If you want to sell an offer, you want to present yourself as an expert. However, there is an important aspect that is often forgotten: Offer a perfect solution and give your customer no choice!

Decisions are exhausting!

Are you the type of person who lays out clothes for the next day in the evening? That makes sense: Choosing clothes seems like a trivial decision – and yet thinking about it costs energy.

A second example: You are at a restaurant with a friend, and the menu is huge. If your friend, who has already tried some dishes, makes a recommendation, it helps you simplify your decision.

According to studies, we make around 20,000 decisions daily. And each of them costs energy. Generally, we appreciate trustworthy experts who give us a clear recommendation – ideally well-founded. Simply because then a piece of the responsibility falls off our shoulders.

For freelancers, this means: Be the expert that you are! Give your customers a clear recommendation of which training or method is best suited for them. Justify your recommendation and provide examples from your past where the suggestion has worked well.

Give your customer no choice!

Are you extremely flexible and completely adapt to your customer's wishes? What sounds like excellent service at first glance can backfire significantly. Because: The final decision lies with the customer. If you do not support him with your expertise, he could be overwhelmed by the choices.

You are the expert – so you should give a clear recommendation! It starts on your website: Clearly show that you are individually accommodating to your customer – and then make a perfect offer that is precisely tailored to your customer's goals.

This means, for example, if you offer blended learning:

WRONG: “I offer you training based on the blended learning principle with online and in-person components, with optionally 4 or 8 weeks of online follow-up. A pure online course or a three-day seminar is also possible upon request.”

BETTER: “For optimal preparation, all participants should attend my short online course. Afterwards, I offer three half-day seminars where we will cover the material in detail. Especially important is a transfer phase, which I also offer online. I recommend a follow-up over 8 weeks.”

By the way: The offer just described corresponds to the blended learning model “Sandwich”:

The “Sandwich” model: Start with an online phase, then offer in-person seminars, and conclude with an online phase.

The challenge for trainers with a diverse offer

Especially for trainers and coaches who have both in-person and online offerings, giving a clear recommendation for one path is difficult. But this is precisely where you are called upon as an expert to recognize the right path!

If you have a diverse range of offerings, that’s obviously great. This allows you to tailor your approach to many different customers. However, you should always make a specific recommendation. This builds trust in you and enhances your image.

Check your offer now!

What has your strategy been so far? A broad offer or a sharp recommendation? And how do you present yourself on your website or in social media? Take a few minutes to check your offer!

And: Try the strategy “Give your customer no choice” in your next sales conversation. Following the motto: Expert recommendation instead of amateur selection!