honesty. First one is in the encouragement front. If you've made it this far in the framework, you've done the first minute, think personal, in the middle three minutes, think professional, right. You've already done the hard part. You've earned the right to ask the problem in the last minute think problem. So don't waste that trust by rushing the last 60 seconds. So here's the challenge front. Most of us reach for that prescription pad because it feels safer than sitting with silence or having to work through exactly what the issue is. It just feels more productive. But don't be deceived. It's not care, it's impatience. And if you've been closing conversations by pitching before you've repeated the problem back, it's not a communication issue. That's a discipline issue. You need to fix that this week. So let's do a rapid recap here. The last minute is about servicing what matters most, not rushing into our pitch. Avoid assuming you already know, especially you seasoned folks. Don't wait passively for them to tell you or feel awkward asking. Learn to ask with confidence, using bridge questions. Find clarity through that humility, perspective, and impulse control. Repeat the problem back in whose words? Their own words. Then not only then do you transition smoothly into solutions. Trade this prescription pad for the actual scope to solve the real problem. So let me give you three action items. Pick one. Retire the prescription pad. In your very next conversation, make a rule, no solution language until you've repeated the problem back word for word. Second action item may be that you build your questions for that bridge. Pick one of the three we mentioned today. What challenges are you facing right now? What's been frustrating to you lately? If I give you a magic wand, what can we solve? What problem do you want solved right now in your business? Maybe the third action item is this. You're practicing that two-step approach. You're repeating the problem, then transitioning to the solution with a gear shift, not a gear grind. People need to be heard before they get sold. All right. Just because this is a shorter episode doesn't mean this is easy. Sometimes things can be simple, but still incredibly difficult. And that may be the very case here. All the time in my workshops, we get to the spot, like, oh, finally I'm good at this. And we realize that they do turn into Sekolan High. They do turn into that cold hard seller. Don't be that guy. Don't be that girl. Use this right here, this specific episode, to get you better in this last minute so that when you get to five minutes plus, you're able to solve the actual big problem that they're facing.

Next Guest Tease And Final CTAs

SPEAKER_00 19:07

Well, I'm excited for the next episode, which is an interview with one of the best performance coaches who actually trained some of the best players on the planet: Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, but not as a fan, but as their performance coach. And what he learned in those gyms wasn't just about their jump shots. It's about what elite performers do before anyone else was watching them, before those lights come on. He took that obsession with that preparation, but he turned it into a number of best-selling books: raise your game, sustain your game, and next play. And we're going to unpack so many of those principles about the mindsets and the habits of those who want to be elite and how that parallels with the first five minutes. This episode is officially in the books. In and out, nobody got hurt. Don't forget to follow and subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcast so you never miss an episode. And I encourage you to download past episodes so you can listen at any time and not miss any episodes past or present. If you found us just a few episodes ago, go back. Download them for free. Many, many sales guys and girls, I hear all the time, take this piece of advice, and guess what? They get into the car and have to read through podcast episodes. They found it downloads. Instead of jumping on a sales call or getting worked up or wasting time, it gives them these minutes to do what? Get in the mindset of look at you, not look at me. How can I be interested, not interesting? If you're watching on YouTube, don't forget to subscribe and leave a comment. If you're listening, well, here's a good reason for the episode of seeing the visuals we were talking about with the prescription pad and the scope of that. But leave us a note, let us know what resonates with you. And if today's episode hit home or any past episodes, do me a favor, share with one person in your world who needs to hear it. Maybe it's a colleague, a teammate, somebody on your sales floor, hospitality team. This stuff works, but only if people know about it. Lastly, if you want to bring this content to your team, your conference association, next company events, SKO, reach out. I'd love to have that conversation. You can find me at LinkedIn or at Brian at Brian BuckleySpeaks.com, Brian with Hawaii. And as my Chicago Bears chant, good, better, best, never let it rest till your good gets better. And you what? Your better gets best. Until next time, keep improving your communication, your conversation, and your connection skills every single day. As my dad always used to say, thanks for coming, but most of all, thanks for leaving. I'm out. You got this now. Now is your time to do something with this episode. And always remember to leverage your first five minutes to build connection, trust, and influence. You got this now.