The Illusion of Choice

Book excerpt: The compelling new book by Richard Shotton, author of The Choice Factory. Every day, people make hundreds of choices. Many of these are commercial: What shampoo to pick? How much to spend on a bottle of wine? Whether to renew a subscription? These choices might appear to be freely made, but psychologists have shown that subtle changes in the way products are positioned, promoted and marketed can radically alter how customers behave. The Illusion of Choice identifies the 16½ most important psychological biases that everyone in business needs to be aware of today – and shows how any business can take advantage of these to win customers, retain customers and sell more. Richard Shotton, author of the acclaimed The Choice Factory, draws on academic research, previous ad campaigns and his own original field studies to create a fascinating and highly practical guide that focuses on the point where marketing meets the mind of the customer. You’ll learn to take advantage of the peak end rule, the power of precision, the wisdom of wit – and much, much more. You simply cannot afford to miss The Illusion of Choice.