Take out that Nokia from your bag.
And look at the features.
It can tell time; it can be a stopwatch; it can keep diary appointments; it can help you pass time with ingenious little games; it can probably take photos; send text messages; maybe even double up as an mp3 player or a torch.
You could probably call the moon with your Nokia.
Now let’s assume we zapped back in time a bit…
Let’s say you were in the phone store. To buy a cell phone (what else?) And let’s assume the salesman showed you a phone model that could only…um…take and make calls. Would you buy that phone? Or would you want to see another model, with..uh..more features?
It’s not that much different when customers buy into your services and products.
They want the whole jangbangdoowahwholeshebang
They know they can’t use all the features you offer in your service or product. But it doesn’t matter one itty-bit to a customer. And herein slips in the paradox of choice.
Customers want it all, when buying a product/service, and yet are appalled, even intimidated by the post-purchase scenario.
So how does the post-purchase scenario roll out?
Let’s take an example, shall we? Customers buy a program like Photoshop for its myriad features. Then end up using just a few tools. They buy a VCR or DVD recorder that dances, prances, and schmances. But they use just the basic functions. And yes, just like you, they go for the cell phone that has the most tantalising features, but end up using a few, if any.
Ok so we’re a greedy race, but how does that make a difference to your marketing?
It’s the intimidation factor of choice
We like to schmooze with the concept of ‘more for less’, but when we get more, we actually gulp. We don’t know where to start.
What to do.
Where to go.
And this is why you need to roll out two distinct steps to make the intimidation of choice go away.
Step One: Load up the wagons
When you’re selling a product, don’t hold back. In your sales pitch, load up every single benefit and feature you can think of. Pull out every single bonus out of your bag. Stack the stuff high, if you know what I mean.
The customer will see what you’re offering. She’ll drool a bit. Her brain cells will go boppity-bop, and if the offer is just right, she’ll buy.
Which brings us to Step Two.
Step Two: Only show the customer the good stuff
Take step one. Strip out all the lah-dee-dah, and you have Step Two. In effect, in Step Two, you’re out to make darned sure the customer feels the least amount of intimidation possible. So your post-purchase note or instructions should stress only on the most important features.
Doesn’t make sense does it?
But look at you when you go to a buffet. Logically, ten thousand calories of over-eating shouldn’t make you happy. But your greed is a happy-chappie, and pulls you along to this smorgasbord of food. So you pay your pile of pesos, and in you go.
About five minutes later, you don’t know where to start.
Should you attack the lamb chops?
Should you savour the pasta?
Should you even bother with the salad?
Should you? Should you?
Should you?
Now imagine if there was a sign that said: Chef’s recommendations.
Hmmm, what a helpful sign that would be, huh?
It’s no different if you have a product or service
If you’re in consulting, the client wants the lamb chops on top of the pasta, with turkey and asparagus toppings of your service. Well, sell the darn thing to her. But once she’s in the system, only concentrate on two or three of the most important parts of your service.
The parts that helps the client see an instant growth in income, or customers or whatever.
It’s the same if you’re selling a product
Every product is bundled up with gizmos from here to the North Pole, but eventually what the client really wants to know, are the two or three most important things about your product.
Or in other words: The chef’s recommendations.
How does this work in real life?
Let’s see some examples shall we?
1) Car Mechanic: You offer the works. You do the works when you’re servicing the car, but only point out the main two-three things when the client comes up to pick the car.
2) Web Designer: You offer a web site that can do it all. Yet on completion, you show the client the most important features to get the web site up and running.
3) Subscription or Membership: You offer all the bloo-blah before sign up. Then show the new member only what’s important to move around the ‘club’.
So does that mean you get rid of all the fancy features and benefits?
No you don’t. If I’ve been promised the earth, I pretty much want the darned thing. You’re still delivering all you promised, plus the cherry on top. But to aid consumption of your product or service, you need to reduce the intimidation way down, by stressing only what’s important.
The biggest problem a business faces isn’t one of attraction
It’s one of consumption. Because as humans, we like small bites.
You and I are greedy you-know-whats when we’re in the purchase mode.
In fact, in most cases, we don’t even know what we’re buying. We’re just happy that it’s all bundled as part of our purchase. The scary part comes a little later, when we have to actually consume the darned thing.
That’s when you step in. And reduce the choice.
Yes, I bought because you were offering me more. But now that I’ve bought, make sure you show me less.
That way I can make my call on my Nokia without wondering about how to call the moon. 😉
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Hey Sean, this is interesting stuff — you make a good case.
Thinking of my own purchase behavior, I find I do respond well to long sales pages that list tons of stuff, even if I read just the first few items on a list. There is this comforting sense of wealth and variety in knowing you are getting so many goodies. Similar to a buffet.
But the important stuff at the top (main items) better catch my interest, or else I will leave.
I guess it’s kind of a “gravy” factor, in that we like having all the little extras thrown in but we still have to like the main course.
I also very much like your point about focusing on the most important features post-sale, to demonstrate the immediate benefit of the purchase.
Thanks for a good read.
“When you’re selling a product, don’t hold back. In your sales pitch, load up every single benefit and feature you can think of”
I’m not so sure about this. I find that prospects easily become overwhelmed by all the features, when what you really need to communicate is the top benefits that solves the prospects problems, right?
People want a product that will solve their problems, and they want it to be so easy to use that you don’t need to read the manual.
What I’m trying to say here is, that maybe it would be better to concentrate on the top benefits in your pitch, and then mention that the procuct also has all the whizz-bangs, if needed.
Thanks for a great site!
You’re welcome
Hi Jeff, that is a great expression – thanks for sharing.
However, I am confused when you say Filipinos are small eaters, as someone who is married to a Filipina and has attended many Filipino gatherings. I’ve never seen more food in my life then when I go to a Filipino party:)
In Filipino, we call this takaw-tingin. We want the whole chicken, but we eat in small bites. And really, we are small eaters.
Give them what they want. Show them what they need.
Sean, this is a really interesting concept and I’d love to see you develop it more and perhaps show some examples. I think Henrik has a good point that perhaps how all the goodies are presented could make a difference to how receptive the audience is. This also seems a little different from (or perhaps parallel to) your wonderful Brain Audit ideas, so I’d love to get a better sense of how they fit together. So I hope you do more with this idea. 🙂
Let me think it through and get back.