Four ways to beat the "No Decision" barrier

Ask almost any sales executive what their number one barrier is and you will get an answer of "No Decision".

No decision means you have done all the work required to get the business but the prospect simply cannot or will not make a decision to move forward. No decision does not mean the prospect has decided to abandon the project or purchase, it means that they never sat down and made any decision - go or no go, whom to go with, etc.

When you have invested your precious time and money chasing the business and got no revenue then this is a loss. Whether they go with the competitor or just don't move forward. You are paid to finalize sales and secure revenue so the outcome is a major loss. It's a teasing situation to be in as you still consider there is the chance the business will move forward. Its not the definitive situation of a "no". Does the question arise 'is the person capable of making a decision?' You qualified them well and they were the decision maker and you can tick all the boxes on your strategy with the account and all bases were covered.

You need to find out what their barriers are for not making the decision and either signing the order or closing the book.

You go through all the issues in your mind. Do you need to give them information to assist the prospect make the decision? Does the prospect need more confidence in your proposal? Do they need to get the proposal explained to others who are involved in the decision? Do you need to talk to the real decision maker instead of the person you had been told had the power? As sales professionals, we need to help get the decision made.

Avoiding the No Decision problem

Why do No decision's happen? That answer will assist us but perhaps a more important question is -- how can we avoid investing our precious sales time in deals where no decision will be made? In many if not all no decision deals, we could have avoided making the investment in the deal or corrected the no decision problem before it became a problem. Often the sales person as moved forward in the sales process without the prospect actually taking the journey with them. The sales person has skipped over important steps as they became excited at the prospect of making the actual sale. They were prepared to sell but the prospect had not been prepared to purchased.

The no decision problem could be the gap between where you are in the sales process and where you have left your prospect in the process.

To avoid the no decision problem, ask yourself these questions during qualification and the sales process:

1. Are the prospect's business objectives clearly defined and meaningful?

If the prospect has not clearly defined the business objectives driving the deal, they can never meet them and you will not get a decision. The business objectives have to be stated in a way that links this decision to business improvements that are meaningful to the business. Are the business objectives addressing a real pain or do they involve "nice to haves". If the objective deals with improving customer service, reducing waste, improving decision making abilities, etc., then the project has a good chance of getting a decision.

2. Does the value justify the expense?

With your product or service, do you think that the value that will be created is sufficient to justify the investment? Be honest with yourself. If you question that the value is enough, how do you expect to get a decision? If you feel uncomfortable, discuss your concern with the prospect. No, do not tell them that you do not think this will be justified. Ask them the types of value they expect to receive. Ask them how much value is required to move ahead.

3. Does your solution clearly lead, in the eye of the decision makers, to meeting the business objectives?

If they do not see your solution as the path to reaching the business objectives and gaining the value, they will not decide to go ahead.

4. Do the people in question have the power to make the decision you need?

Of course, this is a major issue. Everyone has been trained to figure this out and knows it is an absolute requirement for success. However, we still fall into the trap. In most decisions, no one person really has all the power they need. The more complex the solution, the more decision makers that will be involved.

No decisions are costly. They cost time and money. A no decision deal takes just as much sales time, sales assist time and money as a deal we win. However, when it is a no decision we do not get the revenue and therefore the commissions.

Always think ahead. Will a decision be made on this deal?