Mastering the Art of Overcoming Indecision in B2B Sales

In the cutthroat world of B2B sales, we’re all too familiar with the sting of losing deals to the competition. Did our pricing fall short? Did the competitor offer better features or promise faster delivery? But here’s the real kicker: more often than not, we lose sales to indecision rather than to a rival. Customers simply choose to do nothing, clinging to the status quo.

When dealing with an indecisive customer, our typical strategy is to crank up the FOMO—fear of missing out. We hammer home potential losses like lower costs, higher profits, and increased output. But repeating the same points, just louder, rarely moves the needle.

Forget FOMO, Embrace FOMU

Instead of banking on FOMO, let’s tackle the true villain: FOMU—Fear of Messing Up. Matt Dixon, the brains behind The Challenger Sale and The J.O.L.T. Effect, sheds light on this. When buyers struggle with indecision, doing nothing feels like the safest bet. No one gets in trouble for maintaining the status quo, especially in group decisions.

Dixon identifies three main elements of FOMU and offers strategies to tackle each one:

1. Evaluation Paralysis

Customers often dread making a suboptimal choice with irreversible consequences. They worry about missing out on a crucial feature or picking the wrong version. Imagine installing new HR software only to find it lacks a key function management wants.

Solution: Simplify their decision-making. Highlight the most important options and features, and help them zero in on what truly matters for their needs.

2. Information Overload

An avalanche of information can paralyze buyers, making them feel they haven’t learned enough to make a safe choice. They fear the next piece of data might reveal a critical insight, so they keep asking for more without moving closer to a decision.

Solution: Curate the information and spotlight the most relevant data. Offer expert guidance to ensure they feel informed and confident.

3. Outcome Uncertainty

Buyers often fear that the product or service won’t deliver as promised, putting their job at risk. This anxiety peaks when financial commitments are at stake and decisions aren’t easily reversible.

Solution: Bolster your offerings with case studies and clear evidence of success. Provide a detailed plan for post-sale support to assure them of ongoing value and reliability.

Overcoming FOMU to Close the Sale

A common tactic to spur action is to offer a limited-time discount. However, this often just slashes profitability without addressing the real issue. Instead, focus on easing FOMU by guiding customers through their choices and boosting their confidence with strong after-sales support.

Ask yourself these questions to sharpen your sales strategy:

• Are you tracking and analyzing “no decision” outcomes as rigorously as those lost to competitors?
• What strategies have you found effective in nudging customers towards a decision?
• Are your salespeople trained to use these strategies, along with those outlined by Dixon?

Sales lost to indecision might be your biggest untapped growth opportunity—if you know how to conquer FOMU. Let’s shift our focus from inducing fear of missing out to eliminating the fear of messing up, and watch our sales soar.