The myth:
We like to think modern buyers are rational. They compare options, read reviews, run demos, build spreadsheets, and then pick the best solution. Especially in B2B. After all, large purchases come with committees, procurement processes, and carefully constructed business cases.
In this story, progress is inevitable. Better product wins. Better price wins. Better pitch wins. Movement feels natural.
But if that were true, most markets would move faster than they do.
The reality:
Most buyers don’t change course easily — even when the alternative is objectively better. Not because they’ve analysed the situation and chosen stability, but because staying put is the path of least resistance.
The research:
Psychologists call this status quo bias — our tendency to stick with what we already have, even when better options exist. Changing course feels risky. It demands effort. It creates responsibility. If we switch and things go wrong, it’s our fault. If we stay and things stagnate, at least we didn’t cause the loss.
Underneath this sits loss aversion: losses feel more painful than equivalent gains feel good. So switching away from the current state feels like giving something up, even when the upside is clear.
Layer on limited attention, decision fatigue, and daily cognitive overload, and the default option quietly wins. Not by being chosen — but by not being challenged.
This is why default settings are so powerful. Automatic enrolment in retirement plans dramatically increases participation simply because opting out requires action. Defaults don’t force behaviour. They quietly guide it.
Examples:
Here are additional examples of status quo bias drawn from behavioural economics and real-world contexts:
- Retirement Savings Plans:
Many employees remain in their default investment allocation for decades, even though market conditions, personal goals, or risk tolerance may have changed. - Email and App Subscriptions:
People frequently keep auto-renewing subscriptions (e.g., streaming services, software, or magazines) even if they no longer use them. We tend to perceive that doing nothing feels easier than actively canceling. - Technology and Software Settings:
Users rarely change default settings on devices, apps, or social media—even when those defaults lead to privacy risks or inefficiencies. For example, people often keep their social media accounts set to public, despite privacy concerns, because “it’s easier to leave it as is.”
Now put this inside a B2B buying journey. A company has used the same analytics platform for six years. It’s clunky. Reporting takes too long. The UI feels dated. Everyone complains about it. A competitor shows up with a better product, clearer insights, and a lower price. The demo goes well. The team likes it. The spreadsheet even shows savings. And then… nothing happens.
Why?
Because switching means migrating data. Retraining teams. Updating workflows. Rebuilding dashboards. Risking downtime. Owning the decision if something breaks. Staying feels safer — even if it’s slower, more expensive, and frustrating.
I’ve seen enterprise deals stall for months after enthusiastic demos. Not because the product wasn’t good enough, but because the current system — however imperfect — had gravity. In B2B, the biggest competitor is often not another vendor. It’s the status quo.
What this means:
If buyers are biased toward staying put, then winning isn’t just about being better. It’s about reducing the psychological cost of change.
A few practical implications:
- Don’t only sell features. Sell safe transitions. Migration plans, onboarding support, and low-risk pilots matter more than another capability slide.
- Make switching feel reversible. Trials, phased rollouts, and opt-out language reduce perceived risk.
- Frame staying as the risky choice. Highlight the cost of inaction: inefficiency, security risk, missed opportunity.
- Lower cognitive load. Simple pricing, clear packages, and guided next steps beat complex choice matrices.
- Leverage defaults inside your product. Once adopted, make the best behaviours the path of least effort.
Progress doesn’t happen when buyers are convinced. It happens when change feels easy, safe, and obvious.
Closing thought
We don’t resist better options. We resist the work of leaving the familiar.
