What's up, it's Zayd.

There's a sales team I know that follows up religiously, sends detailed proposals, does comprehensive demos, and accommodates every buyer request. Their close rate is 12%.

Their competitor sends three thoughtful messages over six weeks and closes 40% of qualified opportunities.

The difference is kind of sad, but also makes sense…the first team reeks of desperation. The second team positions itself as selectively available expertise. The same concept that drives desirability in everything from dating to sneaker drops. Modern B2B buyers have developed an immune system against sales effort. The harder you try to sell them, the more they resist.

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The Desperation Signal Problem

Buyers can smell desperation instantly, and it kills deal value faster than bad pricing.

When you:

• Follow up every few days

• Immediately accommodate every request

• Send unsolicited detailed proposals

• Make yourself available "anytime"

• Offer discounts unprompted

You're broadcasting: "I need this deal more than you need this solution."

That fundamentally shifts negotiation dynamics. Suddenly they have all the power, and they'll use it; demanding discounts, extra features, extended trials, and favorable terms.

Desperation also creates doubt. If you're this hungry for their business, maybe your solution isn't as valuable as you claim. Maybe you're not getting enough customers. Maybe this is a bad deal for them.

The Effort Justification Paradox

A weird quirk of human psychology is that people value things more when they have to work for them (check out this newsletter on the psychology of friction), but in B2B sales, we make everything easy for buyers. We're available whenever they want, eager to accommodate every request, and desperate to advance the process on their timeline.

Compare this to the most successful consultants, attorneys, or agencies. They're selective about clients, have boundaries around their availability, and maintain waiting lists for their services.

This constraint creates perceived value, which translates to higher prices and better terms.

The Valley Example: Strategic Constraint

When we built Valley, we could have made it available to everyone immediately. Instead, we created a waitlist and selective onboarding process.

1. We wanted to work with customers who were serious about outbound

2. Scarcity positioned Valley as valuable rather than desperate

3. Selectivity allowed us to provide better service to customers we did accept

The result was higher close rates, less price sensitivity, and customers who value the relationship because they had to earn it.

The Three Levels of Strategic Restraint

Level 1: Time Boundaries 

Don't be immediately available for every meeting request. "I have Thursday at 2 PM available" creates more value than "I'm free anytime."

Level 2: Process Boundaries 

Require certain steps before advancing; discovery calls before demos, stakeholder alignment before proposals. This creates structure and perceived value.

Level 3: Client Selection Boundaries 

Be selective about who you work with. Not every prospect is a good fit, and saying so positions you as consultative rather than desperate.

The Paradox in Practice

Instead of: "I can jump on a call anytime this week"
Try: "I have a slot Thursday at 2 PM if you'd like to discuss this"

Instead of: Following up every 3 days with "just checking in"
Try: Following up every 2-3 weeks with relevant industry insights

Instead of: Immediately sending detailed proposals
Try: "Let me understand your situation better before recommending an approach"

The Psychology of Buyer Pressure

When you create urgency around your timeline, you trigger psychological reactance (the natural human tendency to resist being pushed).

Sophisticated B2B buyers especially hate feeling pressured. They're evaluating multiple vendors, have complex internal processes, and need time to build consensus.

The vendor that creates the most pressure often gets eliminated first, regardless of solution quality.

Why "Trying Hard" Backfires

High-effort sales approaches signal several problematic things:

Commodity Status: If you're working this hard to win their business, you must be competing primarily on price and availability.

Poor Product-Market Fit: If your solution was obviously valuable, you wouldn't need to work this hard to sell it.

Weak Market Position: Successful vendors don't chase prospects aggressively because they have plenty of demand.

Poor Customer Segmentation: You're clearly not selective about who you work with.

The Long-Term Relationship Impact

Strategic restraint is about positioning yourself as a trusted advisor rather than a transactional vendor.

When you demonstrate patience, selectivity, and boundaries, buyers start seeing you differently. You become someone they consult rather than someone trying to sell them.

This compounds over time through:

• Higher-quality referrals

• Larger deal sizes

• Shorter sales cycles with qualified prospects

• Reduced price sensitivity

• Stronger long-term relationships

Implementation Framework

Week 1-2: Audit Current Approach 

Track how often you follow up, how quickly you respond, and how accommodating you are to buyer requests.

Week 3-4: Establish Boundaries

Set specific windows for prospect calls, create process requirements for advancing deals, practice saying "Let me check my calendar" instead of "I'm available anytime."

Week 5-6: Test Message Frequency 

Reduce follow-up frequency by 50% but increase value by focusing on insights rather than check-ins.

Week 7-8: Measure Results 

Track response rates, meeting acceptance, and deal progression. Often less frequent but higher-value touches perform better.

The Confidence Signal

Strategic restraint sends a powerful message: You're confident in your solution's value and selective about who you work with.

This confidence is attractive to buyers who are tired of being chased by desperate vendors. They start pursuing you instead of the other way around.

The highest-performing sales professionals I know operate more like consultants than traditional salespeople. They have criteria for clients they work with, maintain boundaries around their time, and focus on outcomes rather than features.

How I Can Help?

Let me book sales calls for you while you’re practicing strategic restraint. Seriously.

I built Valley to be your automated SDR and empower AEs. Get started today and watch your calendar fill up with qualified leads.

How can we work together 🏔️

1. See more of Valley’s messaging examples, feel free to roast them: https://withvalley.notion.site/Cool-Message-Bro-1c0b917b0ed481dab014c465c354b4b8 

2. Generate more demos for your company using LinkedIn: https://meetings.hubspot.com/zayd-from-valley/tryvalley
   

3. Become a Valley partner and get 20% recurring commission for every user you bring in: https://withvalley.notion.site/valley-affiliate-partner-program