Brain Driven Brands: Episode Summary Title: Tell People to Take Stuff Out of Their Cart…We’re Serious.
Host: Sarah Levinger
Release Date: July 10, 2025

In this insightful episode of Brain Driven Brands, hosts Sarah Levinger and Nate Legos dive deep into the psychology of consumer behavior, specifically focusing on how limiting choices can enhance e-commerce conversions and reduce cart abandonment. Drawing from neuromarketing strategies employed by nine-figure brands, the duo explores actionable tactics that any e-commerce business can implement to optimize sales and engage customers more effectively.

1. Introduction and Setting the Stage (00:00 - 03:32)

The episode kicks off with Sarah and Nate returning from vacation, quickly transitioning into the primary topic: the impending Black Friday season and its significance for e-commerce brands. Sarah highlights the importance of preparing for the busiest sales period of the year, mentioning her Core Identity Mapping (CIM) strategy aimed at understanding customer behavior during holidays.

Notable Quote:

• Sarah (01:12): "This year, I'm planning on running my own CIMs during the Black Friday season so that I can get data on how people are acting during the holidays."

Nate humorously attempts to explain CIM, emphasizing its value in shaping content and product strategies.

2. Understanding Choice Overload and Cognitive Overload (03:26 - 07:59)

Sarah delves into a Twitter post that didn’t gain as much traction as she hoped, centered around the concept of choice overload and cognitive overload—situations where too many options overwhelm consumers, leading to decision fatigue and cart abandonment.

She shares a compelling story about a 1950s Los Angeles shoe salesman who found that when presented with three choices, customers were less likely to make a purchase compared to when offered only two options.

Notable Quote:

• Scotty (04:37): "When they had a choice of three, they bought none. And when they had a choice of two, they bought one."

Sarah extrapolates this concept to modern e-commerce, proposing a strategy where websites limit the number of items a customer can add to their cart before prompting them to remove items. This approach aims to reduce overwhelm and encourage completion of purchases.

Notable Quote:

• Sarah (05:14): "People see too many options and decision fatigue kicks in. They start like second guessing themselves and their purchases. Do I really need this?"

3. The Psychology Behind Cart Management (07:59 - 12:30)

Nate and Sarah discuss personal shopping behaviors that mirror the proposed strategy, such as adding multiple items to a cart only to narrow down choices later. Sarah emphasizes that the cart should not be viewed merely as an "add to cart" action but rather as a "save for later" feature, akin to a Pinterest board.

She introduces the concept of agency—the capacity of individuals to act independently and make their own choices—and how controlling the number of items in a cart can guide customers towards more deliberate purchasing decisions without feeling manipulated.

Notable Quote:

• Sarah (08:30): "The brain is trying really hard to make quick decisions. Do I need to waste energy on this or not?"

4. Decision Fatigue and Its Impact on Sales (10:14 - 12:30)

The conversation shifts to decision fatigue, a state where the brain's ability to make decisions deteriorates after a long session of decision-making. Sarah explains how this phenomenon contributes significantly to cart abandonment and customer churn.

She cites statistics indicating peak cart abandonment between 6 PM and 9 PM, attributing it to the cumulative decisions customers make throughout the day. Conversely, she notes that purchases are more likely to occur on Mondays when customers are more rested and capable of making thoughtful decisions.

Notable Quote:

• Sarah (11:34): "The brain is trying really hard to make quick decisions. Do I need to waste energy on this or not?"

5. Implementing Choice Architecture in E-Commerce (12:30 - 17:03)

Sarah introduces the term Choice Architect, advocating for marketers to design the decision-making environment for consumers thoughtfully. By strategically limiting options and providing social proof (e.g., "Most of our customers choose the 12 pack"), brands can guide customers towards preferred actions without restricting their freedom to choose.

Nate aligns with this approach, emphasizing the importance of directing customers effectively to enhance sales outcomes.

Notable Quotes:

• Sarah (15:45): "We need to stop calling ourselves growth marketers and we need to start calling ourselves choice architects."
• Nate (16:41): "We have so much control over what they buy and how much they buy."

6. Practical Applications and Future Discussions (17:03 - 19:38)

Wrapping up the episode, Sarah and Nate discuss potential tests and strategies to implement the discussed theories, such as highlighting best-selling products or creating targeted landing pages that simplify choices for customers. They tease future episodes that will delve into the psychology of bundling products to further optimize sales.

Sarah encourages listeners to join her community for more in-depth knowledge on psychological marketing strategies, while Nate promotes his own podcast, offering actionable insights with a focus on practical applications.

Notable Quote:

• Sarah (18:42): "We can't use like hacky shit anymore because the brain is going to constantly filter out and do its own thing. So I would so much rather, you know, what to do from a psychology standpoint than just like accidentally do things but you didn't mean to do."

Conclusion

This episode of Brain Driven Brands provides a comprehensive exploration of how understanding and applying psychological principles—such as choice overload, decision fatigue, and agency—can significantly impact e-commerce success. By adopting a role as Choice Architects, marketers can design more effective shopping experiences that guide customers towards favorable purchasing decisions, ultimately boosting sales and reducing cart abandonment.

Stay Connected:

• Sarah Levinger: Sarah's Twitter | Tether Lab
• Nate Legos: Nate's Twitter | Tactical and Practical Podcast

Brain Driven Brands is part of the Learn and Laugh series on the Quickfire Podcast Network and is presented by Tether Insights. For more information, visit tetherinsights.io.