I think I’ve always been annoyed with how often people quoted the K.I.S.S. principle, coined by an aircraft engineer almost 90 years ago.
In theory, it’s a good thing to have in mind when writing, pricing, or changing the way you engage with clients (presentations, web, offers, contracts, bills). In practice, however, making your offer sound “simple” to other people is anything but simple.
As always, this is marketing, not engineering, so there are no rules. There are guidelines though, and “six simplicity factors” are a good example of this. According to BJ Fogg, in order for a service to seem “simple” to a client, it needs to be explained in a way that clearly limits as many factors from this list as possible:
– Time spent
– Money spent
– Physical effort
– Mental effort
– Social deviance (weird behavior)
– Non-routine (changing routine behavior)_
Even if the motivation and budget are there, and even if they went through a trigger event, they may still lack the confidence that they are able to go through with it.
For example, a business coach who shifts from in-person sessions to a series of self-paced, online video modules model with optional calls is going to make her offer much more accommodating to audiences with irregular schedules.
Try it: Redraft your “pitch” to consciously reduce the perceived time, routine change, and mental effort required. K.I.S.S. guaranteed!