When It’s Gone, That’s It! – Rule #6

It’s a quirk of human nature. Even when something has little appeal, it becomes more attractive when we think we might miss it.

6 weeks ago, I began a series on the concept of psychological triggers in human behavior that lead to predictable outcomes – remember my Mama Turkey example?

There are what we call the 6 Pillars of Persuasion (behavioral triggers) that bring people to ‘yes’ – a huge benefit when trying to convert prospects to your product.

I use them in my copywriting business all the time and the results are startling.

This is the 6th and final Pillar of Persuasion, and it is known as Gone.

FOMO
The Fear Of Missing Out plays a large role in human decision-making. There is evidence that shows people seem to be more motivated by the thought of losing something than gaining something.

Homeowners told how much money they could lose from inadequate insulation are more likely to insulate their homes than those told how much money they could save.

When creating your own Words that Sell, here are some trigger words that implant the idea in readers’ minds that they could miss out if they don’t act NOW:

• When it’s gone, that’s it!
• Limited number left
• There is a deadline
•  Limited availability
• Call NOW
• Pop-up sale only today
• Don’t Wait

How many more can you name?

Previous Persuasion Pillars
1. Take and Give
2. Doubling Down
3. Social Proof
4. How Can I Get You to Like Me?
5. Authority

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Converting Readers to ‘Yes’ – Rule #5: Authority

The 5th in a series on psychological triggers that bring people to ‘yes’ – a huge benefit when writing copy that converts. This week’s psychological trigger is called Authority.

Nothing triggers confidence quite like believing somebody knows what he or she is talking about. In fact, it can be downright liberating. To a certain extent, you can suspend disbelief.

Similarly, establishing your business as an authority in its field can get prospects to trust you and ultimately buy from you.

Writing expert content is a great way to:

• Be seen as an authority
• Build a brand
• Stand out among competition
• Influence prospects to try your product

Getting Started
It’s simple – and it’s not. You need to create content that is helpful to your target market, and appeals to their wants, needs, and challenges.

It’s simple because, as an expert, you can easily draw on the knowledge that you need to create content.

It’s not so simple because, to make an impact, you have to create a ton of content. And that is time consuming!

Nevertheless, it’s critical to establish your business as knowledgeable, innovative, and leading-edge.

As we look to 4th quarter 2018, why not choose one of the following authority-driven pieces of content, and resolve to create it by the end of the year?

1. Write a book
2. Publish articles, white papers, workbooks – and post them to your website
3. Send information-driven emails – weekly
4. Develop two or three signature speeches and speak – everywhere
5. Create a catchy tagline that claims your expertise

Previous Persuasion Pillars (triggers)
1. Take and Give
2. Doubling Down
3. Social Proof
4. How Can I Get You to Like Me?

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Converting Readers to ‘Yes’ – Rule #4: Liking

How can I get you to like me when all we’ve ever done is email?

There is nothing more powerful in making a sale than liking the sales person.

Think about it. Don’t we all tend to give business to people we know and like? It’s human nature.

This is tough when it comes to sales writing. You don’t have the advantage of a firm handshake, eye-to-eye contact, your personality shining through.

This is the 4th in a series on psychological triggers that lead to predictable outcomes – and MORE SALES.

This week’s trigger is called Liking.

This is how it works: be somebody people would like to buy from. Simple? No. But not that hard either.

The thing is how do you get prospects to think of you as a friend when you are primarily communicating in writing? After all most sales meetings nowadays are by email or maybe online presentation.

One thing I know for sure – you have to stay in front of your customer with honest, helpful, friendly information – at least 3-4 times per month – and with far more free information than selling – roughly 80% free information / 20% sales.

Where do you get ideas for all that content? Here are a few things you might not have thought of:

1. A letter from you telling them how much you like and appreciate them
2. Customer spotlights
3. Feature stories that link your company to current events
4. Frequently asked questions about your industry – and answers
5. Interviews with thought-leaders and up-and-comers
6. Focus on employee or employees
7. Company volunteer projects
8. Holiday greetings
9. Photos from a recent business event
10. Tips that make their lives and jobs easier

Previous Persuasion Pillars
1. Take and Give
2. Doubling Down
3. Social Proof 

Why not schedule a 15-minute CLAIREty CALL with me?
Get a free estimate on your copywriting project
No obligation, of course.

Converting Readers to ‘Yes’ – Rule #3: Social Proof

Do you consider yourself an independent thinker – one who can’t be influenced by another’s opinions? Think again.

Q. Why does hearing somebody laugh make us laugh at the same thing? Why do we read Oprah’s book picks? Why do late night hosts influence what we think about politics?

