Why you’re (still) losing to the status quo
Posted: Mon Dec 23, 2024 4:05 am
Some of the time when we lose to the status quo what’s happening is that the prospect is evaluating their options and actively deciding that their current way of doing things is better than the alternative. Sellers can repeat their arguments to try to show how bad the status quo is but, if the prospect doesn’t agree, eventually they’ll hit a dead-end.
However, the rest of the time we peru phone code don’t lose to the status quo because the customer prefers it, we lose to the status quo because the prospect finds it too hard to make a decision on what to do instead. They get ‘paralysed’ by indecision. Dixon’s research suggests that over half of losses to the status quo are due to prospects not being able to commit to a decision.
The typical approach to a prospect who seems to be choosing the status quo is to double down with the fear, uncertainty, and doubt (FUD). And sure, you can ramp up the FUD in a bid to scare the prospect into action but what you will most likely end up doing is scaring them into inaction. They may be able to see the problem more clearly, but they’re paralysed over their next step – you’ve actually scared them into indecision, and a victory for indecision is a victory for the status quo.
Why dialling up the FUD doesn’t work
To understand why dialling up the FUD doesn’t work when prospects aren’t making a decision, it’s worth thinking about the organisational dynamics inside a purchasing organisation. The status quo is established. It’s nobody’s fault. It’s hard to pin the blame on any one individual for how things are today. Doing nothing is easy.
However, the rest of the time we peru phone code don’t lose to the status quo because the customer prefers it, we lose to the status quo because the prospect finds it too hard to make a decision on what to do instead. They get ‘paralysed’ by indecision. Dixon’s research suggests that over half of losses to the status quo are due to prospects not being able to commit to a decision.
The typical approach to a prospect who seems to be choosing the status quo is to double down with the fear, uncertainty, and doubt (FUD). And sure, you can ramp up the FUD in a bid to scare the prospect into action but what you will most likely end up doing is scaring them into inaction. They may be able to see the problem more clearly, but they’re paralysed over their next step – you’ve actually scared them into indecision, and a victory for indecision is a victory for the status quo.
Why dialling up the FUD doesn’t work
To understand why dialling up the FUD doesn’t work when prospects aren’t making a decision, it’s worth thinking about the organisational dynamics inside a purchasing organisation. The status quo is established. It’s nobody’s fault. It’s hard to pin the blame on any one individual for how things are today. Doing nothing is easy.