Giving man the choice...

Any successful salesman knows that a prospective client must have the opportunity of choice in order for the salesmen to properly close a quick sale.

Let me explain...

By creating the option of choice, a prospective customer feels that he or she is actually making an educated decision based on mental calculations. The customer pushes aside any possible inkling of doubt and happily welcomes the prospect of buying a product that they don't actually need.

This false sense of choice is given to customers on a per minute basis. Choice has become such a lucrative business tactic that every possible product is now offered in different sizes, colors, shapes, and smells. When someone goes to the bathroom in Israel, they actually have the choice of the "big flush" or the "small flush". I personally find myself purchasing medium sized spice containers to be used for a recipe that I make approximately once every 20 years. Even as I am walking out of the store I am reassuring myself that the small was too small, and the large was simply too large. All the while this particular spice company has made another shekel on my purchase.

I recently added this common sales tactic into the everyday operation of one of my call center projects. Ever since the project was outsourced to IOC Israel we have been charging all sorts of different fees in order to "mask" the fact that the diverse programs we are offering are super expensive. Even though the program is VERY much worth it, the price alone deters the majority of possible customers. After months of sales I decided to implement the option of choice to our prospective clients. I now offer customers a "cheaper" program that in actuality is significantly cheaper than our original price. ( I make less should someone take this option) along the same plot line, I also added two other purchasing options. One that was even more ludicrously expensive, and the other that was just slightly more expensive than our original asking price.

Interestingly enough, having the option of paying less ( in order to convince people to pay more) worked! Not even one customer has taken the cheaper plan. Majority of our customers now take the middle plan which is just slightly more expensive and therefore more profitable for my office. There are even customers who boast, "Money is no object to me, give me the best and the most expensive". I happily do!

On your next trip to the store, be eccentric. Ask for the smallest sized shampoo. Smile to yourself knowing that no one can trick you into doing anything you don't want to do...

Toddler beds etc…

I understand the market strategy to sell children’s versions of adult necessities. In an effort to create lucrative markets, businesses billionaires have convinced us that our children need miniature versions of adult products.

My son has a mini stroller for his teddy bear Ahris. He has little shoes just like the Steve maddens I had in 12th grade ( His were actually more expensive!) he wears the same Fox sweater that I have ( I am a size X X large – but more on that in a different post) and now, my eldest son Donniel’s newest advancement the “toddler bed”

It all started earlier this week when my son decided that he did not want to go to sleep. He jumped out of his crib, opened his door, walked down the stairs, and surprised Etana ( my wonderful wife) and myself in the kitchen with a HUGE smile. We sang him Shema and put him back in the crib. After a few minutes of calm and quiet he climbed out again. He was not going to sleep.

What did parents do before the Sealy mattress? Did Toddlers have smaller tents in which they slept on shorter bails of hay? What did parents spend all their money on if not miniature versions of things that even the parents don’t really need.

Well, I caved. We searched online but the price of a toddler bed was more expensive than an adult bed ( no surprise there). Luckily my in-laws know someone who had triplets and therefore have they have 3 toddler beds gathering dust in the house, With my Father in Laws help we received the bed two days ago. He still won’t sleep on it, but at least now I can sleep at night knowing that I have fulfilled my job as a parent and gotten my eldest son a miniature version of my bed.