A. Because we tend to determine what is correct by looking to others to see what they think is correct. This principle is particularly true when it comes to deciding where to put our hard-earned money.

In the last couple of Jigsaws, I wrote about psychological triggers that lead to predictable outcomes. They are all based on the 6 Pillars of Persuasion that bring readers to ‘yes’ – a huge benefit when trying to convert prospects.

This week’s trigger – #3 in the series – is known as Social Proof. And we are all subject to it at some point in our lives.

What is Social Proof? It is simply anything that offers proof that other people think something is good. That seems to be good enough to get some people to buy.

Here are 3 pieces of proof that will add power to your sales copy – and lead readers to ‘yes’.

Testimonials. Position them so that they are one of the first things readers see.

Case Studies. Far more detailed than testimonials, they add an extra layer of proof.

Numbers. Click-throughs, people in attendance, sales to date are proof that other people bought. And according to the law of social influence, that is enough to persuade others to buy as well.

Previous Persuasion Pillars
1. Take and Give
2. Doubling Down

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Doubling Down on an Investment – Rule #2

This is the second in a series devoted to the concept of psychological triggers in human behavior that lead to predictable outcomes – with a high likelihood of converting prospects to ‘yes.’

Try them when writing your own Words That Sell.

Today’s trigger is “Doubling Down”

Humans have a nearly obsessive desire to be (and to appear) consistent with what they have already done. Once we make a choice, we feel an internal pressure to justify our decision – and sometimes spend more money.

For instance, say you send a sales letter to a few prospects with a link to your website where they can buy your product. Some buy.

What you can then do is immediately send out a follow-up letter to everybody who invested offering an additional related service. The behavioral trigger kicks in. The commitment generates its own support. Some of the people who committed to your original product invest in the upsell. Some don’t. But you probably will make more money.

Previous Persuasion Pillar
1. Take and Give

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Converting Readers to ‘Yes’ – Rule #1

In the last issue of Jigsaw, I introduced you to the concept of psychological triggers in human behavior that lead to predictable outcomes – remember my Mama Turkey example?

There are what we call the 6 Pillars of Persuasion (behavioral triggers) that bring people to ‘yes’ – a huge benefit when trying to convert prospects to try your product.

I use them in my copywriting business all the time and the results are startling.

Over the next 6 weeks, I am going to be sharing them with you.

The first trigger is “Take and Give.”

When we take something offered to us by somebody, most people feel obliged to give something back. A holiday card elicits a return greeting. Somebody opens an outside door, we open the inside door. A dinner invitation precipitates a return invite.

How does this help when you are writing your own “Words That Sell?”

One of the best ways to kick the “Take and Give” law into action is through free samples.

If you’re selling your new book, offer a free sample. If you want to help people understand your services, offer a free webinar. They take something and when you do a follow-up call, a large number will feel obligated to talk.

Now here’s where it gets interesting. This rule only works if you are asking for “fair exchange.” A couple of paragraphs usually won’t sell a complete book. A webinar won’t sell a $2,000 program. But it will get people feeling obligated enough to take the next step and listen to what you have to say.

Why not schedule a 15-minute CLAIREty CALL with me?
Get a free estimate on your copywriting project
No obligation, of course.

Turkey Triggers

Why can some people sell anything, and others fail? Why, if sales copy is written one way, it converts – and another, it dies?

The answer to both questions is – TRIGGERS.

There are psychological triggers of human behavior – that, in most cases, result in predictable outcomes.

Here’s an example:

Mother Turkey

Turns out turkeys are very good mothers. They tend, warm, clean, and huddle their young beneath them.

But there is something odd about their method. Virtually all of this mothering is triggered by one thing: the “cheep-cheep” sound of young turkey chicks.

Smell, touch, or appearance play minor roles. If a chick makes the “cheep-cheep” noise, its mother will care for it. If not, the mother will ignore or sometimes kill it.

The Important Point is – Humans Have Parallel Trigger Points

Important to marketers, those trigger points can lead to increased purchases.

For instance, you might be surprised to learn that higher pricing can be more tempting than a discounted price.

Why?

Because a higher price triggers an expectation of higher quality. Buyers who want a better quality item will often go for the higher price because they think they are getting a better product – even when the two items are virtually the same.

While your inclination might be to highlight low prices … discounts … and close-out sales, consider if your customer is more interested in quality than in price. If so, you may want to add a higher-priced premium item to your list of services.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sending you more information on Trigger Techniques that you can use in your marketing.

In the meantime …

When you’re looking to take the sales performance of your landing pages … emails … sales letters … ads … websites … videos … content marketing … and other online and offline promotions to the next level …

Why not schedule a 15-minute CLAIREty CALL with me?
Get a free estimate on your copywriting project
No obligation, of course.