Are You a Satisfier or a Maximizer?

Research has shown that there are two types of consumers: satisfiers and maximizers.

Whether I'm buying a mattress, a bottle of wine or a pair of jeans, I am a maximizer.

How do you know which you are?

Satisfiers are content to make decisions with minimal research. Once they have met basic criteria, they believe most of the time their decisions will be satisfactory.

Conversely, maximizers seek as much information as possible before making a decision. They need to exhaustively explore options to gain confidence that their decision is optimum.

If you have a gnawing feeling that there is something more just around the corner...or you buy things and have a change of heart...ahem, you are a maximizer.

My condolences.

Incidentally, satisfiers are happier than maximizers, who tend to experience a lot of anxiety over decision-making.

As a writer, I have learned that clients fall into the same two camps. As do projects. And it's important to recognize who's who so you can meet stated--and more importantly, unstated--expectations.