Many great salespeople will say that too many choices destroy the chance of closing a sale. I have worked with companies before who distribute similar products from different suppliers, which might seem like it gives more chance of providing the customer with exactly the right solution. In reality, they spend far too much of their marketing resources explaining the differences and giving the customer another decision to make.
The ‘choice overload’ phenomenon is well documented. It’s also been called ‘analysis paralysis’. Academic research has been shown that reduced choice leads to more chance of a choice being made, and better satisfaction with the outcome. It’s easy to work out why: customers are less likely to end up wondering if they made the right choice.
One of the main aims of marketing should be to get people to the buying point as quickly as possible. Too much choice can get in the way. If we have separate products or services which overlap, it’s important to choose between them on the customer’s behalf as early as possible.