Understanding the main laws of persuasion will give you a big advantage over other marketers online to get your message across and get the results you always wanted.
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Introduction
Persuasion is a form of social influence.
Social Influence is a way of affecting another person’s thoughts or actions.
There are specific techniques to help persuade people to adopt new ideas and attitudes toward something.
Over the years of studies and experiences, we know exactly what persuades people to take action, change beliefs, etc.
These are 6 laws with exact samples of how you can use them in the internet marketing area.
It will give you an idea of how to take this information and apply it to your online business.
Keep in mind that many of these laws originated from the book
called, “Influence” by Robert Cialdini.
1. Law of Reciprocation
This is one of the most powerful weapons of influence but hardly ever used consciously.
Actually, most of the time, we are unaware that we use It.
This law is saying that we are programmed, conditioned to repay what other people provide to us.
For example, if you will send a text message to someone with Christmas greetings, there is a pressure, obligation on you to reply with similar greetings.
Returning a favor is written in our nature.
This rule is so powerful because it creates a totally different state of mind for your prospect.
People love to buy but hate to be sold.
Additionally, this law produces a “yes” response in their minds, that can easily give you an advantage at the start.
Free Samples
These techniques can be used in any marketing message by giving away something for free.
If the content you are giving away is good, people will feel obligated to do whatever you ask.
Free samples, free videos, free reports are some ideas.
That’s the best way to get people to check out your content at first, and then – in return – check your site and purchase the product.
The free sample technique is used everywhere.
If you go to the supermarket, you will be offered a free sample of cheese near the cheese section with some new brand of cheese.
Once you take a slice of cheese and taste it you are automatically obligated to at least check it out.
There is much more chance to get a person to buy it if it tastes good.
Giving a free sample on start is a well-known tactic in any kind of
capture page, squeeze page, where you ask your visitor to put their name and
e-mail address to get their information in your database.
To fully utilize the law of reciprocation, you need to make sure to provide quality free content.
Amaze people with stunning content and they will start to listen to you.
If you are selling your own product, get the best chapter of your eBook and give it away for free.
If it’s video content grab the best few minutes of pure content that will totally shock your audience and give a great value.
Here is how it works in internet marketing:
- Give a free report/video/audio/call
- Introduce low priced e-book/video/interview recording for $7-$27
- Offer more advanced course for $47-$97 – for example with videos, interviews with experts
- Full modular course with all goodies and in physical form – videos, audios, reports, study guide, checklists, action plans, access to members area, private forum, mastermind group for $97-$497
- Promote your seminar/coaching/mastermind group for $497-$9,997
- Private mentoring for $10,000+
Obligation
What is worth taking notice, is that a small favor can produce an obligation to return a much more significant favor.
It doesn’t have to be equal. The nature of the return favor can be manipulated to exploit this rule.
In fact, small, first favors often stimulate larger return favors
Once being obligated to return a favor, we have this unpleasant feeling of indebtedness.
It weighs on us emotionally and we want to lose it as soon as possible.
We are conditioned upon human social systems to be uncomfortable.
This rule is itself a great benefit for any society.
We are taught from childhood to feel like that.
That pushes us to repay larger favors than we received.
There is also a fear of rejection that plays an important role in a reciprocation rule.
Once a person violated the reciprocity rule, a person can be disliked by some social group.
Fear of pain persuades us to follow this rule.
What Are The Objections, Why People Won’t Follow Reciprocation Rule?
Some people may be aware of this rule, and because of that be more cautious before trying even a free sample.
To justify their decision, they need to be more persuaded than other people.
If you are selling in the internet marketing niche, especially to more advanced marketers, you need to be aware to become more original and persuasive in your message, and at the same point don’t show it.
People won’t let you give them a free gift because they know what can it persuade them to do. It’s tricky.
The gift has to be made in good faith.
Justify why you are giving this gift, it will make people more comfortable to receive it.
2. Law Of Commitment and Consistency
Once a person commits to something, there is a rule of consistency, that will push the person to be consistent with their previous decisions, even if the initial benefit was removed.
Consistency is well respected and inconsistency is perceived as a negative feature.
The other benefit of consistency is that once a person made their mind on some issue, decision, they don’t need to think about it anymore.
Cognitive Dissonance
The term ‘cognitive dissonance is one of the most influential theories in social psychology.
