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Today I would like to look at the
matter of persuasion. How do you get your prospects to take action?
I remember as a
door-to-door salesman, my instructor often said that you must understand 'why
people buy'. It has a certain ring to it doesn't it? If you know why people buy
then you must gear your ads towards these 'psychological buttons'.
Before I go any
further, I would just like to mention that this is in no way 'manipulation'.
It's just common sense that you don't approach someone about an important
decision when they're angry. Every wise wife knows how to place their husband in
that 'mood' before they spring their special request on him!
Even kids wait
until their parents are in a good mood before they tell them the cost of the
special outfit that they MUST have.
Having cleared the
air let's look at these important principles.
1. Scarcity
People go after
those opportunities or products that are limited in availability. That's why you
must show in your ad that your offer is for a limited time or in limited
quantities. Field tests have shown that limited-quantity ads pull much better
than limited-time ads. Procrastination is still a large part of human nature, so
there're always those who would wait until the last minute to act. If the
prospect knows that the item is in limited quantity, there's no way of
determining when they'd be all sold out.
2. Herding Instinct
Your prospects will
better respond to your ad if you can show that people JUST LIKE them are
responding. Just recently a high school senior knocked on my door selling
magazine subscription for a college scholarship program. She used that number on
me - she was sure to let me know that my neighbours had bought subscriptions! We
all just want to keep up with our neighbours. Needless to say, I fell for it.
Whether I would read the magazine is another story.
I often point this
out to my wife and you can try looking for this pattern as well. You would
seldom find a satellite dish on a single home on a block. You often find dish
receivers in pairs or more. One neighbour gets that service and the other
follows. The same goes for gardens and lawns. Nobody wants to be the sore thumb!
This is where the use of testimonials comes in. Your testimonials say "See, a
lot of people like you are making this decision". Use lots of testimonials.
3. The desire to pay back a good deed
If someone thinks
that you've given him or her something of value then there is a strong desire to
pay you back the favour. One example is that of AOL that marketed their service
by giving away those floppy disks. They literally blanketed the USA with these
floppy disks. They still do but now with CDs and 1000 hrs free etc. Do you think
that this is working for AOL?
In your marketing
efforts you must give something of value FIRST - this builds loyalty and
results. Always show the value of what your 'free' service is - never just say
'FREE'. Show the value of the gift then say that it is free. This is important
because you want the person to place value on your bonus.
4. Authority
People will listen
to you if they see that you have authority on your subject. There was a TV
commercial that used this line - "My son-in-law recommended that I take _____
for my heartburn. Why should I listen to him you say? He's a doctor".
You may think that
you do not have authority on what you are advertising. In this case appeal to
authority figures - quote from a respected journal, expert ... you get the idea.
5. Commitment
If someone has made
a PUBLIC commitment to something then they are more likely to follow through.
Find some way of getting someone to make a commitment and he or she's more
likely to follow through than if they did not. That's why any motivational
trainer would tell you that it's important to WRITE your goals down -you are
more likely to complete them!
Just today I
received a sales letter in the mail for which I had to send for free
information. My physical act of commitment was to peel a nice red label marked
"free" and place it in a designated spot on the mail back card. Now you know why
they make you do this little silly stuff.
Only if weddings
worked the same way!
6. Your 'likability'
People would
respond to your offer if they like you. It's hard to sell to someone to whom you
have no relationship even if it's just a 'perceived' relationship. This is one
of the most overlooked areas of marketing on the Internet.
The Internet can
seem a little cold sometimes. I've found that even after making email contact
with my prospect I still have to make voice contact before they sign up for my
offers. At the same time the Internet is a wonderful tool to build relationships
through emails, message boards, instant messages ... the list goes on. It's a
known fact that someone would buy from you if THEY think that YOU like them.
Give people value, more than they expect and you have a customer for life!
7. The eternal "what's in it for me?"
principle
As your prospect
read your ad this is the question they are seeking an answer to. Make sure that
you give them plenty of answers. Appeal to their desire for recognition, wealth,
better health, and security -yes all those nice things on Maslow's Hierarchy of
Needs - all the way up to self-actualization. (Check out a Psychology 101 text
book if you are not familiar with Maslow -you will glad you did.) But do not
forget to appeal to their FEAR of pain and loss.
Field research has
shown that people are more responsive to loss than gain. Be sure to show them
what they would LOSE if they don't get your product.
Read through your
ads again and see if these buttons are pressed!
Ray Edwards may be
contacted at
http://www.raydal.com
daseph@juno.com.
Ray L. Edwards is the author of "77 Ways To Skyrocket Your Website's Conversion"
and "The No-Click Traffic Secret". Learn how to drive targeted traffic to your
site and convert them into buyers in the quickest time. Visit him at:
http://www.raydal.com |
