It might sound like a strange question. But there are definitely times when people buy things without actually understanding what they are getting.
This communication gap could be down to trust or any number of other factors. To illustrate the point, I have a quick story for you.
A Lesson from the Food Tent
A couple of weeks ago, I went to the Suffolk Show with my family. If you like tractors and buying tat, it is the place for you. There is plenty of rural appeal, but my favourite spot – after the tractors – is the food tent.
Specifically, the liquorice stall.
I absolutely love liquorice. There is always a huge stall in the food tent selling proper Dutch liquorice and other varieties I cannot normally find. As is tradition, I filled up my pick-and-mix bag and waited patiently in the queue.
I had to wait a lot longer than expected because the customer in front of me was incredibly argumentative.
What do you think he was arguing about?
- The quality of the liquorice?
- How long he had to wait to be served?
- How hot it was in the tent?
- The cost?
No, none of those things.
The Great Paper Bag Debate
He wanted the stall holder to weigh the paper bag before paying for the assortment of liquorice he had chosen.
There was a sign hanging behind the display that read, ‘Pick and Mix Liquorice £2.99 per 100g’. He had packed his bag to the brim, but he refused to pay until the stall holder weighed the bag itself. He said he did not want to pay for the weight of the paper bag.
The stall holder replied, ‘Well, you will need the bag to carry your liquorice away.’
It seemed wild to me that someone would argue over such a minor point and such a small amount of money. But the slightly dead-eyed response from the stall holder showed this was certainly not the first time someone had a beef over paying for a gossamer-thin piece of paper by weight.
The argument was dragging on, so I politely chimed in. I pointed out that under UK law, the price shown is what is known as an ‘invitation to treat’, it is not a binding contract. This legal concept stems from when shops transitioned from counter-service to self-service. It’s one of the very few things I remember from my GCSE Law evening classes.
For a second, I thought I would regret opening my mouth. But the customer just looked at me and said, ‘Well, it is very unfair.’
I simply shrugged. Realising he was not going to get his way, he dumped the bag of liquorice and minced off to find another stall holder to bug.
When it was my turn, the stallholder served me and, maybe as a thank-you, knocked a big chunk off the price of my sack of liquorice.
Aligning Expectations
Why am I sharing this?
In business, we are constantly told to get clarity on our offering. Yet, what we want to sell and what people actually want to buy can often be completely different things. Honestly, I think it is often pure coincidence that the two align enough to result in a sale.
As part of my ongoing research into the ‘Trust Engine’, I have realised that asking your clients exactly what they think they are buying can be a massive trust builder. In fact, it can help seal the deal.
We really need to focus on managing expectations.
In the dim, distant past, I lost clients because they thought that hiring an SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) consultant meant hiring a wizard with a magic wand. They expected me to wave it over their business and instantly turn everything around. That has never been how it works.
What Are They Really Buying?
Ask yourself this question, no matter what you sell: do your customers deeply understand what they are buying?
What people think they are buying and what they are actually buying are almost always two different things, regardless of the sector.
Take double-glazing as an example. Customers are not actually excited about the UPVC frames and the glass plugging the gaps in their walls. What they are really buying is security, warmth, and comfort.
Let me know in the comments:
- What do you sell, and what do you think your customers are really buying?
- Would you insist on knowing the weight of a pick-and-mix paper bag?
Last Updated on June 24, 2026
