Get Rid of the Options

Apple is a global technology company known for its sleek, user-friendly designs. Their products include iPhones, Mac computers, iPads, and Apple Watches. A focus on simplicity and innovation has made them one of the most influential companies,. Apple is one of the biggest companies in the world. For the biggest company, they have very few products. They streamlined their operation to sell as few items as possible. Sure, they have iPhones, iMacs, iPads,  Apple Watches, and earbuds. I am simplifying for example purposes. But they know the Pareto principle. It’s the one that states 20% of the products account for 80% of the revenue. That simple list of items accounts for $297B in sales. They have fewer products; thus, the customer has to make fewer decisions. Fewer decisions equal more dollars.

Costco is a membership-based warehouse retailer. They offer a wide range of bulk products at competitive prices. They sell everything from groceries to electronics. Part of their strategy is to offer limited product choices. By doing so it leads to quick consumer decisions and high sales volume. Costco has it down to a science. They make $460,000 in sales every minute. How? By keeping decisions simple. If you’re buying peanut butter, you’ll find only 1 or 2 options. Same with olive oil and dog food. Fewer choices equals quicker decisions. The quicker the decision the faster they will sell. The limited nature of the offering trains consumers to buy it when they see it. As they might not see it again. When consumers go into a Costco, they are going to be buyers, not shoppers. Costco makes it easy for you to spend way more than you intended to, that day or any day. And yes, I speak from experience.

On the West Coast of the United States, popular fast-food company, In-N-Out Burger always has a line. Their appeal is the simplistic menu. There are limited choices, so it is easy to order. In-N-Out Burger operates 403 locations across the United States. The majority of these locations are in California, which has 276 stores. That is about 68% of the total. Besides California, they are also in Texas, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Oregon, and Idaho​. In-N-Out Burger is known for that simple menu. Order a Hamburger, Cheeseburger or Double-Double, plus French fries and a fountain drink. These simple choices have boosted In-N-Out Burger's annual revenue to $4.8 billion.

Apple does it. So does Costco. And In-N-Out Burger, too. They cut down the number of options. Why? Less choice means faster decisions. And that leads to more sales. It makes it easier for you to spend money. In contrast, companies that offer too many choices can leave customers feeling overwhelmed. These companies appear more like a watch vendor on Canal Street in New York City. When there are fewer options, decisions are easier. Businesses can make more money.

Imagine walking into a grocery store to buy a jar of peanut butter. You expect to see a few options. But instead, you’re faced with an entire aisle filled with 20 different kinds of peanut butter. Some are creamy, some crunchy, and others have added honey or chocolate. Suddenly, a simple task becomes stressful. You might spend so much time thinking about the choices that you end up walking out without buying anything at all. This situation happens to many people in their daily lives. When there are too many choices, it becomes hard to make a decision.

This idea is known as the "paradox of choice." The paradox suggests that having too many options can lead to anxiety, confusion, and indecision. Rather than the intended happiness and satisfaction. As a result, people may avoid making any decisions at all. Barry Schwartz is a psychologist and professor. He is known for his book The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less. This book explores how having too many choices can lead to anxiety. This anxiety leads to decision paralysis. His research challenges the idea that more options always lead to greater satisfaction. Instead, he argues that excessive choice can overwhelm people. Schwartz’s work has influenced fields like psychology, marketing, and consumer behavior. He frequently discusses these ideas in his TED Talks. He said, "With so many options to choose from, people find it difficult to choose at all." Schwartz believes that more choices don’t always lead to better decisions. Instead, they can overwhelm people and make them feel stuck.

When people have to choose between two or three things, it’s usually easy to make a decision. But as the number of choices grows, it becomes harder to compare all the options. Trying to weigh the pros and cons of every choice takes a lot of time and energy. According to research, our brains can only handle a certain amount of information at once. When we are bombarded with too much information, our brains can’t process it all. It creates that feeling of being overwhelmed.

Henry Ford was the founder of the Ford Motor Company. During his time at the helm, he said, "Any customer can have a car painted any color that he wants, so long as it is black." Ford knew that offering fewer choices would make it easier for customers to decide. This would make purchases faster. By limiting options, Ford helped reduce customer confusion. He made the buying process simple. Later, the success of the Ford Motor Company would lead to many executives over-complicating what was so simple. Cars began coming in too many colors. It was supposed to speed up the sales process. Instead, it made it more difficult.

Another reason too many choices can lead to indecision is the fear of making the wrong choice. When people have a lot of options, they start to worry about missing out on something better. This is the "FOMO," or the fear of missing out. People may ask themselves, "What if I choose this, but something else is better?" This fear of regret often causes them to avoid making any decision at all.

