Barriers detract. But only at first. Because humans don’t like barriers. Not one itty-bit. And so when faced with a barrier, your customer is going to do her best to either get the hell out of there, or to cross that barrier.
But why would you want to make it difficult for the customer to buy?
Good question. And the answer lies in two parts.
1) Where would you make it easy for the customer to buy?
2) Where would you put up a barrier? And why?
You’d make it easy for your customer to buy, at the first stage. So when you get to our main website at http://www.psychotactics.com, you’ll notice that there’s not much of a barrier. You can read about 27 articles free. Then up comes the barrier. If you want to read more, you’ve got to then subscribe. That barrier extends into other products as well.
So if you buy the Brain Audit, there’s no barrier. But if you want to do the Website Strategy Course, or the Article Writing Course, then you’ve got a barrier. Actually more than one barrier. You’ve got to be an owner of the Brain Audit. You’ve got to fill in a form to be eligible to even see the sales page. You’ve got to then pay for the course, and then you run into another barrier–which is to answer a questionnaire.
That’s four barriers, back to back for one course.
What does that do for us? It qualifies the customers. And it makes sure that all the customers are on the same page (that they’ve all read the Brain Audit) and so we don’t waste the time of others on the course.
But what does it do for the customer?
It prepares the customer for what’s ahead both mentally, as well as in terms of content. And that’s very useful for the customer. Plus when you qualify for something, you’re more likely to consume.
And consumption is the most important factor of all.
It’s only when a customer consumes one meal that they get the benefit. And it’s only when they get the benefit of that meal, do they come back for the next, and the next. This factor of consumption, is what works both for the seller as well as the customer. Both win.
And barriers help make that process more powerful.
If someone were to come to your business today, would you let them enter? Or would you put up a barrier?
4 responses so far ↓
1 Kris // Mar 10, 2009 at 2:48 am
I understand the need for barriers. The next bit of the equation makes me hesitate, though: price points. The economy right now is causing resistance at more levels. How are you getting around the inevitable resistance to spend, regardless of how much the customer needs the help, and KNOWS s/he needs the help? S/he just “can’t” pony up. They choose, and the result is less business for me AND less business for them, so it ends up being lose/lose instead of win/win. I suppose it needs a re-do of the attraction factor, but I haven’t figured that part out yet.
2 Sean D'Souza // Mar 10, 2009 at 10:32 am
You can’t do “exactly” the same activities in a storm as you can on a sunny day. Sunny days allow for more activity, and sunnier times allow for more business.
But humans have always wanted that which they can’t have. So the harder it is to get something—recession or no recession—they’ll work twice as hard to get it. There’s still going to be a drop of sorts (depending on the value of your product), but there will definitely be higher interest and conversion than if you simply offered the product/service as is.
3 Kris // Mar 10, 2009 at 11:09 am
Makes sense, Sean. I like the “storm/sunny day” metaphor. The psychological realities behind humans wanting what they can’t have will always be the basis of the how much resistance you factor in. Thanks for the feedback and the article.
4 Sean D'Souza // Mar 10, 2009 at 11:50 am
Yes, and on average…and even in times like these, it may work in your favour to create barriers.
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