Practical Sales Training™ > How To Connect With Your Buyer > The Generation Effect
The Generation Effect
We all rate our own ideas higher than someone else’s. So if a buyer helps shape what you sell, they end up valuing it more than something handed to them finished.
What Is It
The generation effect means we think more favourably about things we’ve helped create. It also applies to things we’re personally invested in. Involvement changes how we value something.
Why Does It Work
We naturally favour ourselves and whatever we make. That’s just how people work. So when you tap into that, you speak your buyer’s own language instead of yours.
This isn’t manipulation. It’s simply recognising something true about people, then building your offer around it.
How Can You Use It
Start by asking your clients a simple question.
Ask What Success Looks Like To Them
Find out what a good outcome means in their own words. This gives you language you can hand straight back to them later.
Involve Them In The Design
Get clients involved in shaping your product or service, even in a small way. The more they invest themselves, the more favourably they’ll see the result.
When It Works Best
This works best when your offer has room for genuine choice. Colours, features, or structure all give buyers something real to shape.
It also works well for higher involvement purchases, since people naturally invest more thought when the stakes feel bigger.
When It Becomes Dangerous
This backfires if the choice is fake. Buyers notice quickly when “customisation” barely changes anything real.
It also fails if you overcomplicate the process. Too many decisions can tire a buyer out before they even finish.
Common Mistakes
Offering Fake Choice
Small, cosmetic options rarely create real ownership. So give buyers a choice that actually shapes the outcome.
Overloading The Process
Too many steps or decisions can frustrate people. Keep the involvement simple, so it feels enjoyable rather than exhausting.
The Generation Effect – An Example
Nike By You Turns Buyers Into Designers
Nike By You lets customers choose their own colours, materials, and even add initials to their shoes. So buyers aren’t just picking a product anymore. They’re building one.
That process creates real emotional investment. Since they designed it themselves, the shoes feel like more than just another pair of Nikes.
This emotional ownership makes the product feel more valuable. As a result, satisfaction goes up, and so does loyalty. That’s the generation effect at work. Buyers value it more because it’s theirs.
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