We often talk about how our customers are resistant to change and prefer the status quo. Well, the good news is that resistance is relatively easy to spot. Resistant customers are, generally, openly pushing against change.
Then we have reluctant buyers. Reluctant buyers lack confidence. They don’t fear change as much as fearing making a mistake. Reluctant buyers fill our pipelines with opportunities that just seem to drag on and on and on.
The more I think about the insights from our buying research, the more concerned I am about reluctance (and it’s close companion inexperience). If I look at our data on high quality deals (or the lack thereof) and study the behaviors of those that are more challenged and more likely to regret, I see obvious situations of those teams putting in less effort.
When you are reluctant, you are likely to put in less effort. You do things begrudgingly. You don’t dig deeper. You may move forward, but momentum may push you in the other direction. Hesitation is a common buy product.
Everything we talk about with buyer enablement and change enablement are all targeted at addressing reluctance. Reducing uncertainty, offering clear steps that demonstrate progress, and taking on the fears that create reluctance are critical today.
The majority of people involved in major technology purchases demonstrate signs of reluctance. Help them and you’ll be helping yourselves.
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