It was the year 2003.
I was in Australia speaking at my first marketing conference.
Well, not quite. It was billed as a marketing conference, but it was really a pitch-fest. The speakers delivered their speeches, and then sold their products from the podium.
And there was one speaker who literally got people pushing and shoving each other to get his product.
So what caused all the pushing and shoving?
The “yes-yes” system
It’s a concept called the “yes-yes” system.
When you’re selling anything to your audience, there’s a pretty good chance that you’ve got a single price — a single “buy now” button.
Your audience is therefore faced with the option of choosing “yes” or “no.”
The “yes-yes” system consists of two offerings: a “regular” and a “premium.” Instead of choosing between “yes” and “no,” your clients have to choose between “yes” and “yes.”
Why do they “have to” choose? Why can’t they just leave?
Let’s say you step outside to buy a coffee. The cafe gives you two options: a regular (at $4.00) and a premium (at $4.40).
There’s no difference between the coffees, by the way. They’re both exactly the same size, the same type of coffee, and have the same taste — in short, they’re so incredibly identical you could swap the cups of coffee around and no one would know the difference.
There is one difference, however.
While the coffees are the same, only one option has a bonus.
With the “premium” coffee, you get a tiny, scrumptious