Partner Article

What is the optimum number of choices to give your customers?

I am often surprised at how many salespeople don’t know the answer to this very important question. In a moment you will have the ability to unleash this process on all of your future business proposals

Ultimatum

No one likes to be told, “this is all you can have and to hurry up or else.” That is the suggestion that you give to your prospective client when you give them only one choice.

Ultimatum is Latin for the ‘last one’ and is typically used in diplomatic negotiations when one side has to comply, or risk sanctions. It can be used very badly in management and parenting too, where the threat of ‘no mobile phone for a week’ or similar, (please insert your own) fails to be carried out, which leads to more of what you didn’t want.

Dilemma

Although you want your prospect to decide in your favour, you don’t want to put them off by giving them only two choices. This or that can often leave you with the feeling of being trapped with no choice at all, because inside your mind both options appear similar. If your client is in a dilemma over choosing you then they are likely to vote elsewhere.

Choice

It’s as simple as 1…2….3… If you give your potential customers three choices then you are cooking on gas! Three options mean that you can have this, that or the other, exactly what the mind wants. Too little, too much and just right.

Too much choice

Too many options will cause an overload. Have you ever tried to buy a coffee in certain coffee chains; I only want a cup of coffee! Too many choices can cause a brain to melt down, so stay clear and aim for three.

If in doubt, remember Goldilocks and the three bears

If you want to know more about why understanding the mind can drive your sales and negotiations, then contact me now, before your competitors do.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Matt Hudson .