eeCommerce

Increase Your AOV With The Wingman Method

Tim Burd author profile image
wingman method
wingman method

Editor's Note: This post has been updated with new links and content.
Original Publication Date: June 28, 2019

Let's say you're planning a night out. You wouldn't hit the bars by yourself on a Friday night to pick up a beautiful lady. You would call up your buddy to be your trusty wingman.

Believe it or not, the same principle applies to eCommerce marketing. You can use The Wingman Method to sell more of your best products.

Criteria for The Wingman Method

There are certain criteria that a wingman has to meet. One of these is that they must be slightly less attractive than you.

What is the reason for this?

Well, if a girl sees the two of you at a bar, you are the natural choice based on looks alone. (We're sure your friend has a great personality though.)

With this same concept, you can use the Wingman Method to get your customer to purchase a product with a higher average order value (AOV).

wingman puppy
having a wingman is important!

The Psychology Behind the Wingman Method

In his book, Predictably Irrational, Dr. Dan Ariely describes several cognitive, subconscious behaviors that we don't even realize that we have.

For example, here is a snippet from the book. "Why do our headaches persist after we take a one-cent aspirin but disappear when we take a fifty-cent aspirin? Why do we splurge on a lavish meal but cut coupons to save twenty-five cents on a can of soup? When it comes to making decisions in our lives, we think we're making smart, rational choices. But are we?"

One of the studies mentioned in the book is the psychological choice that we make when choosing between two options. The study found that when given two options, people weigh their choices rationally and choose the option that best fits their needs.

When you introduce a third option, however, things go a little differently.

Three Options

Add in a third option that you're not necessarily trying to sell, but as more of a decoy.

You place this decoy item between the two other items you're looking to sell and price it slightly below your higher-valued item. When people see the three items laid out in this order, they automatically perceive the highest-priced item as having more value. The layout should look like this.

Product A: $18.99

Product B (decoy): $31.99

Product C: $34.99

This is happening all around us, every day.

At the movie theater, they make the medium popcorn only $0.50 less than a large popcorn, so of course, you're going to order the large.

Digital subscriptions generally have an option that is slightly cheaper than the "premium" option but is going to have almost all of the same features as the premium one.

Time To Wing It

Apple truly mastered this method years ago by introducing different gigabytes of storage on its products and increasing the price for the higher storage capacities.

It is happening all around us and you can implement it too. Take a look at your products and see if there is a product you can stick in the middle of your featured products to increase your AOV.

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About Tim Burd

Tim Burd is a public speaker, consultant, and serial entrepreneur who’s been called the “Godfather of Facebook Advertising” for his many years of supporting and empowering digital marketers.

Tim’s Facebook Ad Buyers Group is the largest community of online advertisers in the world. He is the co-founder of AdLeaks, an exclusive subscription-based community, and resource for digital marketing and business growth.

In addition to hosting Mastermind workshops and events, Tim has been featured on publications and platforms ranging from Forbes and Bloomberg to Buzzfeed and Bravo.

Tim Burd lives in Newport Beach, California, and works with clients worldwide as a high-end advertising consultant and business development expert.

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