What risk must you take off the table so they’ll consider making a change?

 By MARK RIFFEY for the Flathead Beacon

New technology is full of emotional change. Everyone finds their own pace when it comes to accepting the changes that come when adopting new technology. With brand new technology, the differences in adoption rates widen even more. Some folks won’t touch new technology. Other people prefer to wait a little while and let someone else take the punches that “first implementers” must often withstand. There are those who consider how the new tech can help them, and if it can, they’ll dive in wholeheartedly. Finally, some chase the Bright Shiny Object (BSO) – no, not the eclipse. The BSO distracts them just like a randomly reflected spear of piercing sunlight off a car windshield grabs your attention while driving.

This isn’t limited to technology

Segmenting the speed of accepting change isn’t new. A series of books by Geoffrey Moore, starting with “ Crossing the Chasm “, examined this in detail. However, the phenomena isn’t limited to technology. Anything in our lives that introduces change tends to fit into these segments of how much (and how early) we’re willing to dive in. We’re creatures of habit, even in how we change. Our hesitancy or comfort to try new things impacts every purchase – including the uptake of anything new or different. Some of us love change. Some hate it. Most are somewhere in the middle. Many occupying the “fat part of the (Bell) curve” need a reason to change. Maybe not a big reason, but a reason all the same.

Ever tried to get a young child to try a new food? If so, you probably didn’t give them an adult-sized serving the first time you had them try it. As with the kid and that broccoli they (at first?) loved to hate, it’s often best to ease people into a new thing. Sometimes, you have to offer them something they crave (like ice cream for dessert) if they’re brave enough to choke down their broccoli.

It’s no different with adults. Try to convince a pickup driver to change from Ford to Chevy or Dodge. Ask a golfer to change clubs. Ask a frequent flier to change airlines. In each case, you’ll probably face substantial resistance.

How is that different from you wanting them to switch to your restaurant, hardware store, dinner menu, or IT company from the one they’re comfortable with?

IT ISN’T.

Risk reversal reduces friction

If you need someone to make a change in order for your venture (or career) to succeed – you need to figure out where the friction comes from. Whether you’re trying to work with the pickup driver, golfer, or frequent flier, what creates the resistance that keeps them from considering a change? Risk is a common source.

When we wanted people to change to our software years ago, almost everyone had a 30 day money-back guarantee. A few had a 60 day one. We changed ours from 30 to a full year. The difference in refunds is trivial between 30, 60 and 365 days. The perception of who takes the risk, however, changes completely.

I was on several car lots over the weekend. Of maybe eight different dealers, I met one salesperson who was hustling. He clearly understood that the goal was to get a new customer, not simply to sell a car. Almost anyone can sell a car (or whatever you and I sell), a real salesperson is looking to create customers for life.

Anyhow, this guy offered to send a car home with me for a few days to make sure it fits. Sure, I know how this works. It’s like a test drive on steroids. If they get you to test drive it, they know how much more likely it is that you’ll buy (trust me, there’s lots of data). “ Take the car for a few days and see how it fits ” is the next step up from a test drive. Even so, it’s a proven risk reversal strategy. We know we’re likely to miss something on a test drive. When our neighbors see the car, when we see that it fits in the garage, & when the rest of the family reacts – it’ll be tougher to return it.

Your challenge: Determine what’s necessary to reduce resistance to the point that your prospects will consider making a change. What risk(s) must you take off the table? “Change” in this case means make a sale and get a new client.

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Want to learn more about Mark or ask him to write about a strategic, operations or marketing problem? See  Mark’s site , contact him on  LinkedIn  or  Twitter , or email him at  mriffey@flatheadbeacon.com .