Strike While the Iron’s Hot (or Not)

There is some truth to the sales advice that you need to strike while the iron’s hot (i.e., get someone to make a decision right away), but research suggests that the reason may be the over-analysis that occurs when people think about a decision, not the time that lapses.

If someone does not continue to think about the choices but instead allows the options to simmer on the back-burner, allowing their unconscious mind to process the information, they tend to be happy with their choice.

Thinking about hiring you isn’t good

When people tell you, “I’ll think about it,” you know that is not a good thing—not just because they aren’t committed to hiring you right away but because over-thinking leads to less optimal decisions. It can also be that they realize that their gut is saying no but they don’t want to say no, so “I’ll think about it” is a way to let you down easy. When this happens, ask yourself if you may have focused on the less relevant things (giving out a lot of information) versus the more relevant things (building trust, rapport, and understanding their needs) and what you can do differently the next time. Or perhaps their intuition was leading them in the right direction and they are not your ideal clients.

A consultant, Abigail, who came to me for coaching told me that she was doing very well with her marketing but for some reason after she spoke with her prospective clients, the initial calls almost always ended with the prospective client saying, “Thanks so much, I’ll think about it and get back to you soon.” In analyzing these initial conversations, I realized that she was talking clients out of hiring her! Here’s how.

You had them at hello

When you’ve used the ideas we’ve discussed thus far, you won’t need to sell. People come to you with a positive feeling. They know, like, and trust you. They realize that you’re the go-to expert to help them. When you start to “sell,” you run the risk of talking them out of these things. That is precisely what Abigail did. She got nervous about needing to “sell” and “close the deal.” As a result, she rambled and tried to give people a lot of information so they would see that she was a great choice for them. Hiring Abigail was a complex decision, so all of this information was not a good idea. Abigail was also concerned about coming across as pushy or as rushing people, so she booked an hour for this initial call. Having that hour made her feel pressured to fill up the time. Giving away an hour of her time also reduced the perception of her value in the minds of her potential clients.

Abigail had done the previous steps that we’ve discussed very well, so when her clients came to her, they had already marinated with the information and were ready to hire her. She needed to keep it simple and “strike while the iron’s hot.” I suggested that she do this by scheduling an hour long paid consultation, the first 15 minutes of which would be free. Her clients did not need to pay until the end of the initial meeting. Or, if they paid up front, they could receive a refund if they did not get value, which thus far has never happened. If in the first 15 minutes Abigail realized she was not a great match to help a potential client, she provided a referral and there was no charge. If in the first 15 minutes she and the client realized that they were a good match, they jumped right into the consultation and the client was billed for 45 minutes. Clients ended the initial consult feeling great about the services and feeling as though they got 15 minutes for free. And Abigail ended the first session with a new client or a great feeling that she provided an excellent referral. This changed Abigail’s mind-set and the mind-set of her new clients. The use of time was completely different, people received a great deal of value from this initial meeting, and she went from hearing “Thank you, I’ll think about it” to “Thank you, when can you meet again?”

Some options to consider for your initial consultation include:

• A free initial consult with the condition that a decision one way or another is made at the end. If you offer free initial meetings, you can let people know that in your experiences, client relationships work out best when clients go with their gut reaction. There tends to be a chemistry or not, just like in dating, and so you offer a free consult in which people can decide to begin working together or not, in which case you’ll provide a referral if there’s someone who’s a better match.

• A free initial consult plus a follow-up call. If the option above doesn’t work in your line of work, you can schedule a follow-up call or e-mail (a call is better) within a few days of the initial meeting so people don’t overanalyze their options. You can also offer to have people e-mail you questions. You can say that you’ll block time in your schedule (within a couple days) to respond to any questions they’ve thought of.

• A paid initial consult. Make your initial consultations paid, and be sure the client receives excellent value. This is like ordering an appetizer in a restaurant—it isn’t free, but you tend to want more.

Regardless of how you conduct your initial consultation, it is a good idea to put a time limit to it, such as 20 minutes.

How focused are they?

People decide differently when they have other things on their minds. Consider this study: Baba Shiv and Alexander Fedorikhin gave people numbers to memorize as they made their way to another room where they would repeat the numbers. Some people were asked to memorize a seven-digit number, a mentally challenging task, while others were asked to memorize a two-digit number, a task that did not require ongoing mental effort. On the way to the next room, they were stopped and presented with a piece of chocolate cake or a fruit salad and asked which they would like. Of the people who had been given seven numbers to memorize, 63 percent of people chose cake. Of the people who had been given two numbers, only 41 percent chose cake. These results suggest that when our mental processing resources are taxed (by thinking about something else), we tend to go with our emotions. When our processing resources are not taxed, we tend to focus more on the rational benefits (such as how fruit salad is healthier), and we make different choices.

