As an entrepreneur, let the affect heuristic work to your advantage rather than to your disadvantage:
Use storytelling in marketing campaigns. For example, a company that sells eco-friendly products can share stories about how their products contribute to a better world for future generations. By evoking positive emotions and associations, customers will be more likely to choose the brand.
Personal interactions with customers. For example, a small retailer can add personalized thank-you bills to each order, personally addressing the customer and thanking them for their purchase. Customers feel valued and have a positive emotional experience, which increases the likelihood that they will remain loyal and buy again.
What is choice overload?
Choice overload is the crippling excess insurance telemarketing leads of choices (Toffler, 1970). The more options people are given, the more difficult making a choice is, the less satisfied they are with their choice and the more likely they are to regret their choice (Iyengar & Lepper, 2000).
Even though many people like having more choice options, it actually makes making a choice more difficult. This can lead to procrastination. But not only that, having too many options also leads to a decreased sense of satisfaction, being less convinced about your choice and a greater chance of regretting your final choice (Chernev, Böckenholt & Goodman, 2015).
This applies to "smaller" choices, such as which flavor of tea, as well as larger choices, such as choosing an advanced education. Because of the almost infinite possibilities, this can lead to brooding behavior, which in turn can lead to feelings of anxiety or depression (Schwartz, 2005). The more difficult the choice, such as limited choice time or multiple differences between options, the greater the choice stress. Sometimes people choose not to make a choice at all. This saves (mental) energy.