3/14 Psychological Tricks That Could Help You Sell More

Yes. Alright. I fell for clickbait. 14 psychological tricks to get people to do what you want. My weakness callously exploited by a webfarm buzzfeeder.

Enjoyment in the classroom of the likes of Richard Wiseman and Robert Cialdini meant I couldn’t help myself.

Yet. Aside from decoy pricing on which I’ve blogged before, there were three possible gems hidden in the seam of impenetrable rock.

8. Use nouns instead of verbs to get people to change their behaviour
10. Focus on what your bargaining partner is gaining to get them to agree to your offer
14. Tell them they’re free not to comply

I thought on giving snappy(ish) Salesy labels to the trio. Here with selling slant provided;

quasi-gerunding

So using nouns rather than verbs makes a buyer. A gerund is a verb turned into a noun by ending it in -ing. The example quoted revealed people were twice more likely to cast their ballots the next day when termed “a voter”, as in (b) over (a);

(a) “How important is it to you to vote in tomorrow’s election?”

(b) “How important is it to you to be a voter in tomorrow’s election?”

A selling crossover feels pretty clear. I myself can recall asking, “how urgent is it for you to buy…” When perhaps a better evolution is along the lines of “how important is it for you to be the problem-solver….”

gain-gaming

Emphasise what can be gained, as opposed to lost. The example used by the authors being selling a car;

…you should say, “I’ll give you my car for a grand” instead of, “I want a grand for the car”.

Again, “I’ll save/make/deliver you [xyz] for just [$$$]”.

free-to-leave

This apparently stems from an effective technique which begins, “but you are free…” when you then remind the buyer that they have freedom to turn down your enticing offer. Supposedly then doubling your chances of them accepting.

Could we say, “of course you’ve plenty of other options, including not going ahead…”, or “obviously do not feel obliged…” in the style of a kind of Don’t Close-Close?