I was having lunch at an association meeting last week when one of the people at my table seemed to be experiencing a lot of pain chewing. When I asked him what was wrong, and he told me he had been suffering with a toothache for weeks. I asked if he'd set up a dentist appointment, and he replied, "No way ... I hate going to the dentist. I'm hoping this will take care of itself."

Business owners are like this, too. They'll typically suffer pain for an extended period before seeking assistance. For example, I've been suffering with the same accounting firm for six years. It does a great job on my taxes each year, but the firm has done nothing whatsoever to help me grow my business. I'm a believer that your accountant, attorney and banker should go above and beyond to help you grow your business. So why would I keep hanging on? Because I'm afraid that switching firms would require more of my time and effort than I'm willing to invest. Despite the fact that I know I'd be better off in the long run, the fear of this transitional pain has stopped me from making a move.

In my experience, all decision-makers are fearful of transitional pain. And I firmly believe it's a primary factor that keeps them from making a change ... even when that change will make things better long-term.

Then we have salespeople who have been taught for years to "hide the downside," because, any time an objection is raised, it will need to be overcome. So, on one side of the table is a decision-maker who is afraid of transitional pain, and on the other side is a salesperson who is doing nothing whatsoever to ease those fears.

BIG MISTAKE!

Want to close more business? Stop hiding from transitional pain. People are always much more fearful of the unknown than they are of things that are known. And since you're the one with the process experience, you know what transitional pain will occur and have the opportunity to decrease the fear pain by eliminating the unknown.

The next time you're in a sales situation, try this. After you've discussed the project enough to have a clear idea of the objectives, results and process to be used, say something like, "Now that I've got a pretty good handle on your objectives, desired results and the process I'd use if we worked together, let's talk about the pain that making this transition will cause you and your people."

• "Will redesigning the customer interface to the website tick off some customers?" (Point that out.)  
• "Will increasing product quality slow down production?" (Point that out.)

Every decision-maker knows from experience that to eliminate pain you must first suffer a different pain. Eliminate the fears associated with this transitional pain, and you'll not only close more business, you'll be trusted and respected for your honesty.

Have a great week!

Gill