"I really do have to think about this." "I need to sleep on it, but thanks for your help." "I just can't make up my mind!" Some customers seem worse than politicians when it comes to making a decision. You know the type. They are always the last ones to place their order at a restaurant because they can never decide what to have. They can't decide what movie to go see, where to eat, what to eat, what to drink, what to wear in the morning or what to buy someone as a gift.

Is this behavior in your store always due to simple uncertainty? You'd be making a mistake to jump to the hasty conclusion that customers fit the indecisive profile and there's nothing you can do to prompt them to buy now. The primary reason people can't make a decision is because they lack enough knowledge to do so.

Indecisive customers try the patience of salespeople and may even end up not buying at all, even from another store. The floor covering industry is one of the most extreme examples of this. Research indicates that approximately 40% of people who shop for carpet end up delaying the purchase for five or more years. Is it because they just can't make up their mind, or is it because it is so difficult to discern the differences between different carpet samples, their benefits, quality and prices?

The majority of customers who appear to be stalling are doing so because of what the salesperson has done or not done in the sales process. You have no way of knowing whether they mean it when they say they have to think about it or whether you didn't provide them with enough information to make an educated and confident buying decision. It's all too easy to blame the customers' hesitance on the customer than on one's self. Did you establish enough value in the merchandise so they feel their needs or desires are being met? Did you offer enough good reasons to make a positive decision today?

Sometimes a customer's hesitation to purchase an item is a defense mechanism to delay making a decision. It's not easy for any of us to part with our money, so why should it be any easier for our customers? That's why it's vital to work with customers to uncover the real objection and not just chalk it up to another wishy-washy customer.