How often do you hear it?
Are you currently waiting for someone to move off “maybe”?
Frustrating, isn’t it?
Here’s the problem with “maybe”: it’s an emotional quagmire that hurts rather than helps.
▶︎ Why this matters
Indecision is a silent stressor. Our brains crave certainty, and studies show that uncertainty triggers anxiety, which compromises solid decision-making.
The extra time that “maybe” injects also dilutes opportunity. As a client of mine loves to say, “time kills deals”.
Add to this that “maybe” could be a camouflage for all sorts of things: from “I don’t have the budget” to “I don’t want to hurt your feelings”. Wouldn’t we rather know what was going on?
▶︎ What should we focus on?
Let’s not hang out in the land of “maybe”. It’s an unhelpful place where no one knows where they stand.
Instead, let’s make decisions and ask for decisions - even small ones. A clear decision, even if it's a "no," provides emotional relief and clarity.
And a series of small decisions is often the most robust way to get buy-in. As negotiation expert Stuart Diamond says, “Incremental is Best”.
▶︎ But what if it’s a “no”?
The “no” - which we can fear - is rarely the end of the story. More often than not, it’s a decision that can be reversed or a door we open to discover what’s really going on.
In fact, a brilliant way to take the pressure out of a conversation is to make it clear to the other person that they can say “no”. When we do this we respect the reality of the situation - that they have a choice. And without the pressure of the “yes”, we’re more likely to see some solid decision-making. Don’t forget that the pressure they feel from us might be precisely what drives them to a “maybe” we want to avoid.
The bottom line?
Don’t settle for “maybe”
