SKILL
1. DELAYED DECISIONS Some prospects play the waiting game hoping that circumstances will eventually make the decision for them. Prospects who make delayed decisions may wait to express their interest until they have an immediate and urgent need for your product. When they do, getting the order may depend on your ability to deliver exactly what they need, when they need it. If your prospects won’t make a
prompt decision to buy, be prepared when they are ready. Make sure you know what products your prospects need, then make sure you have ready access to them and can deliver them on short notice.
2. DECISIONS TO PLEASE Some of your prospects may feel a political or social obligation to buy from someone else, like the pros- pect who settles for a barely ad- equate insurance policy purchased from a brother-in-law instead of the better policy you offer.
Think about how you can turn
9 Types of Decisions People Make When Buying
JOHN R. GRAHAM
At the heart of every sale lies a decision. If you find out how and why your prospects make decisions, then you’re well on your way to finding out how to sell them. To help your prospects choose your product or service, you need to understand the different ways people make decisions and the thinking behind them. Learn these nine types of decisions, then capitalize on them to make sure your prospects make the right one.
10 | MAY/JUNE 2025 SELLING POWER © 2025 SELLING POWER
3. FORCED DECISIONS Forced decisions occur when pros- pects find themselves between a rock and a hard place. These deci- sions leave little time for informa- tion gathering and analysis, so the salesperson who wins is often the one who was in the right place at the right time. When your prospects have to make unavoidable decisions, make sure you’re the first person they think about. Send regular promo- tional materials and make calls that keep you uppermost in their minds. Give your prospects everything they need to make decisions and
these situations from win/lose to win/win. Find out what shortcomings your prospect’s current supplier has that your products or service would offset. Instead of forfeiting the pros- pect entirely, try to reach a compro- mise allowing your prospects to give you some of their business without giving up their current supplier.
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