In our workshops, we always take some time to talk about K.I.S.S. . . .”Keep It Simple Stupid.” We emphasize this because many salespeople are extroverts, and gregarious, and they love to fill up their presentations with all sorts of features, benefits and choices. Unfortunately, according to a study done by psychologists Tversky and Shafir, too many choices can actually paralyze the buyer, who may wind up picking none of them. The reason this occurs is that the salesperson may inadvertently be adding “uncertainty” into the analysis.
According to researchers, unless the choices are fairly black and white, and clearly prioritized, the buyer can begin to feel anxiety about having to make a tough decision. And if that decision is exacerbated by extra options and still more choices, he/she may back away completely and default to the status quo (buying nothing). One of our jobs as salespeople, therefore, is to gently guide the buyer toward the most rational choice by helping him prioritize his needs and boiling the decision down to one choice. So, for example, if your prospect is looking at houses, do not let him leave a tour reeling from all the choices. Help him eliminate the homes that may have some nice features, but clearly do not address his top priorities, so he leaves the meeting with two homes in mind and, hopefully, one favorite.
And remember not to add to the confusion by talking too much and loading up the prospect’s mind with too much information. Remember . . . “the more we say, the less they hear.”
–
To share or contribute, see below . . .
