Amazon Prime and Punishment –
The Sales Lead Digest Vol 3

The week’s best lead generation links are here for you. This week we talk about Amazon’s dungeon, why it’s hard for people to make decisions, how stereo was sold when everyone was happy with mono, and a little research on how familiarity and impressions work together. The lesson is that humans are complex decision making creatures.

Prime And Punishment – Dirty Dealing In The $175 Billion Amazon Marketplace

“Kevin Harmon, who sells books and DVDs from his warehouse in Charlotte, North Carolina, calls his suspension last July “the worst month of his life.” His account was suspended and the $20,000 in it frozen over a damaged Lilo & Stitch DVD and nine other items. After laying off employees and starting to liquidate his inventory, he railed against the company on Facebook. “Amazon is a clear monopoly that is somehow being allowed to destroy industry after industry,” he wrote. ‘They don’t crush you when you’re small. They wait until you’ve got employees and lease obligations and business loans and warehouses full of product, and THEN they reveal that they don’t need you anymore.'” The benefit of building on rented land is it’s cheap and easy to get going. I mean, what’s the worst that can happen? READ MORE

The Best Doesn’t Exist. A Psychologist Explains Why We Can’t Stop Searching

“I think people hate the idea that they will make a commitment and then be sorry they made it, even it’s a trivial commitment. You know you eat 20 meals a week, so if you go to a bad restaurant, what’s the big deal? You get to make up for it four hours later. Except people don’t seem to act that way.” Logically we know that not every decision can change the course of history, but in the moment our prospects rarely have perspective. READ MORE

How Stereo Was First Sold To A Skeptical Public

“A key challenge for selling stereo was consumers’ satisfaction with the mono music systems they already owned. After all, adopting stereo meant you needed to buy a new record player, speakers and a stereo amplifier.
Something was needed to show people that this new technology was worth the investment. The ‘stereo demonstration’ was born – a mix of videos, print ads and records designed to showcase the new technology and its vibrant sound.” The power of teaching, the piggybacking on news of the day, and use of visuals as aids has been with us for a long time. Don’t stop.  READ MORE

What Are You Looking At? How Attention Affects Decision Making

“Scientists using eye-tracking technology have found that what we look at helps guide our decisions when faced with two visible choices, such as snack food options.
But it is not as easy as saying we simply choose what we look at the most, the research found. Instead, our gaze amplifies our desire for choices we already like.” We use the Rule of 30 for impressions, but it’s not a magic bullet. If your buyer doesn’t like it, more impressions don’t do much for you.   READ MORE