Use Psychology to Communicate with Your Customers

Advertising genius, David Ogilvy, famously said, ‘A good advertisement is one which sells the product without drawing attention to itself.’ When you think about this for a second, Ogilvy seems to contradict himself. Surely you have to talk about the product to sell it? Or is there a more subtle explanation?

Imagine you are in your local furniture store hoping to buy a new bed. You may well be armed with a ‘must-have’ tick list. Or maybe you are looking for a specific size, shape or manufacturer. What if all the beds are a similar size, shape and quality? How do you decide?

The next step would be to consider comfort. Is the mattress hard or soft? Is it made from a specific material? Is it hypoallergenic? Ultimately, your decision may well be swayed by whether you think you’ll be able to get a good night’s sleep in the bed you’ve chosen.

The good night’s sleep is essentially what you buy, not the bed frame! Once you think of selling as what added value a product gives to customers, sales copy becomes easier to write. Ogilvy tapped into an important truth: people make decisions based on their emotions and perceptions. Exploring this can pay dividends.

The key to connecting with clients

• People buy benefits … and are naturally attracted to something which suits their needs. They are egocentric – and only interested in ‘WIFM.’ (What’s in it for me?) Understanding this can make a huge difference to your sales writing. The key to persuasive writing is focusing on consumer benefits.
• People look for value in something. Value is always relative to what you are selling. So, think about what you offer: what added value do you give to customers? Maybe you offer a free service, a guarantee or a ‘No fix no fee’ policy? Perhaps you have specific expertise – or can offer exceptional after sales service. Once you demonstrate added value, you’ll persuade more customers to buy from you.
• People buy from people. Because one of the key functions of your brain is to interact with others, it makes sense to present yourself as an approachable, friendly company. Knowing this, can help you write better copy. Try these ideas for size: use a conversational style of writing in your sales copy; include testimonials in your sales materials; have photos of yourself and satisfied customers on your website or blog; organise case studies describing success stories.
• People are naturally suspicious of the unknown. Many customers will stick with what they know, rather than risk money on something new. So, it’s important to back up your claims with facts, endorsements, testimonials etc. This strategy will give you more credibility.
• People like to try something out first before they commit and will often use their senses when making a buying decision. How can you incorporate more opportunities in your marketing for people to experience what you do? Possibilities could include: a free offer/trial; an E-brochure; a portfolio or video/audio message on your website.

Once you walk in your customers’ shoes – work out how they think and feel – you will be further down the road to mastering sales copy.

Why not try it today? Think about an ideal client and build a mental picture of him or her. What difference will your product or service make?