Sales tip: What makes things cool

According to a recent article in The Atlantic, The Four-Letter Code to Selling Just About Anything, people are torn between two opposing forces: Neophilia – a curiosity about new things; and Neophobia – a fear of anything too new. We gravitate to products that are bold but instantly comprehensible. To sell something surprising, make it familiar. To sell something familiar, make it surprising.

The four letter code in the article is MAYA: “Most Advanced Yet Acceptable”

MAYA is what this corvette represented to my husband who I rented it for on his 50th birthday for a weekend get-away. Driving enthusiasts have always loved corvettes. Can't go wrong there. But the latest model, in yellow? Now that's cool! Why do I share this? Because it's thought provoking. I wonder if the descriptions of some brilliant but under-appreciated products are weighted too heavily on the comprehensible or acceptable, and not enough on the new, bold, and advanced. Or, vice versa.

OmniSure's risk control services have been successfully used to reduce losses and attract better risks. They are trusted by brokers, familiar to policyholders, and underwriters have depended on them for many years. However, our partners are especially excited about some of the fresh, bold, and innovative methods of delivering risk control services available now because of our use of new technology. Now I know why. It makes their tried and true insurance products stand-out.