I recently stopped by a local florist to order an arrangement of blue carnations to pick up the next day. I pointed to a glass cube vase sitting on the counter and asked how much to fill it with blue carnations anticipating the next step would be to say ‘Yes’ to order and I would be on my way. Instead, what happened was timely, frustrating for me, and ended with me walking out without placing any order.

This local store does not sell fresh flowers. They told me that everything is in order. I wanted to order today and pick up tomorrow afternoon so this shouldn’t be a problem. But they couldn’t give me a price for the arrangement because they didn’t know if the cubical vase would fit nine carnations or maybe thirteen. (I only ordered flowers, not greens, as I like the look of solid flowers with a ribbon around the vase.) Hmm. It seems someone was not well versed in their product and my trust in them was starting to take a nosedive.

As for blue skin tones, they would have to be dyed. No problem. I realize that mother nature does not usually provide for skin tones of this color. Then, as I was standing in front of the lady, she asked me if she could just order online because her supplier would see it, could give me an exact price, and have it shipped ready to the florist. Umm, I’m standing in front of her and she can’t take my order? Before we ventured further into the conversation, the phone rang and she excused herself to answer while I excused myself to leave the store.

This got me thinking about how easy I make the experience of saying ‘Yes’ to my own clients.

People make purchases, of services or products, for three main reasons:

1. To meet an immediate need.
2. To meet an anticipated future need.
3. Out of sheer necessity or desire.

Some obstacles that get in the way of a “Yes” include:

• tasteless information: Always provide concise and specific information. If more time is needed to collect information, set a time when a customer can expect a response and respond at that time. If the customer is in front of you, excuse yourself for a moment to do the math or consult a resource and come back shortly.
• Restrictions, conditions and limits: Limit the number of hoops a client has to go through to work with you. Having policies is important. Just go through each one to make sure it’s necessary and whether it’s making it easier or harder to work with you. Also, when checking out on the web, remember that the fewer clicks you make to place an order, the better.
• Limitation of types of payment: Determine which payment options your customers would expect you to accept, and make an effort to make these options available. Working online, I would say that accepting credit cards and/or debit cards is important. Requiring a customer to open a Paypal account in order to make a payment is a hurdle. See the difference?
• Delivery methods: With the popularity of e-readers when offering an e-book, consider giving the option to receive it in the popular PDF version or in one of the newer versions of e-readers. For services, some may be fine with email correspondence, while others may like the option of the occasional phone call or in-person coffee meeting. What methods would your customers respond to? Are these methods possible with your specific business model and work style?
• Being unaware of a service and/or product inside and out: Be the expert when it comes to your services and products. You owe it to your customers to be their informative guide. Equip them with all the details they need to make an informed decision and instill their confidence in you and your business.

Moral of the story: Review your offers, policies, and how well you know your products and/or services. All team members and representatives from your business should be on the same page. Make it easy to say ‘Yes’ and I can guarantee you’ll get repeat business.