Are your services more like chocolate cake (whereby an emotional decision would lead to clients enrolling) or more like fruit salad (whereby a bit of thought would lead to clients enrolling)? If your services are like chocolate cake, clients will not be unduly influenced if they’re multitasking or have a lot on their minds. If, on the other hand, you’re more like fruit salad, ensure that clients are not distracted during your initial meeting. Do not keep them waiting—you know what happens when we are kept waiting: the mental checklists of all the things we need to do take over. Ensure that your office is free from noise, clutter, and other external distractions. If you meet by phone, be sure that the line is crystal clear and that you don’t have background noise. Engage the client in discussion early on so they are not thinking of other things while you present information to them.

Understand the law of psychological reactance

This is one of the fundamental rules of relationships: when we feel pushed, we tend to pull back. Now that you know that overthinking decisions is bad, you may be tempted to push prospective clients into making quick decisions. Avoid the temptation to do this because if people feel pushed, they will pull in the other direction.

You can build quick decisions into your process as Abigail did, or ask people when they will have a decision if you do so in a nonpressure way. As we’ve discussed, the most important aspect of communication is nonverbal—how you say something, including your tone of voice, speed of voice, and body language, rather than what you say. You can say something like, “When would you want to get started?” or “When do you plan to make a decision?” in a way that people feel supported rather than pressured.

Do not try to use reverse psychology or dishonest tactics such as telling people that you are booked for months so they better make an appointment now (unless, of course, it is true that you are booked for months). These strategies backfire. You won’t feel good about stretching the truth, and people can tell that they are being manipulated. They may also think that if you’re so busy, you won’t have time for them or do a good job with them. Instead, you can make a rule for yourself and state it to your prospective clients. For example, “I take on three new clients per month. Are you interested in beginning in September?” It is also fine to help clients see how you need to manage your schedule and so you need to know if they are going to begin in a certain time frame. Simply present it as a human being, just like you are making lunch plans with a friend, rather than as a salesperson trying to “close the deal.”

Know about them to heat up the iron

If there’s one take-away message I want to be sure that you get from this book, it’s that it’s not about you—it’s about your client. People don’t care as much about you as how you can help them. My clients love this idea because it really takes the pressure off of them. You don’t have to sell yourself. You don’t have to push your services. You simply have to learn about your potential client and together determine whether you’re the best person to help them. This shift in mind-set is huge because it helps you to be more present and more yourself in your initial meetings. Instead of listening for how to sell yourself to them, you’ll listen to their needs, their emotions, and their goals. Instead of asking yourself, “How can I show them how I can help them?” or “How can I explain my qualifications?” you’ll ask yourself, “What do they really need?” and “Am I the best person to help them reach that goal?” This process positions you as partners in the decision-making journey rather than you as a salesperson and them as customers or, more dramatically (as it sometimes feels to clients), you as a hunter and them as the prey.

If your clients are businesses or other professionals, give yourself a head start by scheduling time to learn about your potential client before your initial meeting. Don’t just read the home page of their Web site—instead take twenty minutes and really dig in to discover as much as you can. This also holds true for organizations that you will speak in front of and referral partners who you will meet with. It sounds basic, but you would be shocked at how many people don’t do it or do it in a haphazard rushed way five minutes before an initial meeting.

You may have heard that when people interview applicants for a job, they determine the quality of the applicant by the quality of the questions they ask. You will ask great questions if you have great background information. If you can’t find it online, ask people to share it; they will be happy to. And they will be happy to discover that you already know about their background so you can hit the ground running.

Well, we’ve come to the end of our journey into understanding the psychology of marketing. You now know how to attract attention, deepen connections, and influence action. I hope you’ve found at least a couple take-aways that you can implement right away. I also hope that you have a new level of confidence and energy around marketing your services and that you have fun connecting with people.

I would love to change our communication from one-way (me writing, you reading) to two-way (us connecting). Please post comments and questions on my blog, PsychologyofMarketing.com and on Facebook.com/MarketingPsych. Introduce yourself and join the discussions!

Now put this book down and get ready to serve clients, clients, and more clients!