Cognitive dissonance is an uncomfortable feeling caused by holding 2 contradictory attitudes or believes at once.
People have a motivational drive to rationalize their beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors.
Dissonance happens when inconsistency occurs to a person.
Even if it’s possible that we actually made a bad decision, our defense mechanism will try to create good reasons for our choice.
Commitment
To make this technique work, you need to ask for commitment because commitment is the key.
If you are going to attract people to some high ticket program and your prospect did not decide yet, ask for some action to be taken by him, a small commitment, like a deposit of a small amount of money.
Because of this even small innocent commitment, a person will be pressured through consistency rule.
The initial commitment is the most effective when it’s public, effortful, and viewed as internally motivated.
Free Trial Offers
How can you use this rule, if you are not selling any high ticket programs?
What about famous $1 free trial offers?
What about FREE Book (just pay shipping and handling). It’s now almost anywhere.
The trick is that many of these have some continuity program – forced continuity – so be aware.
Although some offer $1 for the trial 14 days and after you will try the product it will automatically charge your card $47, but you can cancel anytime in these 14 days.
It’s a fair deal, there is no risk and it works pretty similar to full refund guarantees.
The distinguishable difference is that people love to try special offers, special discounts, $1 offers, or free books.
It’s the trap almost any of us are falling into, and if you won’t utilize it in your business, you are missing it.
It will increase your conversion dramatically.
It’s much easier for the person to pay $1 than $47, especially if they are cold prospects with no relationship to you.
It’s hard to send $47 to a person you don’t know, just reading a long sales letter.
If you will start to offer some cool deals to your potential clients, they will trust you more and appreciate the opportunity you’re giving.
It can bring much more benefits than you could ever imagine.
Because of the law of consistency, once someone commits to trying your system, it’s socially ‘not-cool’ to quit then, it’s also ‘not- cool’ to refund if they liked your product.
Even if it’s only 1 email they have to send to get a refund, if they really got the value from your product, it’s almost impossible for them to ask you to cancel it.
Of course, it’s not going to happen always, some people may be insensitive about this matter and exploit the system, but it’s always a minority.
Employ somewhere this law of commitment and you can expect great results.
Goal Setting
That’s why, if you read about setting goals, you will find out that everyone is teaching to write them down.
This small commitment – writing goals down – will bring you more motivation to accomplish it no matter what.
Once you understand this rule, you can use it in your life, to end your bad habits, do something outside your comfort zone and sell more stuff.
3. Law of Social Proof
The social proof rule is happening everywhere, all the time.
We are following this rule on a daily basis without even thinking about it.
It’s an automatic response. Social proof tells us that we are more likely to do the things other people are doing.
If you find out that many people are doing something, you will more likely do it or at least be persuaded to try it out, than if no one will do it.
Crosswalk Sample
Have you ever wanted to go through a crosswalk but stopped because of the red light?
What happened, if one person will go through the crosswalk on the red light and there are 5 more people on your side?
Do you feel more justified that ‘this is the right thing to do’ or that it is ‘ok’?
It’s like you are getting an extra few points to the ‘YES’ decision against the ‘NO’ decision.
What if you will see 2 people going on the red light?
It will mostly cause you to go with them.
If more than 50% go through the crosswalk, almost everyone will do it.
It’s just a basic example and seen by me almost everywhere.
It’s a pure example of imitation.
It happens in every similar situation. It may be perceived as we are ‘like robots’ – looking for proof, seeking what other people are doing to justify our actions.
We just feel much less uneasy if we do what other people are doing than do it by ourselves.
It’s funny because if there will be more than 1 person, we will perceive it as more natural.
But if it’s a single individual, that’s different, like this person is going away from the ‘group’. Very strange, but also ‘very human’.
Advertising
Social proof is used almost everywhere in advertising.
Anywhere you look there will be a testimonial from someone, who tried the product, and what a miracle it was.
One of the phrases justifying it’s socially proven to work for many people is “largest-selling” or “fastest-growing”.
It implies that if it’s selling well and fast, it has to be good.
It has to be quality if people are spending money on it.
Just go to YouTube and examine yourself how do you select which videos to click – one with 45 views or the other with 34,644 views?
What if 1 video has a 1/5 rating and a second 4/5 rating?
