3 sales insights
TO take your sales tactics
to the next level

When we are in a new situation and don't know what to expect, we often look around for context that helps us to figure out how to act. That's when the anchoring effect comes into play!

The anchoring effect means that people tend to attach more weight to the first piece of information they get than to anything that follows. Initial information works as an anchor and influences us when considering a decision: we assign value to the second option relative to the first information we got. It influences many of our decision-making processes and how we interpret and see things around us.

So how is this useful for your sales?

Many of our decisions are driven by goals, what we want to achieve and where we see ourselves later in life. This goal-oriented mindset doesn't only influence big life decisions, but also basic consumer behaviour.

People are more motivated by how much is left to reach their target rather than how far they have come. Even the illusion of progress towards a reward can be motivational and an incentive for your prospect to buy.

Customers with a coffee card to collect stamps for a free coffee change their behaviour the closer they come to fill the card. Researchers observed that as the customers get more stamps, the frequency of their purchases goes up by 16% in order to reach their goal of collecting all stamps and getting a free coffee.

Coffee can help you connect to people and win someone's trust.

“That sounds weird, how is that supposed to work?" you might think, but it truly can help you to make your prospect feel comfortable around you and perceive you as more trustworthy.

If someone gives you a cup of icy cold water to hold, then introduces you to a stranger, you'll treat this newcomer with suspicion and rate them as colder and more distant on personality scales. But if they give you a cup of hot coffee and make the same introduction, trust comes more easily.

The act of feeling physical warmth is enough to trigger cognitive changes: you literally warm up to people, no thinking required. Our body signals our brain that the environment is comfortable, you can relax and be open. Your will automatically feel more trusting towards others.

So next time you see your prospects, meet and greet them with a hot drink!