Build or Prune Depending on Trust Levels

Many products and services are available to be customized with a range of optional add-ons. One way you might present such an item is to start with the bare-bones version and then offer suggestions for augmentations. Another way would be to start with the fully loaded model and then, if the shopper seems overwhelmed by the complexity or price, offer ideas for options which could be pruned out.
     In either case, your recommendations are more likely to be accepted by the shopper if you precede your recommendations by probing with questions to learn about the shopper and how the shopper plans to use the item. This line of questioning provides you the information to deliver advice which is on-target for this individual consumer. It also means your recommendations will come across as credible.
     When you do this and in other ways dispel any impressions that you’re placing the interests of the store above those of the shopper, researchers at University of Melbourne have advice for you about giving add-on or take-off advice to the shopper: Start with the bare-bones model and build up.
     However, say the researchers, if you sense that the shopper still doesn’t trust your motives, you improve your chances of making a sale by promptly moving to consideration of the fully loaded model and suggesting what could be pruned off.
     All of this depends on the shopper first knowing customization is available and being aware of the types of options. The general rule in presenting alternatives to a shopper is to start with the most feature-rich and expensive and then move toward the less rich choices.
     Further, the advice can be different if the item is a gift. When selecting a gift, customization requires the shopper to think in depth about the recipient, which afterwards enables presentation of the gift in an especially meaningful way. This dynamic holds true for more than adults. People like to personalize for the children and even for pets they love.
     University of Colorado, Florida State University, and Indiana University research findings indicate you should take care to limit the design support. The more time and mental effort the gift giver devotes to the customizing, the more they are willing to pay for the item. Answer the shopper’s questions, but if asked, “Which options should I add?,” give as a first answer, “Well, you know the recipient better than I do.”

Click below for more: 
Offer Customers Basic Plus Add-Ons 
Limit Design Support for Personalized Gifts