Which one you are going more likely to click?
It’s just natural we like to watch the best movies, listen to the best music, the most popular bands and so on.
If it’s popular, it must be good – that’s the reasoning that we are following in making our decisions.
Testimonials
Social proof can totally explode your sales letter conversion rate.
Use testimonials always, it will diminish people’s uncertainty and make them more comfortable to proceed.
You can use different kinds of testimonials, text, audio, or video testimonials.
In-text ones you can include pictures of the person and the before-after-effect proof.
It will increase the integrity of the proof.
Mediums like audio or videos are even more powerful.
If you can get a person on the phone and ask for a testimonial, that’s the easiest way to get an audio testimonial.
It’s a bit harder for a video testimonial, but it’s 10x more powerful than the next one.
Almost anyone will believe you if it’s in a video.
It’s instant proof, the best possible way of social proof you can have. Include also the first name of the person and where is he/she from.
Put also a headline on the top box with the best phrase from the testimonial that can sum it up.
There Are 4 Questions You Should Ask To Get The Best Possible Testimonial In The World!
- Where you skeptical when you first ordered? Explain it
- What did happen then? (did the product delivery go smooth?)
- Did it work for you, and how well? Explain it.
- Tell me some of the people that you might recommend this product to.
Similarity
One of the very important and mostly missed things you have to remember about is the similarity rule.
You need to know your target market.
Then find the testimonials from people that match the best to your average model prospect.
In that way, you will speak to most of the people.
If the person who gave the testimonial is similar to the person who is reading it – the testimonial will be much better received and much more powerful.
It’s for the simple reason that we are more persuaded by people just like us.
It can be a similar age, same-sex, accent, look, or anything else that defines the person.
That’s why audio or video testimonials are that powerful, they are giving these 2 extra mediums that are audio and video.
Once you watch someone on the video, you will hear his way of talking, his look, and his expressions.
After a short testimonial, you will feel that you know this person, you will establish a bond with him/her.
The good idea is also to diversify your testimonials, different people from different places, etc.
4. Law of Liking
We tend to be influenced more by the people we like.
It means that we value the opinions of our friends much more than strangers. It’s nothing surprising.
What causes liking?
Attractiveness
Good-looking people have an advantage in social interaction.
It’s called the “halo effect” when 1 positive characteristic of a person dominated the way is perceived by others.
Attractiveness is one of the most significant.
Subconsciously we connect good-looking to intelligence, talent, honesty, and kindness.
Even though we may have different associations consciously, judgment is being made without us being aware.
Good looking equals good is a true statement.
Some experiments showed that attractive people tend to get more help and have much more power of influence in changing other people’s opinions.
In face-to-face selling, you will mostly meet pretty people because people tend to listen to them more.
Similarity
The second thing that can produce liking is similarity.
We like people more that are like us.
This rule was also shown in social proof.
Similarity can be in areas of background, lifestyle, dress, opinions, and nationality.
People gather with others of the same nationality.
When you find someone of your nationality there will be instant contact, effortless.
Because of accent, culture, look differences it may be harder to establish a relationship with a person from different background.
This can be manipulated by any salespeople to establish an instant bond and trust with a client.
Celebrity
Have you ever seen a TV commercial with some celebrity praising a product?
Sometimes these celebrities have nothing to do with the product they promote, but because of the principle of association and relations, some celebrities can be connected to the fun.
If some celebrity is promoting a coca-cola product, it relates: celebrity = fun so when you drink cola you’re going to have fun, positive emotions, pleasure.
If you like this celebrity particularly, the message can be even more powerful.
Liking In Marketing
Did you hear about viral marketing?
It’s a new way of getting tons of traffic utilizing the rule of liking.
It can be used with a tell-a-friend script where you are recommending some links to your friends.
A friend will be greatly influenced by the sender because of the liking factor.
It also means that this friend can send to next friends, and these friends to more friends.
That creates a viral effect.
It happens all the time with so-called ‘viral videos’ getting millions of views overnight.
It’s all based on word-of-mouth marketing and is extremely powerful, especially because the internet has become a big social network that is available to almost anyone.
Now, more than ever before, people have more power to rate what’s good and what’s not.
Internet people have the power to share opinions about various services, products, and nothing can be hidden.
It’s a good thing, people are becoming smarter, they do the research first before buying anything.
