Julie Steelman
Sales & Business Bankability Mentor - CEO, SellebrateKAILUA KONA, HI
http://www.JulieSteelman.com
-
Do you have a friend who can never make a decision? “Where should we go for dinner?” and “What are you going to order?” feel like overwhelming dilemmas. So she waits for someone else to decide. Or she makes a decision and second-guesses herself all the way through dessert.
Sound familiar? Yes, it’s time to meet our third kind of buyer.
My previous two blogs covered the first two types of buyers: the Crystal Clear Buyer and the Ruminating Buyer. The Crystal Clear buyer knows what she wants and makes decisions easy. Selling to her is pretty cut and dry; she likes it or she doesn’t, and her decision is final. The Ruminating Buyer goes on a rollercoaster ride with you before she makes a decision. She’s a bit of a commitment-phobe because she’s made bad choices in the past.
And we’ve learned there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to selling. Using the right approach with the right buyer can be the difference between sale and fail. So …
Meet the Indecisive Buyer
The Indecisive Buyer tends to have a passive personality. She shows interest in your product or service, but is not always as motivated as she acts.
She’s more comfortable avoiding decision because she fears failure and change more than she is willing to take a chance on the steps that will resolve her pain.
You’ll easily identify her because she’s cautious and moves slower than most. She needs to be led to a decision and, if you do it correctly, will be extremely loyal to you once you do.
Remember, it’s hard for her to understand how her life could be different. She needs tons of handholding, and she can consume plenty of your time if you let her. You will have to be the leader in this relationship.
How to Approach the Indecisive Buyer:
The secret to handling the Indecisive Buyer is to paint a clear picture of how her life will change for the better once she purchases your products or services. Use encouragement and enthusiasm to create a sense of urgency and excitement.
Gently ask her what she wants and what steps she feels are missing for her to get there. Describe your offer in a step-by-step way, making it feel easy and friendly. Remember you are dealing with a buyer who is fearful of change.
Talk her through her pattern of indecision and find out if there were similar decisions she made in the past that she now regrets. Be compassionate and remind her what the lack of making a decision can cost.
Invite her visualize how her life would be different if she made the decision to buy. Remember, these types of buyers have to see the picture of how they get what they want, step-by-step.
How many of the three types of buyers have you encountered in your business? Now that you can identify each of them, how will you change your sales pitch to align your product or service with their different needs?
