Did You Know: You Lose 80% of Prospects the Moment You Open Your Mouth?

How to Turn Every Holiday Conversation into a Marketing and Recruiting Opportunity Using D.R.I.V.E.

By Bob Snyder

Have you ever walked away from a conversation thinking, “That went well!” only to have the person you were talking to seemingly slip into the witness protection program and ghost you? You’re not alone. Most people lose nearly 80% of their prospects the moment they start talking because they speak to a prospect based on what matters to them, rather than what matters to their prospect.

We’ve identified 5 different buying motivations called DRIVEs. You naturally speak one of the 5 Drive buying languages which, when you speak your DRIVE, creates a disconnect between yourself and the other 4 DRIVEs. Hence the 80% loss.

During the holidays, this becomes even more important. You’ll be surrounded by people at family gatherings, concerts, office parties, and neighborhood events, all perfect opportunities to connect, if you know how to communicate in a way that builds instant trust and likability.

And that’s exactly what the DRIVE Sales System was created to do.

Where DRIVE Came From

DRIVE wasn’t born in a lab or built around a catchy personality quiz. It’s the result of more than two decades of research and real-world testing, crowd-sourced from thousands of individuals across multiple industries, cultures, and countries.

Its creator, Woody Woodward, wanted to understand why people make the decisions they do, what fuels their ambitions, fears, and sense of purpose. What he discovered changed everything:

Every human being makes decisions based on one powerful emotional filter, their feeling of importance.

What makes each of us feel important determines our motivations, behaviors, and even how we connect with others.

After years of studying patterns, five distinct motivational types emerged, now known as the DRIVE types.

The Five DRIVE Types

D – Director: Feels important when they are free, independent, and in control of their destiny. They love challenges and creative expression.

R – Relator: Feels important when they’re helping others, building relationships, and creating a sense of belonging.

I – Intellectual: Feels important through knowledge, learning, and doing things the right way. They thrive on clarity and logic.

V – Validator: Feels important when recognized, appreciated, and trusted. They seek validation through confidence and respect.

E – Executive: Feels important when they’re achieving, solving problems, and winning. They love measurable results and progress.

When you understand what makes a person feel important, you instantly understand why they make decisions. That means you can tailor every conversation, from your tone and word choice to the benefits you emphasize in a way that aligns with their emotional motivators.

The result? People feel understood. They relax. They trust you. And once trust enters the conversation, everything changes.

Why DRIVE Is a Holiday Superpower

Think about this season. You’ll be at dinners, parties, and events where people are in good spirits, open to conversation, and naturally curious about what others are doing. You don’t need to pitch anyone; you just need to connect.

Here’s how DRIVE helps:

• The Director lights up when you talk about freedom or creating something meaningful.
• The Relator leans in when you mention teamwork or making a difference.
• The Intellectual perks up when you explain how your system actually works.
• The Validator appreciates genuine compliments, recognition and lifting others.
• The Executive loves to talk about results, goals, and strategy.

DRIVE takes the guesswork out of connection. It turns awkward small talk into natural, meaningful conversation.

Your Holiday Challenge

For the next week, forget the pitch. Instead, focus on learning people’s DRIVE. Start with this question: “besides work and family what are you passionate about?”

Pay attention to what lights them up and the descriptive words they use. Then follow up with this question:

“When you don’t get to (insert the thing they identified), how does it make you feel?”
“When you do get to (insert the thing they identified), how does it make you feel?”

Watch how they talk, listen to what excites them, and notice what topics make them light up. When you identify their DRIVE, you’ll know exactly how to connect.

By the time January rolls around, you’ll have planted dozens of seeds, relationships built on understanding and trust. And those will blossom into customers, partners, and teammates in the new year.

When you understand what drives people, you never have to chase them. They start coming to you.

This holiday season, don’t just show up to the gatherings, show up with purpose.
Learn DRIVE, and you’ll never lose another prospect the moment you open your mouth. 

The best way to learn more about DRIVE is to experience it: go to www.discoveryourdrive.com and take the free assessment.

The next step is to revisit the Business For Home website each week to read the next article in this series and discover how mastering DRIVE can be the gamechanger you’ve been searching for. 

Between now and the New Year we’ll dive deep into what to say when sharing Black Friday promotions or Holiday deals released by your company.

We will unpack the best way to approach each DRIVE type and make a positive and lasting impression as well as when to introduce your opportunity. We’ll teach you how to connect with people in a way that has them leaning in instead of running for the exit. So, stay tuned.

What you do through the holidays is the difference maker to tee up 2026 to be your best year ever.

About Bob Snyder

Bob Snyder is a globally respected business leader and sales strategist with 38 years of success in the Direct Selling industry. Bob has founded multiple high-performing Direct Sales companies, trained over 100,000 sales people, is an acclaimed speaker, and trusted consultant. He’s delivered transformative insights on sales, influence, and leadership across five continents, equipping teams and entrepreneurs with the tools to drive sustainable growth. A #1 best-selling author, Bob’s latest book, D.R.I.V.E. Sales System, co-authored with Woody Woodward, is reshaping how professionals sell and lead. It’s available on Amazon and in over 40,000 bookstores worldwide. To learn more about Bob and DRIVE go to www.Drivebysuladio.com