Customer Options

Make the right thing easy and the wrong thing hard.  And how to always say yes.

The first time I heard this statement it came from one of my favorite horse trainers, Richard Winters. Richard is a cool, level headed, and humble horse trainer from California. He follows this basic principle to teach a horse what he wants. No beatings, no pain. He just makes the right thing easy to do and the wrong thing uncomfortable and not desirable. The horse makes its own decision and learns what his owner is asking.

I have been thinking about how this idea applies to so many more things than training horses. Richard said he used the same philosophy raising his kids and he thinks they turned out just fine.

It dawned on me that it is really the same principle I use when I am trying to direct a customer down the path I want them to take. I do this by making the options I don’t really want to offer cost more money and take more time.

I also believe it is a good business practice to always say yes. Now before you panic, remember that with the yes accompanies certain conditions.

Let me use a sales example.

I use projection to sell my images instead of proofing. I wouldn’t do it any other way. But if a client were to say, “Can I get proofs?” I answer, “Yes. Proofs are $25 each, they are not retouched and it will take about two weeks. With my projection viewing system you can see your images tomorrow.” What do you think they usually choose then?

First, I was able to answer their question with a yes instead of saying no, no one really likes to hear no. Second, I was able to make the way I wanted them to go, projection, easy. And the way I did not want them to go harder and less desirable by making it more expensive and take a lot longer.

This can thought process can be applied to many situations and help solve some frustrations you may be having in many other areas of your business as well.