Choice bias refers to a salesperson's predisposition towards specific products and services based on personal preferences. Although mostly unconscious, this bias can significantly impact sales in both a positive and negative way. Understanding the bias can help salespeople sell even more.

Note: Buyers, marketers, managers, and even owners and executives have choice bias. I'd recommend everyone read this and input their position where the word salesperson is.

On the positive side, a salesperson's choice bias can be a powerful tool for enhancing sales performance. When salespeople favor specific products or services, they are more likely to be more knowledgeable and enthusiastic about them. 

That choice bias is often the "secret" to many top salespeople. Their passion is infectious, potentially creating a strong emotional connection with their customers. That builds more trust resulting in higher sales.

However, choice bias also has its pitfalls that can hurt sales results. Negative choice bias is something we don't think about as much. A salesperson's intense focus on preferred products or services can cloud their ability to evaluate customer needs objectively. They might ignore better-suited alternatives or miss sales opportunities because they are so fixated on pushing their favorite products. This is why examining salespeople's performance in different product categories is good.

Here are a few tips to consider to ensure choice bias is creating higher sales:

1. Be aware of your choice bias. Salespeople should analyze their sales patterns. An easy exercise is to have each salesperson list three ways choice bias has a positive impact on their results and three ways it has a negative impact. 

2. Improve product knowledge and sales presentation in areas you could be more passionate about. Each week pick a product or service to improve your knowledge. Then practice/roleplay, selling it to a colleague or manager. Doing this can result in a shift from negative to positive choice bias.

3. Actively listen more closely to each customer. Some salespeople will show their favorite products regardless of what the customer says. I saw a customer once tell a salesperson she never wears gold. What did the salesperson show her first? Correct. Gold! I almost jumped over the counter. That's negative choice bias in action. The salesperson tried to recover to show silver, but the damage was done. The customer left without making a purchase. To avoid choice bias, a salesperson should always know why they suggest a product or service to a specific customer. 

So let me ask, how can you use choice bias to sell more products and deliver an even better experience?