Here in Finland, second hand is quite popular. There are plenty of shops that sell second hand stuff, mainly clothes and furniture, but also other items people is happy to pass on to someone else. They are called kirppis.

Kirppis usually have plenty of items. And yet, when you walk into one, there is no guarantee you are going to find what you need. You have to scan through the racks, check all the boxes, survey the tables and review the many shelves. The experience is often overwhelming, but it is the very same concept of second hand that makes it such: you are asking customers to give up ease and standardisation in exchange for low prices and something similar to the thrill of pulling the handle of a slot machine.

The point is, when you overwhelm your audience with facts and information about your product, features, services, what you are offering them is essentially a kirppis experience. You are telling them, “We are sorry, we could not make a decision on what is important, nor could we bother figuring out what you care about, hence we are going to let you scan, check, survey and review all of the terrific things we can offer in the hope you’ll find what you are looking for.“

Of course they will move on. You would too.