Welcome to the Gigging For Gold podcast. In today’s episode titled ‘Press For Champagne’, we will explore the psychology, neuroscience, and art of creating a brand that’s so easy to buy from, it’s practically effortless.

Whether you’re a startup founder or a seasoned marketer, I’ve got tips and tricks to help you reduce friction and build a brand that your customers will love. So sit back, pop some champagne, and get ready to learn how to make your brand a smooth operator.

Hello and welcome to the show. I always try and take ‘common sense’ subjects and give them interesting titles. Click Bati – no, Better learning – yes. Today we are discussing the topic of ways to create a more simple customer journey – but shaking it up and spraying you with winning feelings of celebration, luxury, and moments of indulgence.

INSPIRATION comes from the ‘Bob Bob Richard’ Example In the Nudge Podcast where they discussed how Removing Friction is a crucial item your company needs to be aware of.

The Bob Bob Ricard Website is simple and to the point. Its opening is just 2 sentences: 

“The iconic Bob Bob Ricard Soho, located just off Regent Street, serves a Classic British & French menu in London’s most glamorous all-booth dining room.

Equipped with a “Press for Champagne” button at every table, it is famous for pouring more champagne than any other restaurant in Britain.”

THE PRESS FOR CHAMPAGNE CONCEPT WINS EVERY TIME

No one has to ask or even decide what they want to drink, it’s fun & a novelty, it’s naughty, it’s a guilty pleasure, and everyone wants to press it. It has since been copied, rightfully so, around the world, because it works – is memorable, gets people talking, and gives people an experience they will never forget. Oh, and did I mention that it was easy?

CHAMPAGNE CART IN MONTE-CARLO

So there I was….Kissing cheeks on the roof-top terrace in the Hotel Hermitage Monte-Carlo. Named the most elegant hotel in Monaco, where once you are seated a champagne cart rolls up and starts pouring you a glass of perfectly chilled bubbly champagne by white-gloved hands – a mid-day indulgence on a hot sunny afternoon. If you didn’t want it – you had to politely reject the glass. They basically auto-subscribed you to their email list and you have to do the work of unsubscribing you see…

As the customer my thought process could have gone like this if I had to make the decision: Open the menu, look at the prices, and decide if not only did I want a glass, but how much was it, how many should I drink – or just get a whole bottle, discuss it with the table, am I being judged for day drinking, are others drinking, does it have to pair with my meal, am I going to be able to eat tomorrow because of the price, if I let it go to my head am I going to be able to find my way back through the twisty streets – oh, and if I get lost maybe a handsome Frenchman will come to my rescue – haha…

Instead, it went like this: as the crisp bubbles danced around the top of my coupe I smiled and thought: I’ve made many life and business decisions in order to get invited to Monte-Carlo for just this one business lunch – and for my wise choices during said long journey –  I’m now being treated… Essentially: I’m drinking the damn Champagne. 🙂

The end. Merci, Au Revoir

Lesson Learned: The customer experience is crucial. 

DEFINING FRICTION

Friction refers to any obstacle, difficulty, or resistance that makes a process more complicated, time-consuming, or frustrating than it needs to be. In the context of business and marketing, friction can occur in any part of the customer journey, from initial awareness and consideration to purchase and post-sales support. Examples of friction may include confusing or cluttered website navigation, long checkout processes, unclear product descriptions, or unresponsive customer service. Reducing friction is important because it can help to improve customer experience, increase conversions, and build brand loyalty.

OPPOSITE OF FRICTION: SIMPLICITY

The human brain craves simplicity because it is wired to conserve mental energy and processing resources. The brain is constantly bombarded with information from the environment, and it has a limited capacity to process and store that information. In order to manage this information overload, the brain has developed heuristics, or mental shortcuts, that allow it to quickly categorize and make sense of new information.

One of these heuristics is the “cognitive fluency” principle, which suggests that people prefer information that is easy to process and understand. When information is presented in a clear, concise, and familiar way, it requires less cognitive effort to process, which leads to a more positive evaluation of the information and a greater likelihood of taking action based on that information. In contrast, complex, unfamiliar, or ambiguous information requires more mental effort to process, which can lead to confusion, frustration, and disengagement.

Therefore, by presenting information and experiences that are simple, clear, and easy to understand, businesses can reduce the cognitive load on their customers’ brains, making it easier for them to engage with their brand, remember their products or services, and ultimately make a purchase decision.

There are several strategies you can use to reduce friction and make it easier for someone to buy your service online:

Simplify the purchasing process

Make sure the steps to purchase your service are clear and straightforward. Avoid requiring too much information from the customer, and use a simple and intuitive checkout process.

