If you tell prospective clients to “take it or leave it,” you shouldn’t be surprised if they leave it. They may not be ready or able to hire you or talk to you about their case. That’s why it makes sense to give them other options:

• Get more information (about your services/offers)
• Subscribe to your newsletter, podcast, or channel
• Download your free report
• Follow you on social, like your page, share your post
• Sign up for your next webinar or in-person event, or watch a replay
• Send questions to be answered (during your next event, in your newsletter, etc.)

Because anything they do is better than doing nothing.

For them and for you.

It’s better for them because they learn more about their problem and how you can help them. It’s better for you because they take a step closer to knowing, liking, and trusting you—and hiring or referring you.

And, when they do something, they are more likely to do something else.

The problem is, when you give them too many options, they may get confused and do nothing.

The same is true when you talk to them and give them too many options for hiring you.

Give them the option to choose service A or service B and they might choose one or the other. Give them too many choices and they often tell you they have to think about it, which means they probably won’t.

So, give people options, but not too many.

How many is best? The answer is as much art as science. Test different numbers (science) and see what works best, but also make sure you know your prospects (art)—what they might need, what they might want, the likely urgency of their problem, and other factors.

Which means you have to know your ideal client, since that’s who you want to attract.

You also need to consider context.

If you’re speaking to them personally, you can ask questions and assess how ready they are to take the next step. If you’re “speaking” to them from the stage at the end of an in-person presentation, the context is different.

It’s also different online. If they’re on your website, the page they are viewing makes a difference. Are they reading a page that describes one of your services or offers? Are they reading your blog? Have they come to a landing page from an ad? Have they followed a link you included in your newsletter?

Give them options. But not too many. And consider the context.

The elements of an effective website