Principles of Persuasion: 3 Powerful Ways to Make Your Customers and Prospects Say Yes
I’m a trained public speaker.
Member of the National Speakers Association. Chair of my local chapter. I’ve delivered thousands of speeches to literally hundreds of thousands of people. I love it. I’m good at it.
When I speak, I want my audience to change. To do something as a result of what I’ve shared with them. So I’m careful to incorporate proven principles of persuasion in every speech.
But far more than being just the building blocks of a good speech, these same persuasive principles are crucial to get anyone to do anything.
You see a correlation yet with your business?
If you can’t convince your customers and prospects to DO something as a result of your marketing messages…well, let’s just say you won’t be in business for long!
So pay careful attention to what I’m about to share with you. Because EVERY SINGLE PIECE OF MARKETING NEEDS TO INCORPORATE THESE THREE FUNDAMENTAL ELEMENTS, whether it’s a small ad or a 25-page sales letter.
1)–The Most Powerful Principle in Marketing
Here’s a pop quiz. Don’t read the answer until you’ve really thought about.
What is the single most important component of persuasion in marketing?
Ready for it?
Credibility.
Did I surprise you with my answer?
It’s not benefits…it’s not a fantastic offer…it’s not a killer, unique product.
All these things are undeniably important, but if you can’t get your customers and prospects to believe you, there’s no point anyway.
Whenever I give a speech, I make it a point to appear credible and authoritative. I dress well. I prepare. I briefly mention my professional experience. I smile. I cite statistics and tell anecdotes that support my points. I know that before they buy into anything else I have to say, they have to be convinced I know what I’m talking about.
Doesn’t it just make sense?
I mean, how do YOU respond when you’re confronted with an advertisement or sales pitch that just doesn’t ring true? Do you whip out your wallet and plunk your credit card on the counter? Or do you run the other direction with the words, Yeah, sure, ringing in your mind?
That’s not to say you can’t be bold. You must be bold. But before anything else, you’ve got to be credible.
2)–Make Sure They’re Feelin’ It
The second principle of persuasion is emotional appeal.
In my speeches, I always prepare stories, pictures, and music that stir deep emotions in my audience. It’s just not a speech without it!
By the same token, all your marketing must speak to your prospects and customers on a deep, personal, emotional level. Show them how your product or service fulfills their fundamental needs for safety, acceptance, love, approval, variety, pleasure, and growth.
Tell them stories. Be descriptive in your sales copy. Spell out the benefits. Then the deeper benefits. Then go deeper still.
Always remember the first rule: credibility. Often, it requires thought and subtlety. Telling someone outright that using your dry cleaning service is going to make them more attractive to the opposite sex will probably result in the yeah, right reaction–but what if you paint them a picture of themselves as sharply dressed, successful, clean, and confident?
You don’t think that’s got sex appeal?
Give your prospects a personal stake in what you have to say. Make them feel better about themselves in comparison to the people around them and they’ll do what you ask all day long.
3)–Convince Them with Facts and Figures
Appealing to logic is another important component of any marketing message–but, believe it or not, it’s far from the most important.
Unfortunately, most business owners seem to jump directly here with their marketing messages.
You’ve seen the culprits. Ads that are nothing more than glorified lists of features (”our dry cleaning service is fast, friendly, and prompt”) and boring statistics (”we have a 99% customer satisfaction rate!”).
Don’t get me wrong. Logical proof is important–but never forget this fundamental truth:
People buy for EMOTIONAL reasons. Then they seek logical proof to JUSTIFY the decision they’ve made.
So use your features, facts, and figures to reinforce the buying decision, to move them through to the close, to cut back on buyer’s remorse. Use data to continually establish your credibility. Prove to your prospects through irrefutable evidence that yes! They ARE smarter, they ARE sexier, they ARE better because they bought from you.
So use all three principles of persuasion in all of your marketing messages–and watch your response soar!
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Comments
I really, really, really enjoyed this post. I am working on my first “info product” and I’ve been toiling with how in the world I’m going to get the message across. You bring up some EXCELLENT points that I’ll definitely be heeding. As a matter of fact, I’m going to go ahead and subscribe to this blog… looks to be one of those increasingly rare blogs that may have something uniquely valuable to say.
T
T,
Thank you for stopping by. I’m glad you found the post valuable. It’s good that as you’re in the early start-up phases of your project that you’re thinking about this things. Remembering the three principles above will make a big impact in your success as you bring your product to market.
Let us know how else we can help you on your journey.
Success,
Jim
NOPE !! in my MBA program is was Emotional appeal Trumps Credibility and Logic, by a WIDE margin in almost every case study ever done.
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