How Clients Make Decisions

At first glance, everything is logical and straightforward. But can we use this knowledge to get the best customers, be more beneficial for them, and build a sustainable business?

I want to share five thoughts on the psychology of decisions.

The magic of the middle segment

You may have already read about it on the net: the bar has an expensive “A” beer and a cheaper “B” beer. Basically, they buy expensive “A” because “B” is wrong. If you add even cheaper beer “C” to this couple, beer “B” becomes the most popular. The beer doesn’t change—his perception changes.

Conclusion: The middle-price segment goods are perceived as high-quality goods without overpayments. Cheap goods – low quality. Expensive goods – high quality with an overpayment for the brand.

It must be understood that this perception is not related to the objective characteristics of the product. And that it works in its purest form only where the buyer still needs to learn about the product. You can deceive the buyer with an average price only once.

Decisions and choices

An experiment was conducted at Columbia University: two stands were placed in supermarkets for tasting jam. On one shelf, they put six varieties, and on the second – 30. Jam tasted about the same. But 30% of people bought from a rack with six types, and only 3% from a stand with thirty.

Conclusion: too much choice causes a lot of doubt and reduces the ability to choose. We need an option, but within reasonable limits.

Decision fatigue

The term was coined by Dr. Roy Baumeister of the University of Florida. The idea is that when we make decisions, we use up a finite supply of mental energy, which is responsible for self-control and judgment. When the supply runs out, our brain begins to resist decisions and look for workarounds – act up and behave like a child.

In this state, our “ego”, that is, the will and mind, become vulnerable and susceptible. To regain mental clarity, you need to give your mind a rest.

Conclusion: if you force the buyer to make many decisions in a row, after some time, he will lose his sharpness of perception, become less critical, and be more susceptible to pressure.

Victory of psychology over alcoholism

British marketers from the company “Brainjuser” attended to the problem of alcoholism. Their question is: Can circumstances affect the choice of drinks at the bar? Among the conditions of the task is not to touch the price. They made 5 conclusions at once:

If you cut your drinks in half, you’ll have to go to the bar twice as often. Too lazy to walk.

If only cash is accepted in bars, young alcoholics will see their savings dwindle before their eyes. It’s sobering.

If you make an additional cash desk for soft drinks in bars, their share will increase, and the share of alcohol will decrease.

If the table is served by a waiter, a natural rhythm of drinking is created. And, conversely, if the service comes from the bar, according to British tradition, one person each time brings everyone a drink. So they drink more and more.

If the bars have a place to put a glass, they drink more slowly. If loud music makes it difficult for people to speak, they drink more and faster.

The golden key to decision making

I believe that there is only one way to correctly influence your client’s decision: to understand what he wants, and clearly explain how you can help him. Give him convenient ordering tools and let him decide whether to choose you or not.

The basis for this is simple: you can manipulate the client’s decision in any way, but as soon as he realizes that he was deceived – at least a little, at least a little – he will not forgive you and will not return. It is better to gather around you customers who are useful to you than to bother those who do not need you.

Everyone writes about this in different words, and, frankly, I am glad that a lot is being written about this now. This is a correct, durable principle.

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