Walking along an outdoor street mall in Park City, I noticed that only two stores had their doors open, despite the beautiful weather. The store in the picture above was one of only three stores I entered simply because it was easier.
Bare with me for a moment while I indulge my love of economics.
Michael Porter, well-known for his Five Forces, describes Barriers to Entry as obstacles that make it difficult to enter a market. Extending this principle, consumers or customers are also affected by factors such as barriers to entry when deciding what to buy or where to shop.
We make numerous split second decisions each day. Our decision making process is affected by barriers to entry. Or in other words, we eliminate options by evaluating what we perceive as obstacles or reasons not to choose that option. In my example, a closed door. That open door literally made it easier for me to shop at that store.
Think of people as water. We follow the path of least resistance to get from where we are to where we want to be.
So to increase the number of transactions or people engaging with you, make it simpler, easier and faster to interact and transact with you. Have a daily goal to remove just one barrier to entry, even if it’s small. Become easier to work with each day.