The deadly difference between ‘interest’ and ‘urgency’ in U.S. sales that Europeans miss.
They said “Sounds great!” But they’re never calling you back.
Let’s go cold turkey here:
Interest ≠ urgency.
But most EU founders treat them like the same thing.
They get off a call with a U.S. buyer who said:
“This looks really useful.”
“Very interesting.”
“I can totally see the value here.”
And they walk away thinking:
“Nice — we’ve got one.”
But you don’t.
You have a maybe.
And in the U.S.?
Maybe = no.
In American sales, we live in two gears:
“This is cool.”
“We need to fix this.”
If you’re not in the second one — you’re not closing anything.
Because Americans don’t act unless they feel behind.
Unless the problem feels close, emotional, and costly.
We need pressure. Not from you — from reality.
But here’s where it goes wrong:
Most EU founders are excellent at building interest.
You’re clear. Smart. Tactical. You explain things well.
But you never push on urgency.
You never frame the cost of inaction.
You never name the risk of waiting 90 days to “revisit this.”
So the buyer thinks:
“Yeah, this sounds cool. But we’re not bleeding. Let’s keep it in the inbox.”
Inbox = death.
So what do you do?
You inject urgency without being a desperate closer.
You don’t say:
“So… when do you want to move forward?”
You say:
“Let me ask — what happens if this pain stays unsolved another quarter?”
You ask:
“Who on the team will keep getting burned by this delay?”
You drop:
“Totally cool if this isn’t the priority right now dude — but I’m guessing this is still quietly costing you [insert number or time].”
That last one? Fireeee.
It repositions you as the professional.
You’re not pushing. You’re helping them realize where this actually sits on their priority list — before it gets lost.
Here’s the punchline:
American buyers will always sound positive.
We’re trained to be polite.
We won’t say “no.”
We’ll say “interesting” — then disappear.
Your job is to figure out, on the call:
“Are they interested… or are they in pain?”
If they’re just interested — cool.
But don’t forecast that deal. Don’t chase it like it’s hot.
Get out. Or create tension that makes it hot.
If you want to win in U.S. sales, learn this emotional sequence:
Curiosity → Interest → Tension → Action
You’ve mastered curiosity.
You’re good at interest.
Now it’s time to get deadly at tension —
because that’s what unlocks urgency.
And urgency is what gets you the deal.
—
Paulius
Founder, Exported