How many times have you bought something big without meeting the seller first?

I bought a minivan once from a car-buying service. I’ll admit to going to the dealer and test driving the same model before ordering it over the web.

Mostly, however, I’ve always bought the big stuff after interacting with people.

I’m not sure where exactly I draw the line. I’ll buy a $2,000 computer from Amazon or Apple without meeting anyone, but I can’t think of much else I’ll buy without talking to a person. I know lots of people who won’t even order a computer online.

When Is the Human Touch Required?

I’ve always found that our clients want to talk to a person before buying. They’re not likely to send us a check or authorize their card for a $10,000 charge without talking to us first.

The same is true for the consulting work I’m doing for law firms. Rarely does anyone send me a check without chatting with me first. In fact, many of my consulting clients have met me at one of my workshops or after hearing me deliver a keynote speech. That introduction was part of what made them comfortable with me, and it built trust.

What’s the Spending Threshold?

There’s clearly a spending limit over which the buyer requires some human interaction. People aren’t going to buy until they feel comfortable and develop trust.

What’s the limit? It varies from person to person, and it probably varies depending on the nature of the product or service. We’re offering some do-it-yourself divorce help online priced at $199 per month. For some buyers, that number is fine for a purchase without human contact. For others, it’s way over the limit.

I’ve met many of you who are experimenting with online sales without any human contact before the purchase. Be cognizant of the limits. Don’t expect everyone to send you a big check without talking to you first. You may need to make human interaction part of the purchasing process.

If you’re struggling with making online sales, it could be your offering, or it could be that your expectations about online purchasing are different from those of your market. The level of human interaction in your sales process is a variable that requires testing and experimentation.