Why buyer indecision is your biggest competitive threat

The problem starts with how we think about customer journeys

Customer journeys are often presented as neat, linear paths.

Awareness leads to consideration. Consideration leads to a decision. A decision leads to a purchase.

But unfortunately, that’s rarely how buying actually works (which would make our jobs a lot easier).

Buying rarely moves in straight lines

Hesitation is normal. Buyers pause, circle back, and spend time sitting with a decision rather than moving cleanly towards it. What looks like a lack of urgency is often someone trying to make sense of the risk they’re taking on.

That behaviour becomes more pronounced as decisions get more complex, more expensive, or more visible internally. When budget, reputation or career risk is involved, progress slows. 

Until that fear is addressed, no amount of funnel optimisation will keep deals moving forward.

FOMU: Fearing of messing up (and why it kills deals)

Dixon and McKenna describe this behaviour as FOMU (Fear of Messing Up).

It’s often confused with fear of missing out, but in fact, it’s the opposite. Buyers aren’t worried about what they might gain. They’re worried about what happens if they get it wrong.

That fear tends to sit just under the surface. Choosing the wrong supplier. Having to justify the decision internally. Being associated with an outcome that doesn’t land. Looking careless in front of peers or leadership.

So instead of deciding, buyers slow things down. They may ask for more reassurance. They may book another meeting. They may even suggest revisiting the conversation next quarter.

From the outside, it can look like a pipeline issue. In reality, it’s a confidence problem. Information becomes a delay tactic, not because it’s missing, but because it feels safer than committing.

Where buyer confidence actually comes from

Across the research, buyer confidence builds gradually and across multiple touchpoints, often well before a sales conversation ever takes place. No single moment is responsible for creating confidence on its own.

It comes from three interconnected systems working together to reduce hesitation over time.

1. Brand: Reducing perceived risk before sales ever starts

Brand is often talked about as awareness, but its real value shows up much later in the buying process. At its core, brand works by reducing perceived risk.

Long before a buyer compares features or pricing, they’re forming quieter judgements. Do these people feel credible? Do they seem safe to choose? Have others like me made this call before?

This is what Ehrenberg-Bass describes as mental availability — being easy to recall and positively associated when a buying situation arises.

When a brand shows up coherently over time, decisions feel easier to justify. The internal “what if this goes wrong?” voice softens. The personal risk attached to choosing reduces.

Brand doesn’t close deals on its own. It makes closing feel safer.

2. Marketing: Reinforcing the decision, not just generating it

Performance marketing works best when it’s reinforcing something that already feels familiar. Not by pushing harder, but by showing up consistently and predictably at the moments buyers are already thinking things through.

This is where long-term brand building and short-term activation start to overlap. Brand creates recognition and context. Performance keeps you present while the decision is taking shape.

Effective marketing shows up consistently while buyers are considering their options. It gives them something steady to refer back to as they weigh things up. Over time, that familiarity lowers the perceived risk of moving forward and makes the decision feel more comfortable to stand behind.

3. Systems & follow up: Keeping momentum alive

Many deals lose momentum after the initial interest because the process starts to drift. Responses slow, details arrive out of sequence, or buyers don’t have what they need at the moment they’re trying to move the decision forward.

This is where systems do more than keep things organised. CRM, automation and sales enablement act as confidence tools. They provide structure, maintain continuity, and ensure the right information and proof surfaces at the right time. They also help internal stakeholders stay aligned, which reduces hesitation on the buyer’s side.

Confidence develops through steady progress. When momentum is maintained and the process feels reliable, buyers spend less time second-guessing and more time moving forward.