Invite to Commit

The peak moment of any persuasive engagement is the invitation to commit as part of the commitment pattern. It is brief in duration, but the deciding moment when you discover if all your hard work of preparation has paid off.

Here are some suggestions regarding making an invitation to commit:

• It is almost always best to begin with “will you” and to require a yes or no answer
  
• Be specific in the parameters of your commitment. For example, a more specific “Will you purchase a license by the end of the month?” is better than a more vague “Will you be considering us in your budget?” Tact is critical too and must be modulated depending upon the engagement; above all avoid being pushy, manipulative, or disrespectful. Simply give the prospect the opportunity to clearly state their own intentions.
• Allow the pressure to commit to flow from the framework of preparation you’ve already laid, not from tricky tactics of the invite itself.
• Be confident, direct, and clear when you invite people to make a commitment
• Confirm the commitment. Many times people will commit, but insert beat-around-the-bush commentary along the way. You can confirm the commitment by pulling out the essence of their statement, restating it more simply, and asking them to “yes/no” respond to the simpler summary. This is important during later on follow-up.

Invitations to commit are special, and I have grown to truly love those moments of life.

What are your thoughts on extending invitations to commit?