The low hanging fruit expression comes from fruit trees with easily accessible lower branches. In business, it refers to targeting the easiest customers first, while in politics, it means achieving easily attainable goals. It can be positive or negative, and critics argue that it’s not always the best approach. Real fruit pickers start at the top of the tree where the fruit is ripest.
We have Mother Nature to thank for the low hanging fruit expression. A fruit tree often contains some branches low enough for animals and humans to reach them without much effort. The fruit contained on these lower limbs may not be as ripe or attractive as the fruit on the upper limbs, but is usually more abundant and easier to pick. Hence the popular expression, which generally means selecting the easiest targets with the least amount of effort.
In business, the term low fruit is often associated with the sale of consumer products or services. Sales professionals, especially those just entering the field, are encouraged to seek out the easiest customers first. Competitors may spend more time chasing the higher commission sales of higher “customer affiliates,” leaving behind lower paying rewards for others to claim. Parents looking for cheap insurance for school-age children, for example, may be considered cheap fruit by insurance companies.
Another use of the expression can be found in the political arena. A politician can set a set of easily achievable goals and achieve them with minimal effort. Voters may perceive the politician’s actions as evidence of his strong work ethic, but in reality he has only reaped the low-hanging political benefits. Critics often use the expression to describe someone who chooses a sure thing over a more difficult but more rewarding activity.
The idea of low fruit can be seen as both a positive and a negative. On the one hand, it is usually plentiful and often ignored by those looking for more attractive offers. But even low-capacity fruit can be seen as a negative, as the picker understands how low the quality of the fruit can be and picks it anyway. Someone who consistently chooses instant gratification might be seen by others as lazy or unambitious.
Critics of the low-hanging fruit business model point to the examples of real fruit pickers. Orchard workers routinely begin harvesting at the highest point of a tree, where the fruit has been exposed to the most sunlight and is usually the ripest. It makes sense to pick the low-lying fruit last, as it takes longer to ripen. In a business or social sense, it also makes sense to avoid the simpler options if a little more effort and time would lead to a much better return.
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