Have you ever stared at an email draft for too long, tweaking a word here, deleting a sentence, and then putting it back like some indecision-fueled dance?
Or maybe you’ve been meaning to make a career move, but instead of deciding, you research. And research. And research. You tell yourself you’re being thorough, gathering all the facts. But if you’re honest, you’re waiting. For clarity. For certainty. For some magic sign that tells you this is the right choice. Still, it never comes.
I’ve done this more times than I care to admit. And it turns out I’m not alone.
Matthew Dixon and Ted McKenna, in The JOLT Effect, studied 2.5 million sales conversations and found that in 40-60% of lost deals, the customer picked nothing at all. Not because they weren’t interested or the product was bad but because they feared making the wrong choice.
And here’s the thing: This isn’t just about sales. This is about how we navigate every big decision in our lives. The good news is getting unstuck doesn’t require blind confidence. It just requires a shift in how we think about risk.
The Big Idea: The JOLT Effect
Most of us assume we resist change because we like what’s familiar, that we find comfort in routine, what we can control. If that were true, persuasion would be easy. Just prove the new thing is better, and we will make the switch.
But The JOLT Effect exposes a more profound truth: We don’t freeze because we love how things are. We freeze because we’re terrified of regret.
More research, more time, more options—we tell ourselves these things will help. But they often do the opposite. More choices mean more ways to get it wrong. More research means more conflicting opinions. More time means more second-guessing.
So we stall.
A company delays adopting new technology until it’s too late, and its competitors race ahead. A talented professional keeps weighing an opportunity until it disappears. A leader hesitates on a tough call, waiting for the perfect answer, only to realize too late that waiting was the mistake.
The irony is, waiting too long is a decision. And often, it’s the worst one. Why? Because hesitation has a hidden price. Rather than fixating on whether a choice is right or wrong, Dixon and McKenna suggest a better question we must ask ourselves: What’s the cost of doing nothing?
That’s where the JOLT framework comes in.
How to Overcome Indecision: The JOLT Framework
High performers don’t just make faster decisions. They make smarter ones. Dixon and McKenna found that the best salespeople help customers move past indecision using four key behaviors:
- Judge the level of indecision. Identify where the hesitation is coming from: lack of information, too many options, or fear of failure.
- Offer a recommendation. Instead of just presenting choices, help guide the decision with a clear, confident suggestion.
- Limit the exploration. Cut off analysis paralysis by narrowing the focus to only the most relevant details.
- Take risk off the table. Reframe choices that make them feel safer, such as experiments, limited commitments, or reversible decisions.
This isn’t just for sales. It works everywhere.
- Thinking about switching jobs? Don’t wait for certainty. Start with freelancing, consulting, or exploratory calls.
- Considering a big business move? Don’t overanalyze. Run a limited pilot, test the waters, and adapt.
- Even personal decisions can work this way. Instead of stressing over forever, try a trial period. Give it three months. Then reassess.
Netflix does this constantly. Instead of committing to entire seasons, they launch pilots. If a show works, they expand. If it flops, they move on. That’s how they make decisions in an uncertain world.
And it’s a mindset worth adopting.
One Small Step Forward
The biggest risk isn’t making the wrong choice. It’s staying stuck.
Most of the decisions we agonize over aren’t permanent. But the longer we hesitate, the harder it becomes to act. We tell ourselves we’re waiting for clarity when, in reality, clarity comes from action.
So here’s a challenge: Think of one decision you’ve been delaying. Instead of asking, What if I get it wrong? ask, How can I make this feel safer? Then, take one small, concrete step forward. Today. Not next week. Not next month. Just today.
Because the only way out of hesitation is through action.
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