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Imagine this…

Social media is a big part of your marketing strategy.

At the start of each month, you spend a few hours bulk writing all your posts for Twitter and LinkedIn.

You grab your coffee, start playing your favorite tunes and open up a Google Doc.

Time to write. Except there’s a wee problem.

As the cursor blinks on the empty page, your mind goes blank.

Each time you try to write something, you’re reminded that you’ve already covered that topic in a previous post.

“Come on,” you think to yourself, “there must be SOMETHING I can talk about.” If only your mind could be this empty each time you try to meditate. 😒

In a moment of frustration, you decide to take it back to the basics.

Instead of trying to come up with something new to say, you decide to cover the same topics you’ve already posted.

You write your posts, schedule them out, and promise yourself that next month you’ll do better.

A few days later, you take a look at your analytics. “Huh?” you say as you realize your tweets and LinkedIn posts have more impressions than usual.

Why are people so interested in what you have to say?

Today in Why We Buy, we’re exploring the Curse of Knowledge: why once we know something, we forget what it was like before we knew it.

Let’s get into it…

🧠 The Psychology of the Curse of Knowledge

The “curse of knowledge” is a cognitive bias where we incorrectly assume that everyone knows as much as we do on a given topic.

Once we figure out a problem, our brain creates a knowledge shortcut that we can take in the future. But if you’ve never solved that problem, then there’s no shortcut to take.

If the person teaching you can’t remember the path they used to take before they discovered the shortcut, then you’re both in trouble. 

This is why technical experts aren’t always the best teachers—they may know too much and underestimate how intricate their network of understanding is.

Getting back to basics gets more people interested in what you have to sell.

🧐 Inside Your Buyer’s Mind

Every buying journey—from buying a $2 toothbrush to $2M enterprise software—can be complex and unpredictable.

And to make it even more complex, each prospective buyer you meet will have a different set of life experiences, education, biases, and expectations (to name a few).

In other words: A concept that makes perfect sense to you may never have crossed the mind of your buyer.

This presents both a problem (my prospect doesn’t get it) AND an opportunity (I can educate my prospect).

Buyers are relying on you to help them get from Point A to Point B so they can understand their pain point and why your product is the ultimate solution.

🤑 How To Apply This

Alright, so how can we apply this right now to sell more?

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Use first principles thinking

At the most basic level, what is your product and who does it serve? Get rid of all the bells and whistles and add resources (content or website pages) that explain your product in simple terms.

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Ask your buyers what made them hesitate

Your buyers have insights that your team doesn’t. Use post-purchase surveys to figure out why people think twice before hitting buy. Create resources, social posts, and sections on your website that ease their fears.

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Repetition, repetition, repetition

Don’t be afraid to put yourself on loop. If your product requires education, repeat the key points.

Only after hearing or seeing it a few times will your buyer pick up that it’s something they should pay attention to. I repeat: repeat key takeaways 😉

💥 The Short of It

Don’t assume that your buyers know what you know—they likely don’t.

Help lay the groundwork for buyers by educating them. Provide content and teach simple concepts that help them better understand their pain point and your solution—even when it makes you feel like a broken record.

Until next time, happy selling.