The song “Brandy,” by the rock group Looking Glass, was the hit #1 at the time. I was in my first (and only) year of college and also working in the produce department of a local grocery store.

My major was Marketing, and I was inspired, so I started conducting marketing experiments and research in my little produce department.

I wanted to determine if shoppers followed a pattern or predictable traffic flow when they entered the department. Most of the shoppers were older women who kept purses in the children’s seat of the cart. Every day for two weeks I spent an hour tracking their travel around our department.

75-80% of the time, the shoppers’ first stops were at sections with large displays and signage. The signs usually announced a sale. Sometimes, the signs featured my hilarious produce puns. “Have you tried our corn? It’s ear-resistible!” or “Lettuce entertain you.” and “Please Romain Calm.” “Salad Dressing. Please Cover Your Eyes.”

What began to seep into my own cabbage head was that consumers tended to go where they were directed. Very few went item-by-item to compare and determine quality or price. If our sign said it was on sale, or it was the highest grade, that was good enough. We saved them a lot of time by pointing out what they assumed was the right product at the right price. They followed the path of least resistance.

Fast forward several decades and the #1 pop hit is Espresso by Sabrina Carpenter, but consumers and even B2B prospects are still following that path of least resistance and buying what mostly digital signage recommends. I recommend you do the same.

WEBSITES

Most websites have a “contact us” button and link. You’re not even sure what filling out the form will do. You can improve on that by at least 400%. We recently completed a website that used four primary Calls To Action (CTAs) — (a) Get more information, (b) Request a proposal, (c) Request a meeting or (d) Schedule a phone call. If they schedule a phone call, they are directed to a calendar with available dates and times.

The website now gets 6-7 times more leads. Why? Because we made it easier for prospective clients to answer. You can apply the same concept to paid social media ads and boosted posts. You can (and should) do it with digital ads.

FUNNELS

Sales funnels are fun if you are on the receiving end. Not so much if you are the person going down the funnel. One thing is certain, they work. Very well. Offer a free demo, a free trial, or a free ear of corn.

Consumers will click that “Collect your free____” button and for some reason, assume that’s it. A free demo, trial or ear of corn will magically appear immediately. Au contraire mon frère. Now you must put in your email address, and it better be accurate, or your ear of corn goes to the next person.  Do you want the free demo AND a discount? No problem – just enter your mobile phone number.

Research shows most people are happy with that arrangement. It’s easy. It’s the path of least resistance. You can always block the marketer later. But by then, they’ve sent you a few more CTAs and sales funnels.

Still, both you and the consumer win if you do it right.

The sailors say, “Brandy, you’re a fine girl. What a good wife you would be. But my life, my love, my lady is marketing —can’t you see?”

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