How do you get your prospects browsing your eCommerce site, to take action on what you’re marketing. It comes down to persuasion. Think of the traditional door-to-door salesman selling vacuum cleaners, life insurance, or magazine subscriptions. They knew how to influence.
They all knew the triggers on why people buy. They know the exact psychological buttons to push on a bored unaware mindset.
This isn’t about aggressive strong arm tactics or being manipulative, or ripping someone off.
It’s more about using common sense, such as never approaching someone regarding an important decision, when they’re angry or busy.
Every wife knows how to soothe their husband into a better mood, before requesting what they want.
Children are the masters of this. They know the exact moment their parents are feeling good, before they ask for things they want. Or tell them something they did wrong.
When it comes to marketing, it’s all about placing the prospects mindset in the proper “buying” mood.
1.) – Sense Of Scarcity
What people chase, are opportunities or products which appears limited in supply. That’s why shrewd marketers have “limited time” or “limited quantity” deadlines on their ads.
What tests also show, is that “limited quantity” consistently has better results than “limited time.”
Procrastination remains a key human instinct, as most will just sit and wait until the last moment to act.
If a potential buyer knows the item is in limited quantity, they have no way of determining when it will be sold out, which creates urgency.
2.) – Herding Instinct
Buyers will take action, once they know people similar to them, are also interested in buying the same offer.
A door-to-door salesman, will mention Sally who lives several doors down the block, just bought a magazine subscription.
Then the “keeping up with the Jones’s” mentality kicks in, and the prospect buys as well. Whether she really wanted the magazine at all, is debatable.
That’s the reason why every home in the neighborhood, drive similar cars, their lawns are manicured the same way, they have the same garage door.
One neighbor gets something new, the others follow. Nobody wants to stick out and be different.
That’s why customer feedback and testimonials are so effective. Testimonials such as, “See, people who are similar to you, are buying this product.”
3.) – There’s An Obligation To Buy
Once a prospect thinks they’re getting more than promised, once someone over delivers, it becomes human nature for the recipient to somehow pay back the favor.
This could be offering free shipping for a limited time, or a “free” month trial, to try out or buy your product.
You need to give something of value first, which builds loyalty and goodwill.
Always show the value of what your free offer is, while avoiding using the word “Free” if possible.
This becomes important, because what you want is the person to place value on the offer.
4.) – Appear Like An Authority
People will listen more intently, once they think you’re an expert in something. That you’re an authority in your industry, product or service.
There are a variety of instances, where this can be used.
Ad phrases such as:
“My son-in-law recommended I take this product for my arthritis. Why should I listen to him you ask? Well, because he’s a doctor.”
What most advertisers think however, is they don’t have any authority on what they’re selling, such as an affiliate product.
If this happens to be the case, then appeal to and use authority figures as a reference, this by quoting from a respected journal or expert.
5.) – Force Them To Make A Small Commitment
Once someone makes a commitment, either mentally and especially verbally, this to something they’re interested in. Then they’re more than likely to follow through.
The key becomes to influence your prospect to somehow take some type of action. Doing so brings them a step closer to buying your product.
This is the reason why when wanting to reach your own goals, you need to write them down. The odds then increases you’ll follow through on them.
A common marketing tactic that’s used on the Internet, is if you want more information, you need to enter your email address in an opt-in box.
The physical act of commitment, which was to enter your name and email address, states you’re mentally obligating yourself to follow through on the next action, which is purchasing the product.
6.) – Always Remain On Their Side
People will respond to your offer more often, if they like you. It also becomes more difficult to sell to someone, if you don’t have a previous relationship with them.
So become familiar, develop rapport, even if it happens to be a perceived relationship. This connection is often overlooked, especially when marketing on the Internet.
The Internet can be a cold dark place. So it becomes important to make some type of personal connection with your prospects.
Make a video for instance of you describing the product, so they can connect your message to a face and a voice.
Facebook™ remains the best and the most inexpensive and time efficient method, for building relationships. This through videos, ecommerce landing pages, testimonials, etc.
What’s a known fact, is someone will most likely buy from you, if they think you like them as well, and value their time.
This begins with giving them value first by over delivering, by giving them more than they expected, and then they’ll be customers for life.
7.) – The “What’s In It For Me?” Syndrome
As your prospect reads your advertisement or sales page, what they’re wondering is. “What’s in it for me?” What hurt can this solve?
So make sure, you give them a variety and plenty of reasons why your product or service, will impact and solve their life issues for a moment.
Appeal to their desire to be loved, become wealthy, wanting recognition, or gain better health.
Appeal somehow to their basic core human needs, and plant it in their minds so they don’t forget.
Tell them how your product can fill their void, appeal to the fear they’re feeling. Relate to the pain and loss they’re experiencing.
What’s known for certain, is people are more responsive and will take action, to loss rather than gain.
So explain to them what they can potentially lose, if they don’t buy your product.