Typically people don’t want anyone to anyone else to make choices for them. They want to CHOOSE.
Typically, people don’t want someone else to sell to them. They want to BUY.
Imagine a simple scenario where you are meeting with a professional service provider for some advice. The professional listens to you keenly and understands your situation. He then responds. Let us consider two cases:
The professional thinks that he has hit the bulls eye. He says that he has found the perfect solution for your problem and offers to go through the same in detail. In the end, he also warns that choosing any other option would be stupid.
Case 2: Carpet bombing with options
The professional is very creative and thinks that your problem can be solved in at least ten different ways. He offers to go over them in detail. He says that once he explains all the various approaches it would be a breeze for you to make a decision.
Unfortunately, you are not happy with both the options above. In the first case, the professional did not give you any choice (he was CHOOSING for you) and in the second case, the laundry list of solutions only confused you more.
The ideal case would have been one where the professional provided two personalized options (at the most three) or solutions and explained to you the ramifications (pros and cons) of choosing either one of them.
Now, remember the number of times you were on the opposite side of the table. When you were that professional to whom other people came to ask for help or advice. How did you respond? Did you provide them THE solution or carpet bombed them with a dozen options to choose from?
The winning formula, typically, is to provide options but not too many of them.
Good luck!
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Note 1: Here is a Squidoo lens that links to most of the previous articles in this series:
Squidoo: Distinguish Yourself
Note 2: The first 25 entries in the series have been packaged in a ChangeThis manifesto that was published on September 07, 2005. You can download that manifesto here:
ChangeThis Manifesto: 25 Ways to Distinguish Yourself (PDF, Free)
Note 3: My latest manifesto on ChangeThis was published on August 6, 2008. This is a photographic manifesto featuring 15 of my mini sagas (stories in exactly 50 words). Here is the link:
ChangeThis Manifesto: Mini Sagas – Bite Sized Lessons for Life and Business (PDF, Free)