Have you folks decided?

Yes, my friendly waiter wearing a powder blue tuxedo, we have decided we would like at least two more rounds of beverages before we start grazing on food.

But seriously...

People are terrified of making decisions- especially making the wrong decision.

But often it's any decision at all. A guy I like who writes about business and marketing uses a parable about a bunch of salesguys at the watercooler just before lunchtime. They decide they want to go out to lunch.

Twenty-five minutes later, these banana brains ARE STILL TRYING TO DECIDE where they are going to eat!! Are you kidding me?? Nobody can make a freakin' decision!! And these are the people PAID to get others to make decisions.

This same writer makes an excellent suggestion.

If you do this for a living, selling that is, do the following. When you're speaking with the decision-maker early in the game, tell them if you two do the dance together and move this thing WAY along, let them specifically know subsequent to the (insert sales cycle moment here...proof of concept with the CFO there, whatever) tell Mr. Decision-maker that, if you get that far, you are going to ask him for the business. Boom.

No surprises. They know it's coming. And, at this juncture, you have WAY earned the right to ask. Then try to figure out where you want to go to lunch.