Make A Decision Or One Will Be Made For You

It happens a lot.  People just cannot make a decision.  They fear making the wrong decision, so they instead choose no decision.  No decision is still a decision.  Fifty percent of all sales calls wind up with no decision being made.  For many, there is comfort in not deciding as then no action is required.  It is a driving force for many.  How little can I do and still keep my job, keep my doors open or keep up my income?

It is a very select few that can decide to move forward and put the right amount of effort behind their decision to ensure their own success. Deciding, on its own, is not the hard part.  Committing to doing all the heavy lifting necessary to make that happen, that is where the indecision raises its ugly head.   If making the hard decisions did not come with a commitment to the effort, people would make them all the time.

Selling is not for the faint of heart.  If you decide that you are going to be in this field, commit to doing it the best you can.  Commit to improving your craft day in and day out.  Every year, you should make a large stride forward.  These are decisions that require that commitment, the conviction of your choices, and the perseverance to drive to the finish line. 

Simon Sinek is famous for saying "There is no decision that we can make that doesn’t come with some sort of balance or sacrifice."  We should quit waiting for a decision to be easy and carefree.  But don't be indecisive about anything, indecision robs you of the time you need to commit to your decisions. 

Dale Carnegie stated, “Inaction breeds doubt and fear.  Action breeds confidence and courage.”  As you know, it was a brave man who ate the first oyster.  But don’t think about it too long or too hard.  Make a decision and then have the courage of your convictions.  Get moving getting it done.    It happened in my office a few weeks ago. 

A seller had a hard time committing to the efforts of the job.  The real issue was not the commitment, but fear.  The fear that this person couldn’t live up to the promise that decision would require.  But, as was pointed out, deciding now was voluntary but at some point, one would be made for him, as he would run out of time.  In other words, make a decision, have a card in the game – because everything we do is dependent on time.  At some point, you will run out of it, and then a decision will be made for you. That is true with everything.

Publilius Syrus, the ancient Latin scribe, stated "through indecision opportunity is lost."  Many a person has let great opportunities go by because they did not have the courage to make the first move or take the first step.  When you do make that decision, remember you are also making that decision to do the work necessary for the long-term, not just the short term.  When you do make a decision go full force in your direction of choice – do wade into the shallow end to think you will be an Olympic swimmer. 

You must commit to your choice.  Make it and go forward.  Don’t poll the audience, phone a friend and/or draw straws.  Go forward.  Much can be lost by hesitation.  Hesitation is the cause of most accidents.  Self-help guru Napoleon Hill said, “Don’t wait – the time will never be just right.”  And he is right - you could give yourself a million reasons to go forward and just as many to do nothing.  And if you do nothing, the same will happen. 

It is not easy. Spanish Soccer play Ander Herrera said, “The most difficult quality is to make the right decision. Because you can be quick, you can be strong, you can jump incredibly, you can have the best shots and you can be able to score goals from 50 yards, but if you don't know when to shoot, when to run, or when to jump, you're lost.”  Many people worry about making the wrong decision and that worry causes indecision. 

This internal worry is a lack of trust in our own abilities.  But we shouldn’t doubt ourselves.  We have been successful before and will be successful again.  If we make the commitment to do anything, we should have the confidence that we will do whatever it takes to be successful.  Eventually, the time will pass, run out even, and then we will be forced to make a decision and our choices will be limited, making success even harder. As Chaucer wrote in the Canterbury Tales, “Time and tide wait for no man.”

As stated, fifty percent of all sales calls end in no decision.  Furthermore, fifty percent of sales activity end in the prospect choosing to do nothing, which, is a choice.  As the late Neil Peart of Rush penned in the song Freewill “If you choose not to decide you still have made a choice.”  Much of this indecision on the customer side is because sellers have prospected people with the inability to make decisions. 

We call on people who see no benefit in making a decision, and we struggle to make a case for loss or gain.  Some never had any intention of making a decision, yet we still try to work our magic and create a customer where none will be.  For those that will never make decisions, time will catch up to them and they will be out of choices.  For us, we should make our decisions quickly, but not rushed.  Be decisive but not rash.  And do so knowing that we have the desire and the determination to succeed in our choices. But make a decision, otherwise one will be made for you and you probably won’t like it!