FOMU v FOMO

The JOLT Effect: How High Performers Overcome Customer Indecision, is a book by Dixon and McKenna. It’s based on 2.5 million sales calls, and it concludes that 40% to 60% of lost deals are lost because of customer indecision.

What drives customer indecision? One of the key factors is the Fear of Messing Up.

Even more significantly, FOMU is not driven by a concern for a negative impact on the buyer’s company, but by concern for a negative impact on the career or reputation of the buyer himself or herself. In other words, the buyer would rather let the company continue to suffer under the status quo (where the blame is diffused) than sign their name to a project that could fail and for which they get the blame.

To de-risk a buyer’s personal reputation and overcome FOMU, Dixon and McKenna recommend the use of "Safety Nets", measures designed to reduce the buyer’s FOMU.

In terms of contracts, Safety Nets are things like:

• Free trials: ie. proof of concepts/proof of value. The buyer gets his company to try out the product. The final decision then becomes shared within the company.

• Easy termination clauses: “If we don't hit X goal by month six, you can walk away." The purchase decision is visibly de-risked.

In other words, you need to shape the contract so that it gives the buyer the confidence to choose you.

20th January 2026