Day 28: 3 ways to appeal to more buyers
Published: Sun, 06/19/16
While marketing is often seen as the vehicle that drives sales and spreads brand awareness, achieving these outcomes is never guaranteed.
Many times, when problems occur, they’re the result of a misunderstanding between what buyers want and the products or services that businesses provide.
So what’s the key to closing this gap?
An understanding of human behavior.
So here are 3 ways to use the mind’s natural desires to better connect with your clients and appeal to more buyers:
1. Admit your weaknesses.
Logic says it’s best to keep faults about your product or service quiet. Science, however, suggests otherwise.
When researchers from the University of Michigan and Stanford University analyzed how companies handled negative events -- such as exposed problems or mistakes -- they discovered brands can actually benefit from admitting weaknesses.
In this case, the positive outcome was higher stock prices.
The study, Predicting Stock Prices From Organizational Attributions, detailed how companies (over a 21-year timespan) that made “self disserving” attributions saw higher stock prices within just one year.
According to the researchers, “Claiming personal responsibility for negative events made the organizations appear more in control, leading to more positive impressions.”
For a long time, Volkswagen has embraced its faults well. In the 1960s, the car company gained popularity in the United States through its “Think Small” and “Lemon” ads for the Beetle.
Rather than pushing the usual fanfare about quality, power or safety (which the car lacked), VW emphasized the Beetle’s small size and strange shape -- even calling it a “novelty.” The ads were so successful, AdAge ranked “Think Small” the best advertising campaign of the 20th century.
2. Escape the expected.
Few actions stimulate our brains better than a surprise.
I dig deep into this concept in my book, Escape the Expected: The Secret Psychology of Selling to Today’s Skeptical Consumers.
The bottom line is, the brain isn’t big on waiting. It craves pleasure now -- even if the “surprise” is small.
Psychologist Norbert Schwarz famously conducted a study where he randomly placed a coin (equivalent to a dime) on a copy machine. He then interviewed the people who found it.
Those who made the discovery were more happy and satisfied with their lives than those who didn’t see the dime.
Again, it was a mere 10 cents that the participants found.
“It’s not the value of what you find,” Schwarz noted. “It’s that something positive happened to you.”
MailChimp, an email marketing company, has built their brand on sending customers unexpected gifts. Items range from T-shirts to toys to coloring books, and even monkey-themed knit hats for cats.
In a commoditized industry with many competitors, MailChimp is now a major force.
3. Provide instant gratification.
How often do you buy something online and feel you must wait too long to get it?
This problem was overlooked for a long time by business owners and entrepreneurs, until Amazon made the issue a cornerstone of their marketing.
Numerous studies show -- thanks to MRI scans -- that our brains literally “light up” when we anticipate getting something right away. The longer we wait, the more anxious and stressed we feel.
Amazon built an entire membership service around instant gratification. Their Amazon Prime service allows members to take advantage of faster shipping and instant downloads.
Keep in mind, even using words such as “instantly” or “quick” in your marketing can help your prospects envision having their problems solved right away.
Talk soon,
Tom
NOTE: This is Day 28 of a 30-day marketing challenge for all my subscribers. These emails are designed to help you fix underperforming campaigns, cut marketing expenses and uncover overlooked profits in your business. Simply pick and choose a few strategies and apply them to your business. (Of course, keep me updated on your progress too.)
And if you’d like to discuss having me create a Guaranteed Marketing Profits Program for your business, please click here to get on the waitlist. You’ll be notified when an available spot opens.