The First 4 Seconds: How Charisma Kills the Value Disconnect | Bruce Scheer | S6 E11

Written by Mike J Midgley | Nov 17, 2025 9:12:19 AM

Welcome to the Force & Friction Podcast, where we break down what really moves the needle in GTM, RevOps, AI, partnerships, and SaaS growth. Today, we're joined by Bruce Scheer, co-founder of ValuePros.io, a firm dedicated to helping revenue teams nail their story, prove their impact, and deliver buyer experiences that buyers love.

With a mission to "inspire others to inspire others," Bruce brings a wealth of experience from working with some of the biggest names in the world, including Microsoft, SAP, and Tableau.

We dive deep into the "value edge," the "charisma edge," and the "Brave" framework, and explore how to fix the value disconnect that is killing deals in today's fast-moving business world.

Bruce Scheer

Bruce is a "Value Vitalizer" and Co-Founder of ValuePros.io who helps B2B revenue teams bridge the gap between technical features and executive impact.

His work spans corporate transformation, community building, and cause-driven initiatives, all centered around unlocking and amplifying value in others.

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Here are the core areas we discuss in today's episode:

1. The Value Disconnect: Why So Many Deals End in "No Deal"

Bruce kicks off the conversation by highlighting a major problem in the world of B2B sales: the sheer amount of wasted time and energy that goes into deals that ultimately end in "no deal." He argues that this is often due to a "value disconnect" between what sellers are pitching and what buyers actually care about. Sellers are often too focused on their own products and features, while buyers are looking for solutions to their business problems.

"What's really sad in this whole puzzle, and one thing that really bugs me so much, is the wastage between marketing, sales, and that prospective customer. All the time and energy that goes into multiple selling conversations, and on the customer side, the buyer side, they're typically talking to multiple vendors. All this time invested very often ends up in no deal. You know, 60% of deals just going away, and just dying on the vine. All that energy, no action. Nobody was inspired, and to be inspired means to take action. Nobody's inspired, and life moves on, but a bunch of time and energy was wasted. That kills me."

To overcome this value disconnect, Bruce argues that sellers need to shift their focus from "what we do" to "why it matters." They need to understand the buyer's world, their challenges, and their desired outcomes, and then frame their solution in a way that speaks directly to those needs. When the value is clear, the decision becomes easy.

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2. The Charisma Edge: Showing Up On Purpose, With Presence, For Others

So how do you make the value clear? Bruce argues that it all starts with charisma. But he's not talking about the slick, superficial charm that we often associate with the word. For Bruce, charisma is about showing up "on purpose, with presence, for others." It's about being authentic, being present, and being genuinely focused on helping the other person.

"You know, we want to show up for, on purpose. So, you know, authentically to us, you know, we need to be on purpose. We gotta believe in what we're selling, or what we're trying… how we're trying to influence someone else. And is that congruent with our purpose? Do we want to show up on purpose, with presence. Because presence kind of gives us the right to interact with others, if we have the right presence. And then the third part of that is for others. We want to serve. We want to help others achieve something to get the impact that we're… that we want to promise them."

This is a powerful re-framing of the concept of charisma. It's not about being the most outgoing or entertaining person in the room. It's about being the most present, the most authentic, and the most helpful. And as Bruce argues, it's a skill that anyone can learn.

3. The BRAVE Framework: Five Levers for Building Your Charisma Edge

To help people develop their charisma edge, Bruce has created the BRAVE framework. This framework identifies five key levers that you can influence to be more charismatic: Body, Respect, Aesthetic, Voice, and Engagement.

"People trust the brave. And Brave is a wonderful framework, because oftentimes, people are going, Bruce, isn't charisma, isn't that intrinsic? Aren't you kind of born with that or not? And I go, no. You know, according to my definition, it's just how you show up. Some people naturally show up better than others, but, you know, in the world of B2B sales and marketing, I think we can show up unnaturally as well. You know, we can really influence some things. So I did a ton of research. And that helped me frame a new framework to the world. It's called the Brave Framework. So, there's 5 key levers that you can influence to be more charismatic."

Body: How you use your body language to communicate confidence and engagement
Respect: How you show respect for the other person's time and intelligence.
Aesthetic: How you manage your appearance and your environment to create a positive impression.
Voice: How you use your voice to convey enthusiasm, authority, and empathy
Engagement: How you actively listen and engage with the other person to make them feel heard and understood.

By consciously working on these five areas, anyone can improve their charisma and become more effective in their interactions with others.

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4. The First Four Seconds: The Power of the Halo Effect

Bruce emphasizes the critical importance of the first four seconds of any interaction. In this short window of time, people make a snap judgment about you, and that judgment can have a lasting impact on the rest of the conversation. This is known as the "halo effect" or the "horn effect."

"And I typically say, within those first 4 seconds, they're going to make either a halo effect assessment. Or a horn effect assessment. And the halo is, you know, that's where cognitive bias kicks in. You know, hey, you know, is Bruce trustworthy? Is he smart? Is he enthusiastic? Do I want to interact with him? And within that first 4 seconds, subconsciously, they're going, yes. And then, anything I do, they're probably going to reinforce, oh, Bruce is smart, oh, he is credible, you know, and that cognitive bias is going to kick in. Same thing happens for the horn effect."

This is why it's so important to be intentional about how you show up in those first few moments. By managing your body language, your appearance, and your tone of voice, you can create a positive first impression that will set you up for success.

5. The Future of Sales: The Buying Experience is Everything

Bruce argues that in the future of sales, the buying experience will be everything. With the rise of AI and self-serve buying, customers have more power and more choices than ever before. The companies that will win are the ones that can create a seamless, personalized, and value-driven buying experience.

"So, if you want to sell more, nail the buying experience. And my argue to nail the buying experience is lead with value. Lead with product. Lead with value."

This is a powerful call to action for revenue leaders everywhere. It's no longer enough to have a great product. You need to have a great buying experience. And that starts with leading with value, not with product.

Final Thoughts:

Bruce Scheer's insights are a powerful reminder that in the world of B2B sales, the human element is more important than ever. By focusing on value, charisma, and the buying experience, you can build stronger relationships with your customers, close more deals, and drive sustainable growth for your business. It's not about being the slickest salesperson or having the flashiest product. It's about showing up on purpose, with presence, for others. And that's a message that we can all take to heart.

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Mike Midgley runs a portfolio career, a dynamic hands on digital entrepreneur, founder of the Scrubbing Squad, NXD, strategist, public speaker, Winning by Design certified Revenue Architect and Host at The Force & Friction Podcast.

Mike has achieved multiple exits over a 30+ year career, raised Venture Capital and franchised his businesses 68 times.

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