Simplify

sim·pli·fy
ˈsimpləˌfī/
verb

  1. make (something) simpler or easier to do or understand. "an overhaul of court procedure to simplify litigation”
  2.  synonyms: make simple/simpler, make easy/easier to understand, make plainer, clarify, make more comprehensible/intelligible

There is a classic study related to making choices among jams.  The famous “jam study,” conducted by Sheena Iyengar from the Columbia Business School, set up a table in a store offering samples of 6 different jams.  The first week:

  • 40% of the people who walked by stopped to sample one of the six jams offered
  • 33% of those purchased a jam
  • 13% of the total number of people who passed by, purchased

A few weeks later, in the same store, during the same timeframe, the researchers came back and offered samples of 24 different jams:

  • 60% of the people who walked by stopped to sample one of the twenty-four jams offered
  • But only 5% of those purchased a jam
  • Only 3% of the total number of people who passed by, purchased

By just simplifying the set to sample from, people purchased at a rate 4-5 times higher than with the multitude of options.  

Does that surprise you?

At a recent Donald Miller marketing course I attended, he talked about how the human brain is constantly seeking simplicity.  The more information you try to communicate in a product offering or message, the more confusing it is to the listener.  If our brains have to think too hard to sort through the multitude of ideas or what we’re seeing isn’t very easy to understand, we essentially move on to the next thing.

Think of the potential purchasers of your products and services sitting there with a remote control in their hand.  They are having to sift through an ocean of websites, commercials, print ads, or even personal recommendations and online reviews.  The remote control of our brain is clicking through channels and eventually lands on the thing that is most simple or easily understood.

Less truly is…more.

We coach dozens of different businesses and leaders in dozens of different ways, but essentially we are walking every one of them down the exact same roadmap.  We start some at different places in the roadmap and some move faster than others, but after reading dozens of books, attending lots of conferences, and mining the best tools from our multitude of collective coaching certifications, we’ve arrived at a defined path for businesses and their leaders that…

…takes them on the journey from where they are to where they want to be.

And if you broke everything we do down into the most minute detail, there are many steps on that journey, but it can be summed up in three basic ones:

  • Build a Team
  • Define a Future
  • Create a Plan to Get There

It really is that simple.

  • What do you do?  Can you describe it in a few words?
  • Do your team members, your website, or your other marketing avenues communicate it that clearly?  That simply?
  • Are you aware that many possible customers or potential hires might be passing you by if you are unable to simplify and communicate your offering?