What is the ‘Law of Least Mental Effort’ and how can you use it to increase sales?
The Law of Least Mental Effort, rooted in cognitive psychology, suggests that we as individuals tend to favour options and solutions that require the least amount of cognitive exertion.
In simpler terms, when faced with a choice, people tend to opt for the easiest and most straightforward route to reach a decision. This preference for cognitive efficiency is deeply ingrained in our psychology and often influences our daily choices without us realising it.
Where it comes from
To comprehend the significance of the Law of Least Mental Effort, it's essential to delve into the psychology. At its core, this principle is driven by the brain's innate desire to conserve energy.
Our brains are wired to operate efficiently, allocating resources sparingly to tasks that warrant them. When presented with options that demand less mental effort, the brain perceives them as more attractive and, consequently, more appealing.
This inclination towards an easy life is a result of our brain's evolutionary adaptation. Throughout human history, conserving mental energy was crucial for survival. Individuals who efficiently allocated their cognitive resources were more adept at addressing immediate challenges, such as hunting, gathering, and navigating their environment.
As a result, this cognitive bias persisted and continues to influence our decision-making processes.
Using it to optimise your sales process, website copy and marketing funnel:
To harness the Law of Least Mental Effort effectively, you should consider the following strategies:
1. Simplify Choices:
Less choices prevent ‘analysis paralysis’. Highlight the most relevant options and make the decision-making process as effortless as possible. Your website’s user interface (UI) should help your visitors to make the decisions you want them to.
2. Clarity in Communication:
Whether in writing, public speaking, or presentations, prioritise clarity and simplicity. Ensure that your message can be easily understood without excessive mental effort on the part of the audience. Don’t use jargon if your audience isn’t going to understand it, they’ll zone out and you’ve lost them!
3. User Experience:
Enhance the user experience of your digital products or services by prioritising ease of use and navigation. Implement intuitive design principles to minimise cognitive friction.
4. Education and Training:
When teaching or training others (such as in webinars), break down complex subjects into manageable modules and make them memorable, gradually increasing complexity as learners become more comfortable with the material.
By recognising the human inclination to seek efficiency, you can tailor your sales approaches to align with this principle, ultimately resulting in more sales and more bottom-of-funnel (BoFU) leads.
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