Learning from Bus Buddhists
In psychological terms, context is almost everything. Much as we like to think that we know how we will act and react in a given situation, without the richness of...
Following on from my post yesterday I thought I’d go into a bit more detail on the problem of choice, from a consumer perspective.
Choice is attractive. Tell people that you have lots of alternatives and, for the most part, they will be more inclined to come to you. From this perspective more choice is better.
But that’s not the whole story.
Once consumers arrive and are required to actually make a choice, more options can lead to confusion (congnitive dissonance).
That confusion can take several forms:
- Difficulty choosing between similar options.
- Difficulty selecting any one option as the better.
- Confusion over which product variable or attribute to attach most importance to.
- Anxiety about how they will feel about a choice they’re inclined towards, knowing that a particular (and also attractive) alternative was available at the time they chose.
- Customers may simply run out of energy (studies show cognitive processes burn glucose in a similar way to physical exercise).
How much difference can choice make? In one study seven times as much was sold from a display of 6 compared with a display of 24.
Another study found that people’s rating of their satisfaction with what they’d chosen increased dropped significantly once the number of choices exceeded 10.
I’m enjoying the choice theme, so I’ll stop there for now and bang on about it a bit more next time!
Philip Graves
Consumer Behaviour Expert
This is one of the most important topics in Sales and Persuasion and it relates to how to structure the most tantalizing offers possible.
Cheerio…
Rob
Personal Asset Protection For Small Business Owners
Have You Covered Your Assets?
Too much choice is not a problem for my Wife when it comes to shoes.:-)
Lynn Lane
http://www.Warriorofsuccess.com
Lol at Lynn!
Really great article. Loved it.
Working with life coaches and home business owners, I find that one of the most profitable things they can do with their businesses is to restrict their number of services they are offering and concentrate on doing one thing really well.
JJ Jalopy
Life Coaching and Home Business Advice with JJ Jalopy
Excellent insights again. I am pro-ABC selling, it usually gets me great results.
Looking forward to the next post.
All the best,
Yann
http://www.ProfitsTactics.com
I am interested in learning more about this issue. I know that everywhere you look it seems as though there is enourmous choice in even simple items – go look at oatmeal the next time you are at the store.
Phil,
Thanks for the post, good read
Bob Kaufer
If you MOVE like the Tin Man, you will THINK like the Scarecrow and FEEL like the Lion
Phil,
When I’m presented with several choices, say at a restaurant I’m visiting for the first time, I usually ask the waiter for “what’s good” on the menu. This narrows down the number of choices for me. I can see that this behavior fits in with what you are describing in your “choice” blogs.
Health, Fitness — Darryl Pace
Thanks for the post, I enjoyed it.
The DIY Lawyer
DIY Lawyer – Where you can learn to do your own estate planning
This is so true Phil. I hate having too many decisions. When I go to a restaurant, I actually get turned off by too many entrees.
Lisa McLellan, Child Care Expert – Babysitters, Nannies, and Au-pairs
Philip, I subscribe to your email newsletter. I enjoy it immensely. Great tips on the psychology of consumers. Mark glaciermarketing.wordpress.com
Hi Phil,
I sell high ticket items to consumers in a very competitive market place that naturally experiences high resistance and one of the things we found to lower that resistance and make choice a whole lot easier was that 3 was the magic number for us in relation to the greatest conversion to sales!
Looking forward to the next installment
Duane
Learn Winning Persuasion Techniques that Work Like Magic by Tapping Into the Psychology of the Mind with Persuasion Expert Duane Cunningham!
If I’m not mistaken, there is an article about some experimentation regarding choices on Kevin’s website. Looking forward to more
Thanks
JC JC
Phil,
To balance the “too many choices” scenario, how about using the technique you mention in your recent article “How to Turn Off Your Customer’s Brain” – by presenting yourself as an expert and let them trust you & let you make the choice for them 🙂
John Ho
Understanding Personalities for Better Influence & Persuasion
Smart thinking John.
I need to win them over with my expertise.
Although I wasn’t doing it consciously, I have directed them to other articles on my site within the report I’m writing, so hopefully that will contribute to this perception!
Philip
WOW, dating and consumer behavior marketing is SO related.
indeed, we have difficulty deciding between apparently similar choices.
this is why as a Dating Coach, part of the work I do initially with clients is to flesh out SOME of the flavor of shared LIFE details. what do they want? not only as a partner in life, but in terms of what DAILY life, a week, a month or general YEAR will look and feel like. what will they be doing? what shared activities. what solo activities.
Looking forward to your future blog posts!
All the best,
April Braswell
Online Dating Coach, Dating Expert
yes for sure…to much choice makes people not choose!!!
David Power
Expert in Medical Hypnosis,Success Thinking and Practical Parenting
David Power’s Hour