5. Use words that sell

  • Create a sense of urgency when trying to get viewers to take an action.
    limited time. limited quantity.

When no action is taken, it’s not necessarily because the viewer wasn’t willing to. It’s a non-decision. Often a little push is all they need.

“one of the most influential psychological factors that affect the buying process is urgency—giving your prospective customers a reason to buy, now. Not tomorrow. Not down the line. In this moment.”
-James Scherer

  • If applicable, Offer Samples

Allow the user to sample the product/service. (This combats their ‘doubt’ mechanism and creates a sense of obligation or reciprocation to the seller)

  • Newness is good

Using certain words that give a sense of something new trigger an instinctual motivation in humans and thus can entice a sale or other action.
wordcloud

  • Familiar is good.

As much as we love ‘new’, we also love ‘familiar’. Studies show that viewers tend to respond well to words like: Friend, Home, Love, Partner, Fair, etc. Such words evoke a connotation of warmth and comfort.

  • Testimonials build trust.

Consider making them very visible on websites, videos, banner ads, newsletters, etc.

  • Branding builds trust.

Feature well known names of companies that you’ve worked with or are associated with if your brand isn’t already established. Develop a good logo, look/style, personality, and color set and be consistent with it.

  • Numbers (stats) establish credibility and build buyer confidence.

Don’t expect them to take your word for it. Show it with real numbers, real case studies, real results – where possible.

Actionable Strategies:

  • Collect testimonials from wherever you can.
    • Reach out to satisfied customers for a testimonial. Add a rating plugin to your sales funnel that will ask customers for a written review if they respond positively.
  • For products, consider replacing images of your products with images of people using your products.

Much of the info contained in this blog post was sourced from James Scherer’s course on Psychological factors that influence purchase decisions. For a deeper dive into this information, please consider taking his course here.
Introduction revisions contributed by Patrick Eck.