How removing the hassle factor can dramatically improve take-up
Even when you’re selling an innovative, low carbon product, sourcing new leads and converting them into sales can feel tough.
At the Sustainable Results Lab, we use research from the behavioural sciences to inform how we approach this challenge.
This experiment by the UK Government’s Behavioural Insights Team has some useful insights.
Behavioural research: how to increase take-up
It shows how removing the hassle for customers can dramatically improve take-up.
The environment department was grappling with a dilemma. How do you encourage more people to insulate their attics?
Professor David Halpern, the psychologist who heads the Cabinet Office’s Behavioural Insights Team, had a theory.
In Inside the Nudge Unit: how small changes can make a big difference, he writes:
The problem was less about money and more about hassle. Specifically, people couldn’t bear the thought of having to clear out the contents of their lofts.
To test this theory, the unit ran a leaflet trial in London promoting different services:
- The cheap option: low-cost home insulation
- The expensive option: low-cost home insulation combined with a loft clearance service
Take-up of the most expensive option was three times higher, despite an extra cost of several hundred pounds.
By thinking through the barriers to sale, and understanding human motivations, the team had shown they could triple take up.
What are your barriers to sale?
While you might not sell an energy efficiency product, the learning is useful.
What are the barriers to sale for your customers? What can you do to remove the hassle for them?
It might only be something small, but the research shows that if you can get this right, you can sell more and charge more, enabling your business to make more of a difference.
More science-based insights
How making it easy for customers can more than double engagement
The most common mistakes environmental businesses make
Picture credit: photo by Photo by Nacho Capelo on Unsplash
