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Regret Reduction
No matter how much people need to make a decision to relieve pain, and no matter how much relief they might get, they will inevitably feel some remorse once the deed is done. They will feel regret even when it’s not logical.
Some people feel regret when they break off the old relationship and commit to the new one. It’s only natural. The choice has been eliminated, for now, and choice elimination, while an ingredient for influence, can also cause feelings of freedom being restricted.
People often feel regret when they open the package and it’s not what they expected to see.
They also often regret owning the new car on day three. They get to thinking about the finances and all the repercussions of having a new vehicle.
People sometimes experience regret right when they get home with the product.
Regret, and even the anticipation of regret, is a big problem you face when influencing others.
There are a few consistent methods of overcoming regret, depending on the context, of course:
- With involvement
- With something that feels/looks really good
- With a reminder of their good decision to buy
Involvement in the persuasion process is one method to quell regret. In direct mail, you’ve seen the pieces where you receive stamps, stickers, and things you have to tear out, lick, or put into place on an order form. Once you’ve spent time (been involved) in making an order, you are more committed to the order.
The more involved the other person, the less likely they are ...
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