What is the biggest obstacle to making a sale? Heres a clue:

"Thinking is easy, acting is difficult, and to put one's thoughts into action is the most difficult thing in the world."

- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

The answer is customer inertia. Its relatively easy to convince a prospect of the value of your product or service (assuming your product offers a genuine value to customers). Tell your story, give the facts, present the benefits and youll soon have your prospect thinking. This is a good product. You might even have you prospect thinking Its worth the cost.

Now get your prospect to act. Not so easy. And no matter how convinced your prospect may be, he or she isnt a customer until he or she takes action.

There are many reasons for customer inertia: fear of making a wrong decision, complacency, hope that a better product will come along. People resist change; people resist taking action. Whatever the reason for the inertia, your prospect will only take action when you overcome his or her resistance.

What's the best way to create urgency and influence people to take action?

The answer is to increase the pain of inaction and increase the rewards of taking action.

There are two ways to increase the pain and two ways to increase the reward, and one way that combines both.

To increase pain limit time

Set a time limit to create urgency. Send a clear message that says, 'You must act NOW. State a specific deadline, such as, This offer will expire on July 20, 2007 or, This offer will expire at midnight on June 15th, or, This offer will expire in 7 days. And be honest about it; once you set a time limit stick to it.

To increase pain limit quantity

Give your product additional value by advertising that only a limited number of them are available. Again, be specific. State, Only 200 will be sold, or, only 25 people will be admitted to this event

Add a little financial incentive to your limited quantity offer: Only a 50 of these thingamajigs will be sold at this special 32%-off discount price, or, FREE bonus to the first 50 who respond.

To increase reward appeal to ego

Link taking action to superiority. Appeal to your prospects ego with offers that say, This is only for those who have the foresight to take action, or, This is a product only the most savvy buyer will appreciate. Let your prospect know, that taking action sets him or her apart from the pack.

To increase reward appeal to desire to belong

Even though people like to feel above the pack they dont want to be separate from it. People like things that are popular and they trust what other people like. Social psychologists call this social proof

People want to be part of the in crowd and they also don't want to experience the pain of being on the outside looking in. Use testimonials. Let your prospect know that taking action puts them with the in crowd.

To increase both pain and reward appeal to exclusivity

The effect of the above strategies is that they create a sense of exclusivity. People want to feel special and like they're getting something that other people aren't. Only those who act now will be part of an exclusive group. Those who do not act will feel the pain of being left out.

Another way to appeal to the desire for exclusivity is to make offers that are limited to a select few. For current customers only, or, admission by invitation only, and similar offers appeal to the desire for exclusivity.

Overcoming resistance is the finally step and biggest obstacle to making sales. Increasing the pain of inaction and increasing the rewards of action are two things you can do to help a customer take that difficult step. Again assuming that what you offer provides genuine value, its a service to your customer that pays off for you.