FoRMOpHOBIA IS REAL.

Friction. Great for kindling. Rubbish for conversions.  

There’s a time and a place for friction.  

Like when you’re rubbing your hands together on a freezing cold dog walk.  

But when it comes to converting prospects, onboarding new clients and running half-decent marketing?  

Friction is about as welcome as a cold call from a claims management firm.  

In our ‘Position for Growth’ programme, we spend a good chunk of time on experience.  

Not the “We’ve got 47 years combined experience” type.  

The experience you give your clients.  

And spoiler alert: friction ruins it.

Think about it.  

Ever tried downloading a report and been hit with a form longer than a mortgage application?  

Full name. Company. Job title. Email. Phone number.  

Mother’s maiden name. Blood type. Favourite pizza topping.  

Formophobia is real.  

And we wonder why no one’s converting.

Ask yourself:  

- Do I really need all that info?  

- Do I even need to gate this content at all?  

- Am I helping people? Or harvesting them?

You could build trust by giving away value, no strings attached.  

Then retarget like a ninja using pixels.  

No awkward opt-ins needed.

Same goes for onboarding.  

Stop making new clients jump through hoops just to start paying you.

- Can you roll contracts, NDAs and paperwork into one doc?  

- Can you use video intros to make handoffs less jarring?  

- Can you please ditch the email tennis and use a scheduling link?

If the answer’s yes, do it.  

There are rare cases where friction makes sense.  

Take Gusto or HelloFresh.

Bit more effort than a greasy takeaway, sure.

But it’s healthier. More nourishing. Worth it.

Same goes for consulting.

Sometimes, friction is the job.

You’re not paid to nod politely and crack on.

You’re paid to challenge assumptions.

To ask the awkward questions.

To hold up the mirror and say, “Is this really working?”

So ask yourself:

Is the friction you’re adding healthy?

Or just habit?

Because let’s be honest – if you're losing clients at the form-fill, the handoff or the first calendar dance…  

It’s not them.  

It’s you.

Lose the friction.

Keep the client.