Make client's decision easy

I eat out a lot - several times every week, sometimes more than once per day.

I meet clients, prospects, referral partners and friends for breakfast, lunch or supper.

As a result I've become quite an authority on:

• Which restaurants give the quickest service
• Which give the most relaxing service
• Which offer the widest choices
• Which are the most accommodating in adjusting to the needs of their clients.

In Middleton, Hubbard Avenue Diner's lunch specials often sustain me for the afternoon ahead, and demonstrate to my guests that I believe good quality and good value can be found in the same transaction.

Across the road, Vin Santo is a favorite place to go for supper. Listening to Adam describe the evening's specials is always a treat. It's quite the performance and whets the appetite for a relaxing evening and a luscious meal to come.

As you think about going out to eat, do you ever ask yourself why restaurants offer specials? They do it because diners don't like making decisions. The more options diners have, the harder it is to make a selection.

So restaurateurs make the decisions for them. Cleverly, they select a couple of dishes that will suit many palates and separate them from the rest of the menu.

The full menu is still available, but for diners in a hurry or for those who are not good at making choices, the specials will speed up the process. A very large percentage of diners choose from the specials menu.

So, despite the fact that Americans relish choice, they also want someone to show them what to choose.

Narrow the options

It is imperative that sales professionals understand this seeming disconnect. Customers want lots of options on one hand, and they want guidance on how to narrow the options on the other hand.

Routinely, when sales professionals meet prospects for the first time they are asked to list what the company offers. The sales professional responds with a glowing description of his or her company's products or services.

While this description may be very informative and enlightening to the client or prospect, it is often confusing and overwhelming.

Faced with a litany of choices, just as in the restaurant, the selection is so extensive, that the client or prospect finds it too difficult to identify those products or services that may be of value to their business.

Seasonal specials help

Some sales organizations, such as Messner on East Washington Avenue, overcome this issue in the same way as the restaurants. Instead of having lunch specials they offer monthly specials.

Instead of their clients poring through a thick binder of thousands of janitorial products, Messner sends a double-sided page of seasonally appropriate products to help clients make decisions.

But they don't leave it at that. When the Messner reps call in to meet their clients, the reps use their expertise to guide clients into making good choices.

Rather than list all the products in stock, and all the problems they can help resolve, they ask questions to understand their client's needs.

Then they limit conversation to discussing how they can help meet those needs. Their clients make good-quality, informed and timely decisions, without confusion.

Think about how many times you've heard, "I didn't realize that you offered that, or I would have bought it from you." Yet, you could swear you had told the client or prospect that you offered whatever it was that they purchased elsewhere.

Don't confuse your clients with too much content. Learn from them and focus on addressing their very specific needs, and they'll never make the mistake of buying elsewhere again.

Jacqui Sakowski is president of Sakowski Consulting, a Middleton-based sales coaching, training and consulting company.