Prisoners up for parole have the highest likelihood of being released based on one surprising factor. It has nothing to do with the potential parolee’s ethnicity, behavior, length of sentence, or severity of crime. It has nothing to do with the prisoner at all and everything to do with the time of day they appear before the board. The phenomenon, explained in detail in this New York Times article shows that early in the day, people have an easier time making decisions, while later in the day, they delay them due to what’s known as decision fatigue. That means parolees with the earliest appointments are most likely to find their way to freedom.
Here’s the kicker savvy salespeople must recognize: information overload can make potential buyers tired. It can possibly delay their purchase. Yes, I understand why people send loads of information on new homes and options to potential buyers. It feels so helpful and supportive. But the truth is you’re just throwing a strand of spaghetti against the wall with each email and detail in the hopes that just the right listing will stick at just the right time. But the last thing your buyers want—the last thing any of us want—is. One. More. Email. Even one that potentially contains a picture of our dream home.
Salespeople should sell freedom, not homes. What buyers want more than anything else is a better life. Even buying a house (something that may start off as exciting) ends up as just another thing on their to do list. Customers may ask for certain things, but what they want more than any of the stuff they’re asking for, is just to be done with it. So instead of getting them more “to do” items and cluttering their inbox, always aim to clear their inbox and take stuff off of their plates. Take pressure off.
Salespeople should see themselves as advisers and therefore, remove items from buyers’ checklists. That means they learn every detail of what a buyer wants and personally present only the most appropriate homes. That way, buyers don’t feel burdened by work. They get overwhelmed by choices as homebuyers and often decide to stop looking because it just feels like too much and they have a lot of other stuff going on in their lives. Like the parole board who is tired and procrastinates because they don’t want to risk sending the wrong person back into society, buyers will procrastinate too.
Make it easy for buyers to buy. Apple has made it remarkably easy to spend loads of money at their stores. You can walk out with a $2,500 computer in under eight minutes. I know this because I’ve done it. On the other end of the spectrum, there’s Nordstrom Rack. I made it through the mountains of clothes and after spending way too long trying everything on, I even found a whole shopping cart I was ready to buy. But then the line. Dear God, the line. It was just so long and I couldn’t handle it. I was no longer willing to endure all the hoops they were making me go through to give them my money. I abandoned my overloaded cart and they lost what could have been a $2,000 sale. If they had taken a simple lesson from Apple or even Chick-Fil-A, they would’ve had 2-3 clerks with square readers walking down the line and checking everyone out in 10 minutes. They made it too hard for me. People work to make money so they can buy things to improve their lives. The last thing they want to do is work to spend money.
Details lead to decision fatigue and decision fatigue kills sales. Don’t give buyers another item on their to-do list or another email in their inbox. Instead, teach agents to take on the role of an adviser and take everything they possibly can off potential buyers’ plates. Make it easy, easy, easy for buyers to buy.
Jason Forrest: Culture coach tips.
