Compel customers to commit

 An observation of sales tactics…

I spent last Saturday shopping for a new car. I saw a couple things I was interested in, but left several dealerships empty handed. Since it was the end of the month, I had expected the sales people to really be pushing to close a sale, but they weren’t. And while it sounds refreshing not to deal with pushy salespeople, it actually left me feeling…meh.

You see, I’m not actually pining for a new vehicle. I’m pretty bummed that I don’t have my old one, but I’m not stranded – I can still get to where I need to go. So not having MY car isn’t a huge inconvenience. And since the dealerships didn’t express any sense of urgency, I am disinclined to buy right this minute.

…..

Creating a sense of urgency about a decision will compel customers to commit. I had to book a hotel room several weeks back and, after my car-buying experience last weekend, I’m struck by the difference.

I was using my favorite go-to website for hotel deals. As soon as I submitted my search info, this little window popped up:

When I clicked on a hotel for more info, I got a couple more notices:

I was starting to feel excited and a little anxious. I saw a room I was interested in and there was a little note next to the price:

That made me think about the 9 other people searching the hotel right that moment; they might be looking for the same deal on a room. I felt compelled to make a decision and get THAT room. The website successfully encouraged me to book a room by creating a sense of urgency.

…..

What does that mean for your own business? You don’t want to be the pushy salesperson, but if you’re too laid back about closing the deal, customers won’t feel compelled to commit. In fact, customers may get the impression that you don’t care. Compel customers to commit by creating a sense of urgency. If customers feel that you are in high demand, they’ll feel important, accomplished, and relieved to close the deal and get onto your schedule. And success is really about how your customers feel about their experience with you. If they feel good, they’ll be compelled to tell others about how great your company is!

…..

(BTW, I’m open to car suggestions: something with AWD, not too big, and decent gas mileage.)