We are sitting over coffee with our prospects. No one is relaxed. We know exactly what our prospects are thinking:

•  “What if this turns out to be a big mistake?”
• "Are we making the right decision or the wrong decision?”
• “Let’s think it over and maybe something will happen so we don’t have to commit.”
• “What if we try it and it’s a disaster?”
• “How long can we put off this decision?”

Tick, tick, tick. Silence. We hope our prospects say something or just make any decision. Everyone wants to move on.

But our prospects keep delaying. They are afraid. They don’t realize that “not making a decision” is making a decision to keep things as they are. 

Yes, a “think it over” decision is really making a “no for now” decision.

We know this. Our prospects don’t. Our prospects don’t realize that when they delay making a decision about our business, they are making a decision to keep their lives the same.

Keeping their lives the same is okay. But, they should be consciously making that decision instead of having that decision made by default.

I often get the question, “My prospect wants to think it over. How do I get my prospect to make a decision?”

My answer? I say, “Your prospect made a decision already. Your prospect made a decision to stay where he is, to keep his life the same.”

Prospects either make a decision to move forward now, or they make a decision to stay where they are.

So here are a few questions that we can ask our prospects. They are innocent, non-aggressive questions. These questions help our prospects make a conscious decision on what is best for their lives.

Here is the best part

We don’t have to ask these questions at the end of our presentation. We can ask these questions before our presentation!

These questions reduce the “I need to think it over” objection. As a bonus, they also pre-close our prospects before we start our presentation.

Here is the first question we can ask.

“What will happen if you don’t join our business?”

Of course our prospects will say, “Nothing.”

Now we will let the prospects think more about that question for themselves. They will think:

“Well, if we walk away, our lives will be the same. Tomorrow we’ll have the same problems we have today. We will wake up to our alarms, fight traffic going to work, come home late after more traffic, grab a quick meal, watch a few minutes of television and … go to sleep. We hate this routine. Something has to change!”

Not a very pretty picture, is it? Now, if the prospects choose to leave everything the same, if they choose to avoid our opportunity ... that’s okay. They are making a decision. And that is all we ask.

Want a few more questions like this? Let’s see if one of the following questions fits our style or situation.

• “If you don’t start your own business now, do you see yourself always working for someone else?”

This will get our prospects to think. Maybe they grimace at the idea of asking permission for days off, or not getting the vacation time they want. Or, maybe they want the time freedom to pick up their children from school. Possibly their biological clock makes them an evening person instead of a morning person. Their morning alarm might be the biggest irritation in their lives.

* “What do you think will happen next year if you decide not to make any changes this year?”

This can kickstart their imaginations. They picture their lives like the movie Groundhog Day. Every day it is the same routine. Nothing changes. For some people, the boring security of sameness is an anvil holding them down in life. They desperately want change.

• “Do you think your job routine (five days a week, three weeks of vacation every year) will ever change?”

Our prospects think, “This sounds like receiving a life sentence. Same thing every day … and then we die.” Maybe this question will help them dream about a long summer holiday with the family.

• “I see that you are stressing out about risking a change in your daily life. Why not relax and keep your life as it is?”

People like to disagree in conversation. If everyone agreed, conversations would be boring. So now our prospects’ natural tendencies are to disagree with our question. They may try to convince us that they do want change. It is always better when our prospects “sell themselves.”

• “You don’t have to make a decision to start your own business tonight. Instead, make a decision not to start your own business, and keep your present job routine forever.”

Again, the prospects want to disagree with us and say that they want to start their business tonight. We simply pointed out that this is a simple “yes” or “no” decision. Thinking it over was not one of the options.

• “You know, you might be thinking, ‘My daily routine isn’t so bad. Maybe I will keep living this way.’ And that is also a good decision. Do you think that might be best for you?”

Again, the prospects want to disagree with us and say that they don’t want to continue with their present routine. By giving them permission to stay where they are, we remain in rapport. The prospects love us, and they might think, “Hey! I would love to work with you!”

• “Would it be okay if you never had to go to work again?”

Wow. Now our prospects are dreaming again. They think, “I haven’t dreamed since high school. I got caught up with making a living. What about those dreams I had? If I didn’t have to go to work to make a living, I could go back to school and get my music degree. Or, what about backpacking around the world for five months?”

Most people want to do exciting things before they die. But they can’t. Why? Because they have to go to work.

Our prospects are thinking, “I hope the opportunity you show me can give me time off from working so that I can chase my dreams.”

• “How many more days can you put up with commuting?”

The best time to ask this question is immediately after they complain about the traffic and their commute.

People make decisions to gain things in their lives. But they also make decisions to avoid things in their lives. They may hate commuting so badly that they will do anything to remove commuting from their lives. We could be that solution for them.

• “Life is not forever. What would you really like to do?”

 How many people do we know who are trapped in their current circumstances? They feel that they have to keep their jobs to pay the minimum balances on all their debts. They give up hope and wait to die. They forget about those dreams of travel, and time with the family. 

But what if someone offered an opportunity to change all that? That someone could be us.

• “How else are you going to get that extra $300 you need every month to get caught up with your bills?”

Now we force our prospect to come up with alternative solutions. Oh wait! They don’t have any alternative solutions. Now our prospects realize their best chance for a better life might be with us.

• “How else do you think five pounds a month will go away?”

Yikes! Unless our prospects are delusional, they don’t have a plan. Well, they did have plans before, but none of them worked out. That is why they are battling the weight now. They feel they have to commit to our solution.

• “How else do you think you can keep your skin from wrinkling more every evening?”

Our prospects aren’t dermatologists. They won’t know the latest science or options. Nothing has worked so far. They are still looking for solutions. That is why they are talking to us. They should take our recommendations.

• “How else can you break the pattern of six-day work weeks?”

Prospects get trapped. Big mortgages, car payments, furniture, insurance, lifestyle, eating out, keeping up with their friends … and their paychecks can’t support it all. They feel stuck with working more and having less time to enjoy life. Breaking this vicious cycle is hard, but we can offer a way out.

All of these questions remind our prospects that the pain of their problems won’t go away by procrastinating on a decision.

So let’s make it easy for our prospects.

Remind them to make a conscious decision about their future.

And remember, this technique is rejection-free.

We are not attached to the outcome. We are not responsible for the decisions they make in their lives.

We are only obligated to give our prospects the choices. 

 The rest is up to them.