16 Psychological Triggers To Convert Leads Into Customers
Have you noticed that most daily actions are carried out automatically? One of them is feeding, for example. No one thinks before chewing, we just do it. Here are the 16 psychological triggers to improve your business.
It is that the human brain is so perfect that some actions are automated so that we can concentrate on situations that require more complex solutions, otherwise, we would be mentally exhausted.
The same goes for the purchase decision: there are memorized signals in our subconscious that make us opt for a product instead of another.
If you look at the behaviour of the people around you, you will see that we are all motivated by very similar reasons. To persuade and understand your potential customers, you need to know what these mental triggers are (also called “psychological triggers” or “mental triggers”) and how to use them in your marketing strategy.
We are not talking about manipulating or hypnotizing someone to convince them to make a purchase. You just need to provide your audience with what they want. In today’s post, we show 16 psychological triggers and show you how you can use them to convert visitors into leads and leads into customers.
16 Psychological Triggers To Convert Leads Into Customers
1.Reason
Although most of our decisions are based on emotion, we always look for reasons to justify what we are doing and we want to know the potential benefit of that action.
Therefore, whenever you are promoting a product, explain clearly to the user why you should buy it and the benefit it will have when making the purchase. In doing so it is as if you are leading that person from point A (an unwanted situation) to point Z (solution to the problem).
Example: Are you tired of losing important information throughout the day? Improve your ability to concentrate on our online meditation course.
2. Authority
People tend to value more the opinion of someone they consider “superior”, either because of a hierarchy issue or because they recognize that a person knows more about the matter.
So if you want to attract more customers, you need to position yourself as an authority in your niche.
To do this, you will have to leave the sales strategies aside, at first, and focus on actions that can generate value for your audience.
Keep an updated blog and offer rich materials for free. That way you not only show that you know about the subject but also build a relationship of trust with your potential customers, showing them that you are not interested in making the sale.
With that relationship, you will have more time to educate your base about the product and, eventually, propose the purchase. That is, building authority is a time-consuming strategy, but when done in the right way, it can bring significant benefits to your business.
Another way to use psychological triggers such as authority is to call experts to support your product. In this case, be sure to select the digital influencers that are known to the audience you want to reach.
3. Shortage: Psychological Triggers
The trigger for scarcity is to create value from the limitation of an element, such as gold, one of the most valuable metals in the market. This happens because our unconscious usually associates that the more difficult it is to get a certain object, the more valuable it is.
If the lead is not totally convinced that he wants to buy, he may feel motivated to make a decision if he thinks he will not have another chance to do so.
Amazon and Booking use this trigger frequently. Note that when you try to make a purchase on these two platforms, you can see the number of units remaining and, in some cases, the number of people who are browsing the page at that time. This type of information helps the visitor to complete the purchase.
But to function, it is necessary to establish a real shortage. If your audience realizes that you use this feature often, it loses its effectiveness as a sales pitch.
Example: Only 20 vacancies remain for our classical violin course.
4. Extinction of pain
The tendency of human behaviour is to avoid pain or want to get pleasure. Even when we do something that seems to be painful, we do it because we associate pleasure with that feeling.
This is the case of people who practise radical sports, who are willing to take risks constantly, just for the satisfaction of concluding a test or performing an outstanding manoeuvre.
In the case of product marketing, it is even more common for people to develop avoiding pain, so phrases like “Buy this product and save 30 euros on maintenance” weigh in the purchase decision since it means that the user is Stop spending money.
It is important to highlight that this psychological trigger will work better if you know your ideal client well and know the problems he lives on a day-to-day basis. Take the opportunity to read our full post on how to create a buyer persona.
Example: Subscribe to our service and you’ll never have to shop at the supermarket again.
5. Reciprocity
Whenever someone does us a favour, our natural tendency is to give back, right? That is why it is so important to generate value for the customer before thinking about the benefits that lead can give you.
Many entrepreneurs still have difficulty understanding the complex buying process because they want to make quick money after the investment they have made, but if you respect all the stages of the sales funnel and nurture your customers with quality materials, your sales will naturally increase, and The best, in a sustainable way.
What we want to affirm, in the final analysis, is that if the content you provide for free adds value to the customer, he will tend to pay it back through the completion of the purchase.
Example: Download our free guide and learn how to create career plans for your employees.
6. Interest for the client
The trigger we will talk about now walks side by side with reciprocity.
All people like to feel valued for what they are or for something they have done. Showing that you are interested in the opinions of buyers and their experiences with the product are one of the best ways to build customer loyalty.
Facilitate the purchase process, have an intuitive and responsive design page, maintain an open communication channel with your audience are just some examples of actions that you can take to show your client that you are interested in his views.
Example: In case of doubts about our product, please contact our customer service at any time of the day.
7. Novelty: Psychological Triggers
It has been shown neurologically that exposure to something new and unknown increases the amount of dopamine in the brain, which is directly related to levels of concentration and motivation.
In addition to stimulating interest, psychological triggers such as novelty instigate action, since people want to be the first to try the product.
Therefore, large companies such as Microsoft and Apple invest so much in launches, because even in cases where the new version does not present so many novelties, the public is attentive to the simple fact of being something unprecedented in the market.
Example: Learn about the new functionality that allows you to see the lessons even without accessing the Internet.
