Innocent Questions That Help Prospects Make Decisions - NOW!

I love Tom "Big Al" Schrieter's stuff.  He and I share the same personality type.  You can find his stuff here.

The following is an excerpt from his newsletter dated April 27, 2015.

I’m sitting across the prospects’ kitchen table. They are afraid to make a decision.

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They’re thinking:

"We don’t want to make a mistake."

"What if we make the wrong decision?"

"Let’s think it over and delay any decision until we have to."

"What if we fail?"

"Maybe we should just take our time thinking about this."

And they’re thinking . . . and thinking . . . and thinking. Oh, if they would only make a decision, any decision, it would be wonderful. I could go home. They could get on with their lives.

But no. That would be too easy. The prospects insist on torturing themselves with indecision. They don’t realize that "not making a decision" is really making a decision to keep things just as they are.

For example, the train is pulling into the station. You don’t know if you should board the train or not. So you think, think, think . . . and soon, the train has already left the station. Your indecision actually made a decision:

You’re not going to be on that train.

You and I know this. Our prospects don’t.

Our prospects don’t realize that when they delay making a decision about our business, they are effectively making a decision to keep their lives the same.

And keeping their lives the same is okay. It’s just that they should be consciously making that decision.

So here are a couple of questions that you can ask your prospects. They’re innocent, non-aggressive questions. These questions will help your prospects make a conscious decision on what is best for their lives.

1. What will happen if you don’t join our business?

Of course the answer is:

"Nothing."

But you don’t answer that question. Let the prospects mentally answer that question for themselves. They’ll probably be thinking this:

"Life will be the same. Tomorrow will look just like today. We’re going to wake up early, commute to work, come back late, grab a quick meal, watch a few minutes of television and go to sleep. Yep, we’re going to go through this routine over and over again – until we’re too old to work."

Not a very pretty picture, is it? Now if the prospects choose to leave everything the same, if they choose to avoid your opportunity . . . that’s okay. They are making a decision. And that’s all we ask.

Want a few more questions like this? Try some of these to see if one fits your style.

2. If you don’t start your own business now, do you see yourself always working for someone else?

3. What do you think will happen next year if you decide not to make any changes this year?

4. Do you think your job routine (five days a week, two weeks of vacation every year) will ever change?

5. I see that you’re kind of stressing out about risking a change in your daily life. Why not just relax and enjoy your life as it is?

6. You don’t have to make a decision to start your own business tonight. Instead, you could simply make a decision to not start your own business and keep your present job routine.

7. You know, you might be thinking, "My daily routine isn't so bad. Maybe I’ll keep living this way." And that’s also a good decision. Do you think that might be best for you?

All of these questions remind our prospects that the pain of their problems won’t go away by putting off a decision.

So make it easy for your prospects.

Help them make a conscious decision about their future.

And remember, this technique is rejection-free.

We’re not attached to the outcome.

We’re not responsible for the decisions they make in their lives.

We’re only obligated to give our prospects the choices.

The rest is up to them.