Could you sell a product that costs 3 billion euros? A group of physicists funded a 3-billion euro product, the Large Hadron Collider. Let's see how they did it and use the same technique to sell your products.
The First Attempt
First, physicists planned to build the Collider in the US, so they submitted their $11 billion budget to the US congress. During the review period, congresspeople asked what this $11 billion instrument would be used for. The physicists answered that it was for finding the Higgs boson, and explained what that is. However, a lecture on particle physics didn't go over well with Congress, and the application was rejected.
The Improved Plan
On the scientists' second attempt, they applied for 3 billion euros in Europe. After studying the failure of their US application, the physicists came up with a new answer for the question about what the Collider is for. This time, they said it was for finding the "God Particle." By just calling the same thing the "God Particle," the physicists succeeded in giving a strong impression that the 3 billion euros would be used for historical research. Moreover, while particle physics is incomprehensible to most people, the idea of a "God particle" sounds more incredible and somehow easier to understand. As a result, the application was approved.
The Illusion
It might sound ridiculous, but what you name your products makes a big difference. It's a well known fact that consumers make buying decisions based on emotion, not logic. Disclosing the technical details of your products is a good idea. However, if people need specialized knowledge to understand them, those details won't help much in selling your products. On the other hand, a magic word (or phrase), like the "God Particle," will sell your products, because people don't have to have any spacial knowledge to understand it; they don't have to understand anything. The magic word gives people the illusion of satisfaction or fulfillment, and that, in the end, is what people will pay for.
© February, 2010