Apply Systematic Desensitization to Fears

People often fail to do what they want to do. Sometimes what’s standing in the way are fears they themselves know are unjustified. Prospective customers for the local gym might join if they weren’t afraid others there would laugh at the shape they’re in—even though they realize people at the gym have much better things to do than ridicule others. Prospective purchasers of an unusual food might hold off because of fears associated with the name of the food—even though the prospective purchasers know the food is recommended by many others in the world.
     Systematic desensitization is a well-researched technique which has been successfully used by psychotherapists treating clients who have fears the clients know are unjustified. The technique consists of teaching the client to relax and then having them progressively approach what they fear. The fundamentals of systematic desensitization can be applied to helping fearful consumers. Here’s a laboratory illustration:
     Researchers at University of Chicago and University of Arizona showed study participants a can of food, then asked them to sample the food. The label on the can announced that the contents consisted of curried grasshopper, a delicacy which most of the participants had fears about eating.
     Before the sampling, each participant was assigned to one of three groups:

• People in Group 1 were simply asked to eat the curried grasshopper and then report on their evaluation of it.
• Those in Group 2 were asked to imagine themselves avoiding the can, and afterwards instructed to eat the curried grasshopper and report their evaluation.
• Group 3 participants were asked to imagine themselves approaching the can, and afterwards instructed to eat the curried grasshopper and report their evaluation.

     The Group 3 participants gave the most positive evaluations of the curried grasshopper. Imagining approach to a feared product or engaging in a feared action eased the fear and gave a more positive evaluation of the experience to the consumer.
     The key points to keep in mind when you use systematic desensitization:

• Check that the customer considers their fear to be unjustified.
• Have the customer relax, without high pressure to make a consumption decision.
• Make the sale in steps rather than deciding it all has to happen at once.
• Genuinely praise the customer for overcoming their irrational fear.

Click below for more:
Make the Sale a Slice at a Time
Help Customers Buy Unpleasant Necessities
Use Terror Management Theory for Status Items