Salespeople often get a bad rap. We hear terms like “close a sale” and we might cringe at the thought of a pushy salesperson trying to cram us into making a purchase that we don’t need, don’t want, or can’t afford. But, the reality is that in our own home businesses, we often need to encourage clients or customers to make a decision about purchasing our products or services. So, even if you don’t want to think of yourself as a salesperson, you will still need to learn some skills for encouraging others to make a decision about your business.
In order to encourage a decision, it helps if you make the decision-making process as smooth and accessible as possible. Providing the necessary information, making the pricing readily available, anticipating any hitches or objections, and laying things out for the customer or client will help them to evaluate and get to a decision. Of course, you will likely be wanting them to get to “Yes” and there may be ways that you can influence and guide them to this decision, but for starters—getting people off the fence and into decision-making mode is a good start.
If you can anticipate objections or concerns as you are talking with potential clients or customers, you may make communication smoother. Additionally, setting guidelines and deadlines can help people get from ambivalence to decision-making. If you share an attitude that you are flexible and that they have all the time in the world for someone to make a decision or choice, you won’t be as successful at moving individuals to decision as if you let people know that you are working on a schedule and that things are time sensitive.
Don’t give up—you can learn the communication skills necessary to move people toward making a decision, it just may take some practice and dedication.
See Also: Nurturing and Cultivating Customers
Working With Challenging Customers and Clients