They base their decisions on other people’s opinions.
It means that even less known products can sell better than more popular ones.
It’s because the first products are just better, provide more value to the customer.
The liking factor plays an enormous role with a friend recommendation.
READ MORE: HIDDEN EMAIL MARKETING SECRETS
5. Law of Authority
People tend to obey authority figures, even if the actions can be questionable.
From a small child, we did obey our parents and teachers.
In adult life, we obey employers, judges.
It makes sense because we view authority figures as someone with more knowledge, wisdom, and power than we have and it’s smart to obey them.
It may be definitely beneficial for us but it can also allow us for automatic obedience.
We are reacting, rather than thinking.
We prefer mindless obedience, not questioning authorities.
Authority influence can be stronger than liking influence.
For example, if you are going to a doctor about your medical condition, you are going to believe him more than your friend.
It’s obvious.
Because authority obedience is written in us from the very beginning we tend not to question the opinion of the authority figure.
Authority Symbols
People often react mindlessly to a person that appears to be an authority.
We react very strongly to symbols.
Titles
Titles can be the most difficult and the easiest to obtain.
Professor, doctor titles will change the way you behave to this person.
You will listen more carefully to what this person is saying because he/she is an authority.
Clothes
Authority clothes can trigger people automatically to listen to them without question.
Blue color can be related to security – police.
White clothes to a doctor –help.
Trappings
Jewelry, cars, expensive clothes carry the status and position.
We will behave differently with the person from the economic and expensive car.
Authority In Marketing
Do you know any well-known marketers?
They can be your authority on internet marketing.
Especially if you bought from them some products and liked them.
If you did buy some product from some marketer and liked it, you know you will buy more from this person and read every email he sends you.
Because of authority aura, you believe he can give you greater value than anyone else.
To become an authority – expert in your niche – you just need to
claim it.
Claim that you are the expert in this field and you need to listen to me. It’s that simple.
Of course, you will need to provide some proofs, testimonials to back this statement.
Get testimonials from well-known people in your niche. People that appear to be an authority in your industry. Such testimonials can be very powerful.
Think about the colors you are using on your pages, maybe try to use authority colors or increase security factors?
Blue background can be a good way to increase safety feeling on your site.
Provide proofs that your system works.
Show before and after effects, pictures, videos of how your life changed after discovering this secret system.
To appear as an authority you need to persuade people that you are one.
6. Law of Scarcity
Scarcity can generate higher demand for your product.
We tend to think if something is limited, rare in quantity – it has to be valuable.
People hate to lose any opportunity to change their life and may resist not try your offer.
“For a limited time only” is a well-known marketing tactic to trigger the scarcity factors.
If you collect coins, the rarer the coin is, the more valuable it is.
You can sell the rarest coins for a lot of money and the demand for them can be huge.
The price rises because of the higher demand.
It means you can sell the same content for a higher price if you use the scarcity factor.
Scarcity In Marketing
One of the previously discovered ways of marketing new products is product launch.
In a few days to a few weeks, you are giving people free content and testimonials, and all other elements from the sales page.
You’re giving it in small chunks to make people interested and intrigued about your product.
There is a deadline set up, with the exact date and time.
At the end of the product launch there is limited time only, limited quantity, limited low price scarcity rule employed.
Product launches are open mostly for just a few days, if not a few hours, and sell like hundreds of high-ticket programs ($1,000+) in a matter of days or less.
Because a lot of products in product launches are physical, there is an easy justification for the limit.
“I’ve only 200 copies of this powerful system, so don’t wait and claim your copy right now!”.
In addition, to build bigger events around the product, people employ the pre-launch tactics to send to the ‘special list’ broadcast message, 10 minutes before, with a ‘secret link’ to get some more cool bonuses or discounts.
That’s why you are seeing $1M in 2 hours launches.
It exploits the scarcity factor perfectly.
Learn from these launches and employ them in your own marketing.
Product launches mostly employ all 6 laws of persuasion in small videos, reports, audios, webinars.
Scarcity works best when it’s newly scarce and people have to compete with others.
You can say that if you won’t act right now I’m going to give this wonderful bonus to someone else.
No one likes to lose the opportunity and especially giving it to anyone else.
By just applying these 6 forbidden persuasion secrets, you will be able to make more money online than other marketers.
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