Daniel Kahneman is a Nobel Prize-winning psychologist. He is known for his pioneering work in behavioral economics and decision-making. He developed prospect theory. This explains how people assess risk and make choices under uncertainty. His research revealed that humans rely on cognitive biases and heuristics. This can lead to judgment errors. Kahneman's influential book, Thinking, Fast and Slow, explores the two systems of thought. One is fast, intuitive thinking (System 1). And the second is slow, deliberate thinking (System 2). He said, "Nothing in life is as important as you think it is while you are thinking about it." This suggests that people often overthink their choices. It makes them seem more important than they are. When faced with many options, people worry that their decisions will have a big impact on their lives. And this makes them hesitate.

Besides fear of regret, having too many options can cause stress. Studies have shown that when people are faced with too many choices, they feel more pressure. That pressure is to make the "perfect" decision. But in reality, it’s almost impossible to make a perfect choice. It is this pressure that leads to stress. It makes it even harder to decide. One study by psychologists Sheena Iyengar and Mark Lepper is often used to explain the effects of too many choices. They set up a table in a supermarket with different types of jam. One day, they offered customers six different types of jam. On another day, they offered 24 different types. Interestingly, more people stopped to look at the jams when there were 24 options. But fewer people bought any. When there were only six choices, more customers made a purchase. This study shows that having too many options can overwhelm people. It makes them less likely to decide.

Soren Kierkegaard was a 19th-century Danish philosopher. He is often regarded as the father of existentialism. He explored themes like faith, anxiety, individuality, and the struggle for authentic living. His works, such as Fear and Trembling and Either/Or, emphasize personal choice. And with personal choice comes tension. The adversaries are faith and reason. Kierkegaard’s ideas have influenced existentialist thought. He affected philosophers like Jean-Paul Sartre and Martin Heidegger. He once said, "Anxiety is the dizziness of freedom." Kierkegaard suggests that having more freedom to choose can create anxiety. Many worry about making the wrong choice. The more choices we have, the more anxious we feel. It is easier to do nothing or wait for someone else to pave the way. As sellers, we should be mindful not to overcomplicate the simple. Lay out a path to success with a clear road map to get there.

Too many choices can also lead to perfectionism. People believe that there is a "perfect" option out there, and they feel pressured to find it. Yet, searching for perfection can be exhausting. And it often leads to disappointment. When people are focused on finding the perfect choice, they may end up unhappy with whatever they choose. They will always wonder if something better is available.

William James was an American philosopher and psychologist. He is often referred to as the father of American psychology. He was a key figure in the development of both psychology and the philosophy of pragmatism. It emphasizes the practical consequences of beliefs and ideas. His most influential works include The Principles of Psychology and The Varieties of Religious Experience. James's ideas on free will, consciousness, and the human experience have had a lasting impact. He wrote: "The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook." Sometimes, it’s better to accept that not every decision has to be perfect. Instead of focusing on finding the perfect choice, it can be helpful to narrow down the options. Once narrowed, choose the one that feels good enough.

So, what can people do when faced with too many choices? One solution is to limit the number of options they consider. And we can help them do that. When crafting your offer, don’t give your customers 17 choices. Give them two. Here is the best  way to solve the problem, and here is the second-best way. Do you want A or B? There are two choices. You have become Costco or In-N-Out Burger. A simple menu leads to a simple and timely decision. You can make this path more straightforward when you draw the road map between the problem and your solution. This will give your prospect a clear goal when making the decision. It might sound like this. “As you can see, Mr. or Mrs. Advertiser, we identified lack of foot traffic as the number one problem. By investing in a long-term strategy of telling people who you are, what you do well, and how to do business with you, you will begin influencing the market for recliners on day one. By day 365, you will have created xxx impressions and raised the awareness level of your business by 85%. Doesn’t that seem like a plan we can all get behind? Let’s start on Tuesday.”

Even after that impassioned delivery, you may have resistance. Some are looking for that perfect decision. Remember that no decision is ever perfect. As the writer and philosopher Voltaire once said, "Perfect is the enemy of good." Remind your customers that you are their advisor. One of your jobs is to track the progress of your customer’s campaigns and make adjustments as needed. They can relax. And not worry about making the wrong decision because you are there to guide them. Perhaps, they had been burned by a competitor in a previous life. Hold their hand through the process and after. Let them know you will watch and advise as necessary. All to ensure their campaign performs as discussed. If adjustments need to be made you will be there to make that happen. For your customers, trying to make perfect decisions can prevent them from making any decision. Take that fear off the table.

Having too many choices can lead to indecision, anxiety, and regret. While it may seem like more options would give people the freedom to make better decisions, the opposite is true. In selling, the more options we bring to the table the less likely we are to get a clean decision. The more choices people have, the harder it becomes to decide. Too many options can feel overwhelming. If we can limit the choices to a few and cull the possibilities for our customers, they can make simple choices. It can move stalled discussions forward. Make it easy for your customers to do business with you. Reduce the stress of decision-making. Reinforce the good choice they do make when they arrive at one of your two options. Help them feel confident about completing the journey and making a timely selection. It starts with getting rid of too many options.

My new book 21^st Century Sales Success is now available on Amazon. If you like what you have read, please consider ordering a copy or two. You can always send one to a friend. Order your copy here: https://bit.ly/21stCenturySalesPB