Small Voices

Happy New YearWhat attracts you more – an image in a magazine or a 400-word text advertisement?

Do you prefer short blog posts or longer ones?

Do you watch short movies on Youtube, or longer?

Do you prefer a one-sheet menu or a multi-page one at a restaurant?

At a bar, is your preference for 100 bottles of liquor to choose from or a more specific collection?

We spend a lot of our lives making decisions on decisions. We look at multiple choices and then wonder if we picked the right one after all. Doubt creeps into our minds, and no-one likes to doubt their decision.

Do we need so much choice all the time? Do your customers, your blog visitors, your newspaper readers, your immediate connections need that amount of choice? They come to you for a reason – should you potentially dilute that reason with too much choice?

Don’t get me wrong – choice is good. Choice stops us from stagnating. But can we choose to offer too much choice at times?

Sometimes we say better things when we don’t say anything at all. Other times small voices make the biggest noise. What choices would you prefer?

Creative Commons License photo credit: woodleywonderworks

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18 Responses to Small Voices
  1. Danny Brown
    March 30, 2009 | 1:28 pm

    We live in an age of instant information at our fingertips. More choice means more options. But can we have too much choice?

  2. Danny Brown
    March 30, 2009 | 1:29 pm

    We live in an age of instant information at our fingertips. More choice means more options. But can we have too much choice?

  3. ltdraper
    March 30, 2009 | 1:54 pm

    Smaller choices can be better than offering too many.

  4. Danny Brown
    March 30, 2009 | 1:59 pm

    Can too much choice be a bad thing? Or should we always have as much choice as poosible?

  5. Scott Hepburn
    March 30, 2009 | 11:14 pm

    Well put! That’s all.

  6. Ari Herzog
    Twitter: ariherzog
    March 31, 2009 | 1:44 am

    1. The image
    2. Either short or long, so long as it’s captivating
    3. Short movies
    4. Multi-page menus
    5. 100 bottles so I can sing the song

    What does that say?

    • Danny
      March 31, 2009 | 11:20 am

      That you’re a complex fellow ;-)

  7. Andrea Hess|Empowered Soul
    March 31, 2009 | 11:28 pm

    I like choices, but too many options are … well … too many. From a marketing perspective, I was offering about six or seven different kinds of readings for a while. I trimmed my offerings down to about three … and my orders increased by 50% within a week!

    I like shopping, but I don’t like working too hard at it! I’m a quick decision-maker, I don’t like to be slowed down by too many options. :-)

    Good question!
    Blessings,
    Andrea

  8. Jonas
    April 1, 2009 | 11:31 am

    Danny, you’re a deep lad. This has been my dilemma since I got into business for my own. It’s all about choices. Sometimes I wonder if I made the right CHOICE of leaving my day job and going into business for myself.. sometimes it seems like the right decision but sometimes.. it doesn’t.

    All in all, this is the best post i’ve read today. Congrats Danny!

    • Danny
      April 1, 2009 | 7:42 pm

      Thanks Jonas, that’s a hearty recommendation from you – appreciate it. :)

      I know where you’re coming from on the own business front. There are times I’m in the same boat and I question my decisions. But then, I guess that’s all part of the growing process as a business. If we were always sure, we’d probably be wrong.

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