Decision Fatigue

Before writing about the topic, naturally, I wanted to do some more research. The minute I hit the search button, this question appeared in Google top search results; “why are teachers so tired?” Not so shocking, of course, the answer is related to decision fatigue (as well as million other reasons). Yet another, below ‘People also ask’, appeared “Is decision fatigue a real thing?”

If you are a teacher or a parent, the answer might be as clear as day; “you bet it is!” But actually, the decision fatigue is a notion that affects us all and it is very much real. In this post, I will reflect on decision fatigue but furthermore its implications in business management and marketing.

So what is it then? As you probably guessed already, decision fatigue is a type of mental exhaustion which results from making decisions and using up cognitive abilities to a high extent. So far it might sound like a normal thing. If you overuse your brain, just like a muscle or any part of your body, it will eventually be tired of this activity. But what people usually do not know or realise is that all this cognitive action is finally taxing your brain and therefore your body.

Roy F. Baumeister, a social psychologist at Florida State University, says “making decisions uses the very same willpower that you use to say no to doughnuts, drugs or illicit sex.” So, whether we are saying ‘yes’ or ‘no’, we think, therefore we are [in trouble]. It might be an overstatement to say we are in trouble, but since we constantly use our willpower, we might as well be.

Once our brain is depleted of its energy, we find it hard to do anything. We lose focus, we cannot think clearly, we become agitated and stressed, and sometimes find ourselves in a complete shutdown. All because we have to think too much or have too much to think. According to psychologists, decision fatigue is inherently tied with choices. What researchers from Columbia University found out, and called it “the paradox of choice”, was the result of a study which showed that more choices don’t necessarily mean a higher conversion rate. The conducted research simply involved showing a different number of jam samples to different groups to measure their response to choices.

A group was shown fewer samples and more than a quarter of those who tasted the samples made a purchase. Whereas in the other group which was presented with four times more choices, only less than 5% of them made a purchase. The research concluded that when people are given too many choices, they end up being overwhelmed by the abundance of such variety.

We have always been told that free-trade is beneficial because it creates more choices for consumers by allowing imports. And having more choices is better. Maybe not so much. Now let’s look from a customer perspective. As consumers ourselves, we all have to make so many choices and we have so many alternatives to choose from when we shop or use services.

Then, it is relatively easier for us, business planners, to comprehend what customers go through; browsing for products in the isles of supermarkets, looking for clothes in the sea of e-commerce, trying to find a freelancer in a vast market, scrolling through a website to spot the right service. The examples could be multiplied and I am sure you can think of numerous ways how this implies to you and your business.

Though it has been identified by psychologists long ago, some businesses find out about it late or never. But it is applicable to all types of businesses and might create a big difference for consumers. You can make some adjustments to make sure your customers shop easily; design web pages that are succinct, find novel ideas to offer your services, and make your customers' lives easier.

To conclude, we can say that recognising decision fatigue can help businesses understand consumers better whether you provide them your services or offer your products. These might seem little but can make a huge difference for customers as long as you find that brilliant idea. I hope this inspires you to make some changes to your marketing and management to reduce the decision fatigue and excel in customer service.

You can always reach out to discuss creative ways to differentiate your services. I am just one click away.