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Newsletter #915: The “Get Them to Try Something New” Issue

[Welcome back to the Damn, I Wish I’d Thought of That! newsletter. This is text of the great issue all of our email subscribers just received. Sign yourself up using the handy form on the right.]

Casual fans, customers stuck in a rut, and indecisive buyers all present opportunities to make raving fans. But sometimes it takes a little encouragement to get your customers to try new things. Here are some remarkable ways to get people to take a chance on new stuff:

1. Make it a game
2. Make it low risk
3. Make it a test drive
4. Check it out: Bedtime calculator

1. Make it a game

The Minnesota Golden Gophers know how to intrigue casual fans who wouldn’t normally buy tickets to their games. This year, they’re selling Golden Tickets that get fans into all nine of their Big Ten Conference matchups for $75.00 — it’s a great deal, but there’s a catch. You can go to any game, but if you use your Golden Ticket at a game where the Gophers lose, the ticket is deactivated. This means people are going to the sure-win games too, and not just the high-profile rivalries.

The lesson: A small gamble can turn a casual fan into an energized advocate, and it can turn a normal game into a more exciting experience.

Learn more: ESPN

2. Make it low risk

While taking a gamble can make some experiences more exciting, sometimes risk can scare potential buyers away. For example, it’s hard to know whether you’ll like a new book by an author you haven’t read before — it’s even harder to spend $20 on it. Total BooX says you don’t have to. They charge customers as they read instead of the cost of the whole book upfront. So if you only read half of the book, you’ll only be charged half of the cost, which encourages readers to get their feet wet with books, authors, or genres they haven’t read before.

The lesson: What new experience can you offer your customers who are stuck in a rut? How can you make that experience worth the risk?

Learn more: Springwise

3. Make it a test drive

You can awkwardly test out a new bed in front of the sales associate at a mattress store — or you can make yourself at home and spend the night. That’s the concept behind Droog, a furniture store in Amsterdam. Customers can stay in their hotel that’s decked out in Droog’s modern, funky furniture and see how they would really live with their stuff. If they love something, there’s an iPad on the table, ready to place their order with one click. This is a fun way to get customers to try before they buy — it’s also a furniture shopping experience people will talk about with their friends.

The lesson: How can you make customers feel at home to help them really get to know your stuff?

Learn more: PSFK

4. Check it out: Bedtime calculator

Can’t figure out what time to go to bed to get the best sleep? Don’t risk it. Ask Sleepyti.me.

Check it out: Sleepyti.me.

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