8. Curiosity
Curiosity not only inspires action but also increases activity in parts of the brain associated with pleasure. Therefore, using elements that sharpen the public’s curiosity helps keep them interested in what you say or do.
It is curiosity that will make people look for more information about the product, watch your videos, open emails and subscribe to a newsletter.
If your content is useful and helps solve a problem, they increase the chances of sharing it, which helps increase your page traffic, creating a positive cycle for your business.
Example: Soon we will launch an additional module of our English course, with a totally revolutionary method in the market.
9. Social proof
Whenever we are going to buy something, our tendency is to seek more information about the product, including the opinions of other buyers. This process is even more thorough when the purchase is made online since this type of trade creates distrust.
Doubts about the quality of the product, delivery mode, support, among others, can be easily solved if you reserve a space on your page to see the comments of other buyers.
In addition to customer testimonials, the number of products sold, followers on social networks and comments are examples of numbers that serve as social proof.
But having a good engagement is not always enough to validate your product, so be aware of forums and claims sites, as an unfavourable opinion can turn on a yellow light in the mind of your potential buyer.
Actually, if you solve the problem in a friendly way, you will have the opportunity to win back that buyer and still convey a good impression to the users who are looking for information about your brand.
Example: Meet the course that already helped more than 500 thousand people speak English.
10. Urgency
Often one does not even need the product, but just add a temporary factor that we feel motivated to perform the action at that time. Who never went through something similar?
The urgency works as a trigger for scarcity, but in some cases, the value of the product is not related to its limitation, but to the term, once you limit the time for decision making.
Example: Use our discount coupon and pay cheaper plane tickets until 6 pm today.
11. Security
The way in which the seller presents the product influences the user’s perception. If you act with confidence in what you are selling, the chances of someone committing to your offer are greater.
But we are not talking about using absurd descriptions as the “best product in the world,” or miraculous promises that do not condition what your product delivers, because those actions can cause the opposite effect. Just be sure to give accurate information and check, preferably with numbers, the results obtained by leads.
The repayment term also helps increase the reliability of the transactions. It may seem strange, but people feel safer to make the purchase if they know they can request money back, given unsatisfactory results.
Example: If you don’t see the first results in two weeks, we guarantee your money back.
12. Affinity
Users identify with people who share the same fears and pains. The affinity trigger added to the social test motivates people to buy, after all, if a person who had the same problem managed to solve it after buying a certain product, it means it works, doesn’t it?
Another way to use the affinity trigger to increase your sales is to put yourself in the consumer’s place.
When you approach the potential customer and show that you understand what they are feeling, you create a relationship of trust that can culminate in the purchase.
Example: Before I started exercising, I also had trouble sleeping.
13. Storytelling
The storytelling is nothing more than the ability to tell stories. If you are immersed in the middle of digital marketing you know that this resource has been used for years in order to persuade people to buy products.
But why is this trigger so powerful? Most people believe that the choices we make depend on rational analysis, but in reality, our decisions are based on emotion, especially when it comes to consumer habits.
Telling stories activates parts of the brain associated with vision, sound, taste and movement, which can influence a person to choose one product instead of the other, although both promise to solve the same problem.
Example: Learn the story of Maria, who lost 21 kilos after using our guide to healthy eating.
14. Anticipation
Have you ever stopped to think about why people make giant queues to buy tickets for a show that will take place in two months? This is the idea of the anticipation trigger, which is to make people anxious to know a certain product.
To do this, you can promote webinars, disseminate teasers, share rich materials, send email marketing, the countdown on social networks, and other actions that leave the user enthusiastic and eye on the news of your page.
Example: In less than two weeks you will know the financial management course that will help you get out of the red before the beginning of the year. While the launch day does not arrive, take the opportunity to read our contents on expense planning and start planning now.
15. Sense of community
The human being is naturally sociable. From the beginning of our species, we organize ourselves collectively, we develop our personality from the perception of the other and the need to belong to a group.
If your potential customers feel that your product can help to be part of a community, they will be more likely to click on the buy button.
When you are selling to a customer, make sure they feel part of a community. This type of attitude not only reinforces the value proposition of your product but also contributes to creating unconditional fans of your brand.
Example: Join thousands of people in the world who have already learned to dance salsa at home.
16. Controversy
During his research for the book Contagion, the best-selling author, Jonah Berger, found that excessive politicization can drive away potential buyers, but the right dose of controversy can make them more interested in the matter.
This happens because the controversial issues generate more discussions, and the more people are “talking” about you, the greater the reach of your brand. Avoid talking about politics, race, religion and other sensitive issues, especially if those issues have no relation to your product.
Example: Know the diet that will make you lose weight without having to abandon sweets.
Use psychological triggers sparingly
If you still do not use psychological triggers in your disclosure, well … you are missing a great opportunity to persuade your audience and, of course, close more business.
However, to cause the expected effects, rather than using the correct mental triggers and in a timely manner, it will be necessary to deliver something of value to your client. Otherwise, it will seem that you are only manipulating people to buy your product, which in the long term damages the image of your business.
The secret is to know how to differentiate the moment of approach and that of the conversion, offering adequate content to the lead, regardless of the stage in which it is. We hope this text and other readings here on the blog will help you with that task!