Practical Sales Training™ > How People Work > The HALO Effect
What is it?
The Halo Effect occurs when one characteristic of something outweighs all others – even if it’s irrational or illogical.
An example of this would be “fat free” foods. Many “fat free” foods are in fact high in sugar and other things which are to be moderated in your diet. As a buyer you latch onto “fat free” without a thought for what else could be in the product.
Why does it work?
It works because we are bombarded with information as buyers (and humans) and are looking for shortcuts (known as heuristics) to help us make decisions.
Cognitive Biases (such as this one) exist to help us evaluate information, but in the case of the Halo Effect the shortcutting of thinking may not be the best decision as it excludes all else and focusses on just one thing.
How can you use it?
By choosing one beneficial characteristic of your offering or product, you can simplify the buying decision by overshadowing everything else.
As the Burden of Proof is on you in the selling environment you will need to pick one selling point and focus on it in your communication to drive the effectiveness. The selling point you choose must be the most attractive and engaging for your client for this to work.
Example:
A laptop brand promotes one clear headline on its product page:
“12-hour battery life.”
Even though other specs like processing power, storage, or screen resolution might not be the best in class, the long battery life becomes the defining feature in the buyer’s mind.
Why it works:
Buyers shortcut the decision-making process by focusing on the one standout benefit they care about most – in this case, all-day battery life. That feature casts a “halo” over the whole product, making it feel like a smart, reliable choice, even if the other elements are average.
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