Provide clear pricing and packages

Clearly display the pricing of your service upfront and be transparent about any additional fees or charges. Avoid surprising customers with unexpected costs. People are more likely to make a purchase when they understand what they’re getting and how much it will cost. Providing clear pricing and packages upfront can help potential customers make a decision more quickly and easily. Make sure to communicate the value of each package and what makes it unique to your service.

Offer multiple payment options

Offer a variety of payment options to make it easier for customers to pay for your service. This could include credit card, PayPal, pay-over-time options, other digital payment methods. Here you want to make test purchases in order to make sure it all works.

Use clear and persuasive language

Use persuasive language in your sales copy and make it clear why your service is valuable and why the customer should buy from you. Be transparent about what they can expect from your service and how it will benefit them. After you have captured their attention and they are ready to read more, your job is to make your item as persuasive as possible. You want them to crave the solution they need to their problem.

Provide excellent customer support

Make it easy for customers to contact you with any questions or concerns they may have about your service. Respond promptly and professionally, and provide helpful and informative answers to their inquiries. This will build trust and increase the likelihood of a successful sale.

“The most successful companies are those that solve an everyday problem in the simplest and most intuitive way possible.”

– Neuroscientist Tali Sharot

“I only drink Champagne on two occasions, when I am in love and when I am not.”

– Coco Chanel

Optimize for mobile

Ensure your website and checkout process are optimized for mobile devices, as many people browse and shop online from their smartphones and tablets. Make sure the website loads quickly, is easy to navigate, and the checkout process is mobile-friendly. Also, make sure your customers can click on your CTA’s – for example, make them larger and more spaced apart if your ideal customer has larger hands.

Provide a clear value proposition

Clearly communicate the unique value proposition of your service, explaining what sets it apart from the competition and how it can help solve the customer’s problem. Example: Focus on benefits, not features: Instead of listing the features of your product or service, focus on the benefits. How will your product or service improve the lives of your customers?

Offer a money-back guarantee & free trial

Offer a money-back guarantee or a free trial period to ease any concerns a potential customer may have about trying your service. This can build trust and increase conversions. If you offer a 7-day free trial, then make it very easy for them to switch from the free plan to the paid plan.

Use retargeting ads

Use retargeting ads to remind people who have visited your website about your service, and encourage them to complete their purchase. Retargeting can help to reduce shopping cart abandonment and increase conversions. Sometimes people come to your site and they are busy, so it’s ok to remind them that they were looking at your product.

Provide social proof

Use social proof such as customer reviews, ratings, testimonials, case studies, or endorsements from industry experts, influencers, and of course actual customers to build trust and credibility with potential customers. This can help to overcome any objections they may have and make it easier for them to make a purchase decision – which is the whole point of Press For Champagne. When someone is considering purchasing a service from a new company, they’re often looking for reassurance that they’re making the right choice. 

Seeing positive reviews from other customers can make someone more likely to buy from you because of Confirmation Bias: People have a natural tendency to seek out information that confirms their existing beliefs or attitudes. When someone is considering purchasing a service, they may already have a positive or negative view of the company. Positive testimonials and reviews can serve to confirm their positive view, while negative feedback can prompt them to look for other options. Reduced Risk: Making a purchase from a new company can feel risky, particularly if the person has no previous experience with the service. Testimonials and reviews can help to reduce this sense of risk by providing evidence that others have had a positive experience.

Related Article: How To Approach Past Clients For Testimonials

Remove pop-up banners

The amount of annoying pop-up ads and banners on sites is still out of control. If you have them on your site have them show up a minute in, not .01 seconds in – they are still exploring you and your site, so asking them for something before they know your brand will be annoying and cause friction.

Use templates

For your top common questions or needs from you such as price sheets, proposals, contracts, invoices etc. Items that come up in your business all the time can be made as templates and you can just fill them in with their information, such as a project proposal so that you can send it to them faster.

Include an FAQ section:

When you use FAQ’s you reduce friction because it shows that others have similar questions, and you as a brand have taken the time to answer them – how nice of you. These show that you have paid attention to what the customers are asking and build trust.

Enewsletter simple sign-up

Make subscribing and make unsubscribing easy. Most people do not want to give you more than 2 pieces of their personal information: ie their first name and email address.

Check your links!

Triple reminder to check your links and make sure they work. Put it on your calendar every month or every quarter to check all of your links. Someone should be able to buy whatever you are selling on your site in 3 clicks or less. Checkout needs to be very simple.

“In victory, you deserve Champagne. In defeat, you need it.”

– Napoleon Bonaparte