The fourth (my favorite) kiss has helped brands make millions.
KISS stands for,
K — KEEP
I — IT
S — STUPID
S — SIMPLE
Here are four types of kisses that help your company grow.
1. Target KISS
Set clear objectives. To all your subordinates.
In simple words.
Only 7% of employees truly understand their company’s objectives and what they must do as an employee to achieve them, reports Harvard.
Effective communication is the greatest leadership hack.
- Keep it stupid simple.
- Brevity is the key.
- Learn how to communicate with clarity.
2. Action KISS
Offer choices to your customers.
But minimize it.
It leads to better customer satisfaction. And quicker decisions.
There’s one ice cream store that offers us 10+ varieties. After hours of brain-wracking and SWOT analysis, you choose one. Yet, when you trash the cup into the bin, there’s a lingering thought in the back of your mind that says, “Maybe that purplish ice cream topped with grapes could have been better.”
It drives you back to their store. But you end up disappointed again. Because there’s always more and more of it.
In his book ‘The Paradox of Choice’, Barry Schwartz says,
“Giving customers too many options lowers purchase satisfaction.”
He goes on to warn that abundant options lead to the fear of missing out, which causes anxiety, analysis paralysis, and regret.
The world we live in is cluttered with choices. I uninstalled Facebook and Instagram because every time I logged in I felt the gush of abundant (redundant) information thrown right at my face and products waiting to clutch my throat.
- Minimize the choices in your store.
- Set one call-to-action on your page.
- Let your users take decisions with clarity.
Remember, it’s hard to satisfy people with their lucrative demands.
Rather, shrink your choices, minimize their dilemma, and offer a simple straightforward solution.
Keep it stupid simple.
They’ll love it.
3. Email KISS
Frequent meetings are pointless. They waste time.
My former company paid me for literally doing nothing. They wasted resources and time on unproductive meetings.
So, prefer emails. With written plans. And Actions.
Keep it stupid simple.
- Emails are on the record.
- Can be viewed later.
- Saves time.
- Promotes action.
4. Sales KISS
My favorite kiss.
On average, a customer takes just 15 seconds to decide on a product, says David Zheng, Chief Content Strategist at neilpatel.com.
Now, let’s play a game.
I’ll show you a couple of products. Let’s see if you could decide and pay within 15 seconds.
Product 1
Second 1–10: You read all the offers. Yet, you had no idea what this store is all about.
Second 11–20: You had to re-read because too many offers clouded your decision-making skills.
Second 20–30: You just got a WhatsApp notification, and you started texting. You think you need some more time to decide and understand the offers.
30 seconds. And, you are gone, without a decision but with extreme confusion.
Definitely not a killer sales copy.
Product 2
Second 1–10: You read. Every word. You are inspired to develop your business. (Benefits)
Second 11–13: You clicked the CTA button because there’s nothing else to confuse you.
An effective sales copy must evoke emotions with simple words and must be closed with one powerful call to action.
Karthik is a content strategist who helps businesses triple their sales with just words. He has collaborated with 20+ global brands. To follow more of his writings, connect with him on LinkedIn.
