From “Not Right Now” to “Let’s Meet”: How One Honest Message Shifted the Conversation
Earlier this year, we had some tiling work done at home and met Mark — the owner of The Tiling Guys. He’s one of those rare tradespeople who’s not only excellent at his craft but also clearly running a smart, modern business. We got on well and stayed in touch.
A little while back, I reached out to let him know what I do at Mountain Forty Nine and how we help small businesses like his strengthen their digital presence and grow sustainably.
His response? Honest and totally fair:
"Thanks for the offer, Ali — I’m already swamped with leads. More visibility would actually cause more problems than it solves right now."
Absolutely understandable. No pitch. No pressure. Just left it there.
The Bit of Fun That Sparked a Shift
Later that day, just for fun (and a bit of curiosity), I asked ChatGPT:
"Pretend I’m not me. Imagine I’m Mark from The Tiling Guys. Would working with Mountain Forty Nine actually make sense for someone like me?"
I wasn’t looking for a clever sales angle — just a clearer way of seeing the value from someone else’s perspective.
The response was so thoughtful and well put that I decided to share it with Mark. No expectations — just an honest message, worded differently.
The Unexpected Reply
To my surprise, Mark came back with:
"When can I come and meet you?"
We’ve now got a meeting booked for later this month to talk things through. No pressure on either side — just a chat about whether working together might make sense.
The Takeaway
This isn’t a story about selling. It’s about staying human, being helpful, and letting good conversations happen naturally.
At Mountain Forty Nine, that’s exactly how we work — no hard sell, just solid digital support for good businesses doing good work. If you're a small business owner who takes pride in what you do and wants your online presence to reflect that — maybe we should talk too.
