The Availability Heuristic - Applied to Sales and Marketing

The Availability Heuristic - Applied to Sales and Marketing:

by Beth Cohen King


Think fast: What company had the most growth in the last year in the cloud computing sector? Probably as you are reading the question several companies go whizzing through your head until you land on one that is forefront in your mind and you then, provide the answer.
I don’t want to doubt your answer, but it is possible that the company you answered was the one that was most available in your mind.  Let me explain further what I mean:  there is a psychological principal that talks about the Availability Heuristic; in short, this means we communicate information based on how easily we can think of the examples.  Therefore, if we can recall it quickly, it must be important and maybe even, correct.
Revisit my initial question; do you still feel as confident about your answer? You might, which means that the company was easily available in your mind and also correct. Win, win.
This psychological phenomenon can have profound effects for sales and marketing strategies and tactics. Here’s why:
Imagine you have a new product release, your PR and marketing teams are guns blazin’ making sure that everyone knows about your new product: blogs, fun videos, press releases, trade shows, Q&As with the CEO, meet and greets, pilot programs, webinars, site changes, etc… Why do we do all this? Because we want to keep our valuable products on everybody’s minds:  we want to keep them curious; we want to keep them talking about us – to everyone, and all the time. Dave Kerpen, the mastermind behind Likable Media recently posted this piece in Inc on, 6 Ways to Make Your Story go Viral. Number 2 on his list is called: Triggers

 “Top-of-mind means tip-of-the-tongue. Ever wonder why people talk so much about the weather or what they had for breakfast? The more people are thinking about something, the more likely they'll be to tell others about it. So link your product or business idea to prevalent triggers in the environment--objects, ideas, or topics that come up frequently in conversation anyway” 

In lamen’s terms – “Top-of-Mind means tip-of-the-tongue.”  This is the availability heuristic in action.
Now, imagine you are making sales calls to the leads that your inside sales team or marketing team handed over.  We all know some leads are warmer then others.  When your lead picks up the phone, we have a very short period of time to get their attention and keep it, so being "top-of-mind" in your lead's mind is an advantage. No doubt.
Our minds are funny. We should have a complete understanding of how our minds work and strategize to figure out how to be on the top of people’s minds, therefore, the tip of their tongue.  This basically means good marketing and selling, right?  Companies that keep showing up and delivering when they show up.  Here is a peek at my personal availability heuresitc at work.  These are a few companies that come to my mind quickly for strong marketing:

• HubSpot
• Salesforce
• Eloqua
• Marketing Profs
• Sales Benchmark Index

Why these companies? Because everyday I receive emails, blog posts, infographics, and targeted display ads from them.  And not just content spewed at me, but content that I really want to read; content that I take a few extra minutes to click on and try to learn something from.
And here are a few individuals that come to my mind as those who build strong brand presence with their selling techniques:

• Jill Konrath
• Trish Bertuzzi, The Bridge Group
• Lori Anderson, Score More Sales

Why should we keep the Availibility Heurestic in mind when creating our sales and marketing strategies and tactics? Because discovering the best way to keep your brand on your prospects, leads and customer’s minds is the best form of advertising and evangelism.  Of course this is easier said than done, but understanding the way our minds perceive information is a good place to start.
What companies come to your mind? Share in the comment section below.