Throughout this series we’ve been exploring the psychology behind why clients buy – or delay decisions.
We’ve looked at how buying decisions are shaped by three underlying forces:
1. Risk
2. Effort
3. Reward
And we’ve explored several signals that influence those forces, including clarity, trust, simplicity and confidence.
The final signal worth looking at is something that often goes unnoticed.
Friction.
Friction rarely appears as one obvious obstacle.
Instead, it shows up as small irritations in the buying process.
And while each one might seem minor on its own, together they can quietly slow down decisions or stop them entirely.
Most of us have experienced friction as customers.
You try to buy something and encounter a small obstacle.
A long form to complete.
A delayed response.
Confusing pricing.
Unclear next steps.
None of these issues seem dramatic.
But each one adds effort to the decision.
If buying something requires more effort than assembling flat-pack furniture, people tend to reconsider.
Years ago, when I was responsible for managing sixty retail stores, I noticed something interesting about how customers were buying.
All the competitors in the market operated in the same way.
Customers had to purchase a €50 block of time.
They would pay the €50 upfront and then use the service over the following months.
On the surface, the model made sense.
It guaranteed revenue and locked the customer in.
But there was a hidden problem.
For many customers, that €50 commitment felt like a large decision.
Not because the service wasn’t valuable.
But because the upfront purchase created psychological friction.
So we tried something different.
Instead of forcing customers to buy a €50 block, we allowed them to pay by the minute.
Nothing else changed.
The same service.
The same stores.
The same staff.
But sales increased dramatically.
Two things happened when we removed that friction.
First, the purchase felt smaller.
Customers no longer felt locked into a commitment.
They could simply start using the service and pay as they went.
Second, the payment matched how people actually carried money.
Many customers had smaller notes in their wallet/purse – €5s, €10s or €20s – rather than €50.
By removing that small psychological barrier, the decision became easier.
And when the decision becomes easier, people buy more often.
The interesting thing about friction is that businesses rarely see it.
Processes develop gradually over time.
Forms are added.
Steps are introduced.
Procedures become normal.
From inside the business, everything feels logical.
But from the client’s perspective, the experience may feel unnecessarily complicated.
Many of the fastest-growing companies in the world have succeeded by removing friction.
Watch how your teenage kids buy things.
Because their behaviour is about to reshape your business.
If they want food – they open Just Eat.
If they want a taxi – they open Free Now.
If they want a book – they go to Amazon.
Everything they want is available within a few clicks.
And usually within minutes, they know exactly when it will arrive.
They can even track the delivery driver in real time.
From their perspective, buying is effortless.
Now here’s the question most businesses haven’t fully considered.
What happens when that generation becomes your primary customer base?
Because that shift is already happening.
Many of the customers businesses built their companies around, are beginning to retire.
Meanwhile, the next generation has grown up in a world where convenience is the default.
They expect buying to be easy.
They expect clarity.
They expect speed.
So what does that mean if you’re not a tech company?
It means the real competitive advantage is often removing friction.
If customers hesitate in your business, it’s worth asking a simple question:
Where are the small irritations in our buying process?
Is it:
Sometimes removing just one of those friction points can make a remarkable difference.
Because when buying becomes easier…
Customers rarely need much convincing.
Sometimes the ideas in this newsletter land for a reason.
If this is one of those moments, it may be worth sitting with it for a while.
And if you’d like to explore it further, I work closely with a small number of business owners who are carrying decisions like these.
Nothing formal to begin with – just a conversation.
After all, it’s better to work smarter instead of harder.
If the timing feels right, you can arrange a conversation here.
Or until next time, stay tuned for more.
And always keep soaring.