You Risk More Through Inaction than Action

You risk more through inaction than you do by taking action. Sometimes you believe that you shouldn’t act—or that there is no action you can take. If you are bold enough to take it, there’s almost always some action available to you.

Your Dream Client Says They’ve Decided

You’re expecting your dream client to call and award you their business. Your heart sinks when they tell you that you haven’t been chosen and that they’ve instead chosen your competitor.

Ask your dream client to stop and reconsider.

Tell them that you failed them in your role as a salesperson and someone with the deepest interest in helping them. Ask them for an opportunity to address any areas where they believe that your competitor was a better choice for them. Tell them if they still come to the same decision, you’ll be disappointed, you’ll keep calling them forever, but you’ll support their decision for the time being.

Maybe they’ve already awarded the business to your competitor. And maybe they haven’t. By taking no action, you lose. By taking action, you have a chance—however small—to win. The worst you will do is reemphasize how committed you are to working with your dream client.

Your Dream Client Said You’re Too Late

Have you ever gotten to your dream client when they were already deep in their buying cycle? They don’t want to add you to the mix because it would complicate things, and they will tell you it would be unfair.

Ask your dream client to let you compete anyway.

Tell them that it might be unfair to some other firms that weren’t included, but it would be more unfair to them to choose without seeing what you can do that differentiates you from the companies they are considering. Tell them they absolutely have to see you. Tell them it will be worth it and that they won’t regret it.

By pushing hard, you might push your way in. By taking no action, you ensure that you don’t have a chance to compete for their business.

Your Dream Client Said They Need Time

You’re deep in process with your dream client. You’ve built the right solution together, and you’ve made your final presentation. You’ve asked for the commitment, and now your dream client says they need time to decide. You want to be professional and give them time.

Ask your dream client why they need time and what concerns they need help resolving. Tell them that when you go through the process that you’ve gone through together, the only reason someone asks for time is that they are concerned about some risk. Tell them that unless they share their concerns with you, you can’t give them the answers that would eliminate that risk for them.

You almost always lose more through your inaction than you do by taking action. Face your fear and act anyway. Not acting only ensures that you lose.

Questions

What are some instances when you think there are no actions available to you?

Do you believe no one else would take action in those instances?

What prevents you from acting? What do you fear?

What do you stand to lose by acting? Is it more than you lose by failing to act.