Is Selling Authority Like Selling Jam?

You’ve most likely heard about the jam experiment, circa 2000. The upshot: 30% of shoppers presented with “limited” choice (six)—bought, while only 3% of those offered “extensive” choice (24)—made purchases.

Many consultants have used that rationale—that too many choices means fewer sales—to keep their product and service ladders pared down.

And I confess, I’ve always leaned toward a few well-crafted options, especially for soloists.

But what if offering more choice could actually increase your sales?

I’m fascinated with Jason Collins’ take on this which boils down to choice expansion doesn’t necessarily lead to buyer overload. Sometimes MORE choice will actually increase sales.

What’s an authority builder to do?

Experiment.

The beauty part is you don’t necessarily have to spend time and money developing more products and services—it might be as simple as adding a free knowledge piece that starts your ideal audience thinking about their need for your brand of transformation.

Or taking the same ideas that got traction when you blogged about them and translating them into multiple other formats your audience can digest (long-form article, podcast episode, video interview, live stream).

Think of it from your ideal audience’s point of view: what are the authority elements (free to paid) that will keep them engaged on their journey to the transformation you bring?

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