I was waiting in the doctor’s office to get my broken foot checked recently when a cover line on Ladies Home Journal caught my eye–”Save More Money Without Even Trying.”
(By the way, cover lines–the one-liners on the front of a magazine–are great places to get headline ideas because magazines rely on them to sell store copies–which are usually more profitable than subscriptions.)
The article itself, “Why You Spend More Than You Think,” talks about psychological triggers that encourage people to buy in an effort to help readers cut their spending. But I’ve taken some of their tips and turned them around to show you how you can use these triggers to help you increase your sales…
Keep Your Hands to Yourself
The longer you hold a product, the more you’ll want to buy it. Even if it’s just for a few fleeting seconds, having the product in your hands makes you start feeling like it’s already yours.
That’s why car salesman are so eager for you to take a test drive…Let’s face it, for the vast majority of people, the way the car handles isn’t going to make or break the buying decision. mind.
But when you get behind the wheel, you start seeing yourself driving it to work, running over to the kids’ school or cruising along to the beach. It starts feeling like it’s yours, which makes it a lot harder to walk away and leave the car on the lot.
If you’re selling a service, this isn’t quite as easy to do. Yet two ways you can use this to your advantage are…
- Giving prospects a sample of your service–again, it helps them see more concretely how it will help them and how they’ll benefit if they keep using it
- Including details and powerful words in your copy to help them experience how they’ll look, feel and be after using your service
Pretend You’re the Lone Customer
Customers are more likely to choose a pricey brand over a cheaper one if other shoppers are nearby because they’re concerned what the other shoppers will think if they go for the cheaper one.
Yeah, this sounds a bit vain, and I know, you’re not like that. But remember these are common triggers–that does not mean they apply to everyone. The question is do they apply to your audience?
Regardless, this is a great strategy to consider when you’re selling at a live event. People will naturally talk to others when they’re waiting to turn in their order form or with other attendees afterward–and some do want the bragging rights of saying they’re getting the best, most exclusive option you offer.
So make them happy and be sure to offer several packages at different price points, including a VIP level option they’ll be excited to tell everyone about.
Since this is getting long, I’ll save the last three strategies for Part 2 of How to Get Customers to Spend More, which will be posted next Tuesday!
