Are you negotiating against real objections or imaginary ones?

In this episode, Ian and Frank break down one of the biggest mistakes salespeople make during uncertain markets: negotiating with ghosts.

Drawing on experiences from GE engineering sales, real estate investing, homebuilding, and sales management, they explore how fear, assumptions, and lack of confidence cause sales professionals to discount too early, create objections that don't exist, and lose deals before the customer ever says "no."

You'll learn:

✅ Why salespeople project past rejections onto new prospects

✅ How silence can become your most powerful negotiation tool

✅ The psychology behind loss aversion and buyer behavior

✅ Why confidence matters more than pricing in many sales conversations

✅ How managers can prevent sales teams from developing bad habits

✅ The "Fastball Rule" for maintaining the right mindset in sales

Whether you're in real estate, leadership, business development, entrepreneurship, or high-ticket sales, this episode will help you identify the mental traps that sabotage deals and teach you how top performers stay focused on value instead of fear.

Got suggestions for future episodes or advice for the hosts of this podcast? Email [email protected] to get in touch with Ian and Frank.

Interested in group or individual management and executing training with Ian Mathews?  Check out 5on4 Group’s Leadership Essentials: 12-Week Course.

Interested in investing in one of Frank’s upcoming projects?  Check out Cava’s upcoming projects and investment opportunities and contact us here.

Let Me Speak To A Manager is the definitive podcast for management training, career navigation, and high-stakes negotiation. Hosted by Frank Cava and Ian Mathews, this show pulls back the curtain on what it takes to build wealth, lead elite teams, and master the psychology of business.

Frank (CEO of Cava Companies) and Ian (CEO of 5on4 Group) bypass the fluff of "business school theory" to give you raw, actionable strategies from their 50 years of combined experience in Fortune 500 executive leadership and entrepreneurship.

Each week, we dive into:

• Career Advancement: How to ask for a raise, land a promotion, and stand out in any company.
• Leadership & Culture: Building high-performing teams and scalable business cultures.
• Sales & Persuasion: Mastering the art of the deal and the psychology of marketing.
• The Success Mindset: Overcoming procrastination and glass ceilings to achieve your goals.

Whether you are a first-time manager, an aspiring executive, or a founder building from scratch, Frank and Ian offer a unique, blunt, and often humorous "riff" on the triumphs and failures of the corporate world. Join us to get the inside track on how to make yourself the most valuable person in the room.

If you listen to any of the following shows, we are sure that you will like ours too!

• Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett
• The $100 MBA Show with Omar Zenhom
• Think Fast Talk Smart: Communication Techniques with Matt Abrahams
• My First Million with Sam Parr and Shaan Puri
• The Learning Leader Show with Ryan Hawk
• Craig Groeschel Leadership Podcast
• The Jefferson Fisher Podcast