The Power Of Persuasion

How to Keep Your Customers From Experiencing Purchase Paralysis

Throughout all of my training content, I constantly remind business owners of the importance of “risk reversal.” In today’s marketing saturated world (along with a global economy), when a prospect first makes contact with you and your business, they don’t know you, like you or trust you. Even after they get comfortable buying what you sell, they still won’t take action unless they feel that all risk has been removed from their buying experience. It’s your job as the business owner to make sure you alleviate all possible fears and take the risk completely out of their buying equation. Consider this example. Have you ever been so scared you couldn’t move? It’s a common reaction to a really scary situation. We know we’re in trouble. We know we need to move. But we can’t seem to convince ourselves, so we do nothing. Think about the people who make a living helping others out of tight spots. Firefighters, for example, are trained in how to get in to dangerous situations and persuade the immobilized person that moving is a really good idea. Now consider “how” they do it. The firefighter quickly establishes trust, speaks firmly with authority and gives extremely clear and specific instructions. These persuasion strategies are the same as those used in persuading your prospects to buy from you. You must do the exact same thing in your marketing copy. Making a decision about whether or not to buy a product or service is far less scary than being trapped in a burning building, but there are surprising similarities. Your ideal customer might do what you want them to do, but not without some waffling. They hesitate before clicking the Buy button … because they’re often paralyzed by fear. So break out the tools of persuasion to help them out. Unfortunately, the vast majority of business owners attempt to use information to accomplish that task. Information is not persuasive. Imagine you’re trapped in a burning building. Now imagine I come over and simply tell you a few logical reasons you should move.

Fire is dangerous.

The human body has not evolved to withstand the ambient temperatures inside a burning building.

The fumes being produced are highly unhealthy.

The building’s structure is likely to become unsound, which creates additional dangers.

Those are all very good reasons to move. This is valuable information. But it doesn’t help you get out of that fear-based paralysis. Information alone isn’t enough. Persuasion isn’t about information or the facts. Very often, we already know the facts. Think about this for a moment. How many times have you gone online, found something you really wanted, went completely through the entire “order process” but just couldn’t bring yourself to click on that final “complete transaction” button? We have ALL done it. Persuasion is about recognizing that the prospect’s fears are valid, and then allaying those fears completely and unequivocally. It’s about saying, “Yeah, I know you’re in trouble and so scared you don’t know what to do, but if you listen to me, I can help.” It’s about getting rid of the fear. Why is your prospect afraid? Figuring out what scares them is the business owner’s first job. It’s (probably) not burning-building fear, but your prospects do have “buying fears.” Maybe they’re afraid your product or service won’t solve their problem. Maybe they’re afraid they’re going to throw their hard-earned money away (again). Maybe they’re afraid they won’t ever use your solution. And the big one… they’re scared to look foolish… to themselves and their spouse or associates. Your job as the business owner is to speak to those fears. In a burning building, you’re scared of moving because being burned hurts like heck. You can’t breathe and you might die. Those are your current fears. They’re big and they’re valid, and someone giving you factual data about fires won’t compel you to move. But if the firefighter starts talking to you in a calm, authoritative voice that convinces you they actually have a way out of this situation, you’re going to listen up. You’re ready to hear them say something that makes the whole situation much less scary. They’ll probably give you some very specific instructions. You’re going to take just two steps forward, and I’m going to take your hand. Then I’m going to guide you out of here. Don’t focus on what’s going on around you. Just take my hand. You can tell they’re a professional and that he’s done this before. You instantly know that if you just stick with them and follow their clear instructions, you’re going to be all right. Sound familiar? Now it’s your turn. Help your prospects move beyond purchase paralysis. This MUST make up the core message for every piece of persuasive marketing you develop for your business. You want to convey to every prospect the following message… “Hey, I know you’re afraid of buying this product or service because of (specific reasons). But you know what? It’s going to be okay. I’ve been where you are now, and I know the way out of here. So just take my hand, click on the button that says Add to Cart, and in just a moment you’ll have the solution that makes it all okay. Click the button and let’s get you out of this mess, okay? “Let’s get you out of this mess,” is the simple and satisfying underlying message. Here are the steps:

A specific self-serving benefit headline (and sub-headline) or first paragraph.
The specific benefits and outcome they will receive from using your product or service * Product or service benefits and features.
The reason they should purchase the item and why from you.
The specific actions you will take (including price and terms).
The specific action they are to take.
A Bonus or Compelling Incentive, if any, to motivate action.
How you will minimize or eliminate their risk.
PS – the headline for the headline – the key elements of your offer.

One element of Persuasion is about saying: stick with me, kid. We’ll get you to the solution, safe and sound. Most people are just waiting to be persuaded that they have nothing to fear. Great business owners help them make that final leap of faith Once you master persuasion marketing, you will have the unprecedented ability to attract more clients… attract them with greater frequency… at a lower cost… and with total and complete confidence and certainty. That’s the power of persuasion. This is the critical information we teach our clients every day. If you’re ready to learn more about this powerful process, or just need help building your business, visit us at www.smallbusinessgrowthclub.com.