Whose Responsibility Is It To Make A Clear Offer?
Have you ever been in the position where you didn't understand what was being offered and the seller reacted in a negative way towards you?
So whose responsibility is it to make an offer clear?
You might be able to make a case for both the seller and for the buyer depending on what position you find yourself in. As a seller, it's certainly your responsibility to do everything you can to make your offer clear. And as a buyer, you should certainly do your due diligence before making a purchase if there's any chance for misunderstanding to happen.
Whose Responsibility Is It: Before They Buy
What about when you make an offer and a prospective client declines because they don't understand the offer? Where does the responsibility fall then? In this scenario, is it easier to make a case of the responsibility falling on the seller? When your prospects decline your offer because it's ambiguous or uninteresting it's time to rethink some things.
When studying Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) I learned a presupposition that states, “The meaning of your communication is based on the response you get”. This is probably one of the hardest concepts for most people to come to terms with, it certainly was for me. Before NLP, I would often say, “My intention was…” as a way to justify my words/actions when people responded negatively to me.
Learning how to take full responsibility in every situation that doesn't go well because of something I do or say is still a work in progress. On my not-so-good days, I find myself wanting to push back responsibility on the other person for not allowing me grace from perfection. However, when it comes to business, pushing responsibility onto a prospective client often means losing their business for good.
Whose Responsibility Is It: Bad For Business
A few months back someone reached out through Facebook messenger and asked if she could get on my calendar to help me craft my message and interview me on her podcast. I don't know this person and had no frame of reference for why she thought I needed help crafting my message.
When I didn't respond, she contacted me again and asked if I had an interest in being on her podcast. I responded and let her know that I wasn't clear as to what she was proposing and if it was an on-air coaching call, I wasn't interested. Her response back was to let me know how sorry she was that “I didn't take the time to find out more. thanks anyway”.
Hmm, in this case, whose responsibility is it to make the offer clear, the possible prospect or the person trying to sell spots on her podcast? And, yes, that is what she's doing. People pay her money to be featured on her podcast.
There's no judgment about her business model if people receive value for the service she provides. However, it's not up to me (if I were a potential client) to do research to understand her offer. It's up to the seller to make a compelling offer. My answer would not have changed, I don't pay people to be a guest on their podcast. My opinion of her might be different now, had her response to my no been more gracious. Acting as if I should have done more to understand what she was offering was a little off-putting.
Whose Responsibility Is It: A Little Rapport Goes Along Way
It's never fun to have people decline your offer. A no can be tough to hear. However, when you get a no from a prospective client, being dismissive, offended or even a little snarky is a sure-fire way to ensure this person is never going to do business with you in the future.
Your offers should be compelling, create curiosity and make sense to the potential buyer. When you're not getting positive responses, it's time to restructure your approach. Be sure you're taking the time to build a little rapport even with the people who say no. As I've often said, a “no” can be a” not yet” when you have something that solves a problem or meets the need of a client.
Wishing you continued success when making offers to prospects.
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