You buy a house or sign a lease.

The next day (if not sooner), you wonder whether you did the right thing.

You buy a car.

A few hours later, you question your decision.

You agree to marry your spouse.

Soon, you’re filled with uncertainty. Are you doing the right thing?

It’s buyer’s remorse. We all get it. It’s normal.

What Is Buyer’s Remorse?

Wikipedia says:

Buyer’s remorse is the sense of regret after having made a purchase. It is frequently associated with the purchase of an expensive item such as a car or house. It may stem from fear of making the wrong choice, guilt over extravagance, or a suspicion of having been overly influenced by the seller.[1]

Buyer’s remorse is thought to stem from cognitive dissonance, specifically post-decision dissonance, that arises when a person must make a difficult decision, such as a heavily invested purchase between two similarly appealing alternatives. Factors that affect buyer’s remorse include resources invested, the involvement of the purchaser, whether the purchase is compatible with the purchaser’s goals, and what positive or negative evidence the purchaser encounters post-purchase that confirms or denies the purchase as a good idea.

Your clients get it too.

• They feel it after they sign the agreement to hire you.
• They feel it after they sign the agreement with their spouse.
• They feel it when they decide to proceed with the lawsuit.
• They feel it when you settle at the courthouse steps.

Sure, they express relief to be moving forward. They smile, they celebrate, and they praise your excellent work.

But in the quiet hours of that late night, awake in bed, unable to sleep, they wonder whether they did the right thing. They’re not sure.

What to Do When It’s Over

Your job now is to make one more call. Ring them up. Don’t wait for them to call you.

Reassure them that they did the right thing. Be proactive about it. Catch them before they catch you.

Tell them it’s normal to wonder. Tell them everyone feels some sense of loss, even when they get what they want. Let them know that what they’re feeling is normal and expected.

Build the buyer’s remorse into your system. Plan for it, have a plan for addressing it, and take care of it before it turns into something bigger and you watch your victory turn into a defeat.