Back in May, I decided not to renew my Costco membership.
It seemed logical, why spend $130 when I wasn鈥檛 shopping there often?
Then, in September, I got a surprise in the mail.....A cheque for $32.92 馃捀 from my Executive Membership cashback
I saw that cheque as聽MY money.
If I didn鈥檛 use it, I felt like I was throwing away money I had already earned.
That tiny check triggered a whirlwind of mental gymnastics to justify why I needed to renew my membership.
Fast forward to yesterday: Not only did I renew my membership for $130..... I spent another $750
With the membership fee added, that $33 cheque cost me $850. Now, here鈥檚 the brilliance of聽loss aversion: We fear losing something we perceive as ours, like the cashback I earned.
If Costco had sent me a $65 coupon or even 50% off my membership, it wouldn鈥檛 have worked even though it's MORE than the check.
Discounts don鈥檛 feel like losses avoided, they feel like optional bonuses.
Costco didn鈥檛 trick me, they simply leaned on a fundamental principle of human psychology.
Do you use loss aversion in your discussions with clients? Share your story! 馃憞