The Negative Effect of Too Many Choices
“If I had let the buyer decide, I would have created faster horses” – Henry Ford
An important lesson that has improved the performance of our sales team is this: Most buyers want to be led. Too many salespeople think they are helping the client by presenting them with option after option; this is not selling. This leads the buyer to confusion, and decision paralysis due to anxiety. Effective salespeople see themselves as a consultative expert who will confidently recommend the best option for them. The reps that do not succeed are the ones who mistakenly think this is being pushy. It’s not, it’s being helpful. A buyer wants to be led, and that’s why you’re there as a sales rep. If you were purchasing a tractor and you knew very little about tractors, how would you feel if the sales rep showed you a model in his showroom and then turned around to you and asked “Does this look like a good tractor to you?” Most buyers would want the rep to say “If your budget is $20,000 and you’re using this for a cornfield on a weekly basis, this is the model you want.” Steve Jobs didn’t do focus groups to create Apple’s revolutionary products, citing that “people don’t know what they want, you have to show them.”
For example, I once had a team responsible for fundraising and series subscriptions for a major performing arts organization. We would call patrons and introduce them to the benefits of being a subscriber and if all goes well, we get them seated in a package of performances. Seat locations are a common discussion point. The reps that fail are often the ones who present the entire hall to the patron and then leave it up to them. These are the deals that go into the black hole of callbacks because the buyer is unsure of what to do and the risk now outweighs the benefit of committing.
Like philosopher Soren Kierkegaard said, “Anxiety comes from the possibility of possibility.”
The reps that succeed however, are the ones who believe in their expertise enough to lead that buyer with confidence, to the location that is optimum for him. Be an expert and lead.