Regret Induced Status Quo Bias

Here’s essential ammo for the solution seller I caught driving around listening to BBC Radio 4’s The Human Zoo.

People are more inclined to avoid change because they dread facing any regret that they feel will inevitably follow said change.

Better the devil you know seemingly trumps the grass possibly being greener.

I did consider how worthy it would be to help expose the ‘regret’ thoughts of switching from the status quo and sculpt a plan accordingly.

Yet the boffins’ advice was clear. Trying to move someone from a standing point status quo is nigh on impossible.

So the trick, it seems, is to position the status quo as ‘your’ place they are already at, and that you can help make happen.

In other words, when we’re selling a change – and of course almost all solution selling does so – best to show the status quo as already accepting of that change.

It reminded me a bit of good old Newtonian physics. It’s way harder to move a stationary object than to keep moving one already in motion.

So, why not have a little peak into your forecast. Where are you helping someone along, and where are you trying to shove someone into action? Sounds like the former will be simpler than the latter…