Beyond Fear And Greed: Emotions That Sell
Fear and Greed. The stock-in-trade of sales. Appeal to them, and your success is assured. But isn’t there more to life than those two emotions?
Yes, there is. And your marketing would do well to expand its emotional horizons! Let’s take a look at a few of the other response-generating feelings:
Curiosity: “What never… ever to eat on an airplane!” That headline is from the super-successful sales letter for Bottom Line newsletter subscriptions. You read the message to find the answer to the question – which, by the way, is only answered if you subscribe.
Vanity: Everyone wants to look good. Can your product or service make them more beautiful? But don’t stop there – vanity can sell more than just diet and beauty products. Verbal Advantage uses vanity (people will think you’re more intelligent) to sell vocabulary tapes. Will your product or service make your prospect look more successful? (Sometimes a higher cost can be a benefit.) How about the appeal of being “cool” or “hip”?
Insecurity: The flip side of vanity. Insecurity is so powerful, so prevalent, that it can be traced to the root of almost all other emotional sales pitches. In fact, it’s so powerful, it only needs to be hinted at to be effective: “Quite frankly, the American Express Card is not for everyone. And not everyone who applies for Cardmembership will be approved. However, we believe you will…” You almost have to apply to prove that you’re good enough!
Nostalgia: Remember how wonderful things were back in the "good old days?" Whether those days were really "good" or not, we have a deep-rooted connection to our past. The smallest things -- an aroma, a song -- can bring back memories so powerful, it's as if the moment just happened.
People will spend all kinds of money to stay connected to good memories. Is there some way your product or service can make that connection? Or is there just some way to make that connection, then apply it to your product? Car companies do it by playing classic rock music in their commercials -- even though a new Buick has nothing to do with your teenage years.
Passion: I'm not talking about the lustful kind. What is your prospect passionate about? You can create an instant bond by being passionate about it, too. Fly Fisherman magazine did just that with the classic "Trout Spoken Here" subscription letter. They talked a bit about the "amiable madness" of fly fishing, and only when the connection was made did they begin to overtly sell the subscription. And they sold a ton of them!
Anger: It's you and me against those dirty, evil, low-lifes that have been ripping us off! They lie to you. They take candy from babies. Want to get back at them? Buy from me instead.
There are all kinds of ways to connect with your prospect. Which one will work best depends on who you're selling to. Find out who he is, then choose the best way to get close to his heart. His wallet won't be far behind.
Permission is granted to reprint articles in their entirety, provided the following attribution is included:
Does your marketing forge an emotional connection with your prospects? It can. Lisa Packer is “The Copywriter You Can Count On” for powerful, persuasive copy that makes you money. Visit www.lisapacker.com and unleash the power of words in your business today!
