I want to ask you one question. In your company’s last sales conversation… who did most of the talking?
If the answer is “we did,” I’ve got tough news for you: your team is losing deals — by talking.
Here’s the data. Top performers talk forty-three percent of the time and listen fifty-seven. The average rep has it exactly backwards — sixty-forty. And when talk time crosses sixty-five percent? Win rates fall off a cliff. Most teams are pitching when they should be asking — and they’re leaving trust, truth, and revenue on the table.
There’s a name for the instinct that’s costing you money. Psychologists call it the righting reflex — the compulsion to jump in, to fix, to persuade, to convince. And here’s the paradox: the harder your people push, the harder your buyers defend the status quo.
Persuasion creates resistance. Pressure creates pushback. So if your pipeline is stalling, it’s probably not your product. It’s your conversation.
That’s why I created The Magnetic Conversation — the science and art of motivational interviewing and selling. This is not a pep talk. It’s hard science — grounded in research from Harvard, Princeton, and UCLA, and the analysis of more than one hundred thousand real sales calls.
Listen to what the science says. Thirty to forty percent of everything we say is about ourselves — because talking about ourselves triggers the brain’s reward system. Asking questions — especially follow-up questions — measurably makes people like you more. Real connection literally synchronizes the speaker’s brain with the listener’s brain.
So how do we turn that science into sales? Three words: Ask. Listen. Ignite.
First, we ask — with the five SPARK questions. Story: “Walk me through how you got here.” Pain: “What is this costing you?” Aspiration: “If it worked perfectly, what changes?” Reflection: “Say more about that.” And Key: “What makes now the right time?” Five questions that make prospects share more than they planned to.
Then, we listen — with the OARS method: Open questions. Affirmations. Reflections. Summaries. OARS is the quality of your listening; forty-three fifty-seven is the quantity. Together, they make every prospect feel deeply heard — and people buy from people who make them feel heard.
Finally, we ignite — with the six MAGNET moves: Mirror. Attune. Give first. Name it. Eyes and energy. Tell a story. Six deliberate moves that make people feel instantly connected to you — in person, and on screen.
Here’s what your team will walk away with. Deeper discovery — because prospects volunteer the real pain, the real budget, the real decision drivers. Faster trust — connection in the first seconds, by design. Higher win rates — because better questions and the right talk-listen ratio move more deals across the line.
And most important: a repeatable system. SPARK, OARS, and MAGNET become your team’s shared language and daily habits — not a one-day sugar high.
I deliver The Magnetic Conversation two ways. As a high-energy keynote — sixty to seventy-five minutes, perfect for your sales kickoff, your conference, your all-hands. Or as a half-day or full-day workshop, where your reps build their own SPARK questions, run OARS listening drills, and rehearse MAGNET rapport with live coaching. Every session is tailored to your market and your deals.
So here’s my challenge to you: be the conversation they can’t forget. Call me at 416 917 6007 and let’s design a session that fits your team exactly.
Procrastinate later. Let’s start the conversation now.
I’m Mike Lipkin — and I can’t wait to talk with you. Or better yet… to listen.
