19 Mental Triggers To Sell More
Do you know what mental triggers are?
Even if you are not sure, one thing is certain:
You are impacted by them every day.
And more than that, you make buying decisions based on those triggers as well.
Follow the article to understand what they are and how to use the 19 most powerful mental triggers to sell.
What are mental triggers
Imagine that you are thinking about making a purchase. It has not been decided yet, but is seriously considering buying a specific sneaker. You’re even researching on the internet.
During the survey you see an alert: “last units”.
In order not to miss the opportunity, you decide to buy.
Now, let’s take another example …
You go to the market to do the groceries of the month and you come across a launch: a soda of a flavor you’ve never seen in your life.
Out of curiosity, you decide to buy.
In both cases, the brands used mental triggers to get you to close the deal .
The official definition
Mental triggers are features that induce a person to take a particular action. And you can use them in a variety of ways to influence your customer to buy their products.
By introducing them into offers, descriptions, content and all the communication of your business, you make the text more appealing and increase the chances of achieving conversions.
And the best part is that they are not limited to writing. They can also be used in videos and photos to get the image you want even more clearly.
Mental triggers in the physical world
In the physical world, mental triggers are used since the trade exists.
For example:
- When a tradesman says “buy these fresh fruits,” he is appealing to your unconscious, trying to convince you to buy the physical product.
- When you pass through a bakery and smell the smell of fresh bread, another mental trigger is triggered. Maybe you were not even thinking about buying bread, but that comforting odor might convince you.
- When you are in doubt about buying a clothing or not and the seller tells you that it is the last unit, the fear of losing that opportunity is also a mental trigger that makes you more conducive to buying.
Mental Triggers in Ecommerce
In Ecommerce, knowing how to use persuasive writing (and triggers) is a key factor in getting you good results.
After all, the competition on the internet is very large and you need to ensure the customer buys from you and NOW.
But mental triggers are not just used to bring in more sales. They should be used to direct your client to the action you want at that moment.
For example: if you want him to sign up for your newsletter, you need to convince him to take that attitude. The same goes for when you ask someone to follow you on social networks or respond to some market research.
Now that you’ve got the theory, it’s time to get to know the 19 best-selling mental triggers and start applying them to your business.
19 Most Mental Triggers
1 – Shortage
This is one of the most powerful mental triggers and so it is also widely used.
When you advertise “last units”, for example, the customer is pressed to make the purchase or lose that opportunity.
When well-used, Scarcity generates a lot of sales, but remember to always be honest in your communication.
If you say you only have one piece in stock but the customer realizes that it’s just a lie to sell more, your business loses credibility.
This feature is what drives most of the stock burns and settlements in both the physical and Ecommerce worlds.
Seeing that those pieces are on sale and may not have a chance to buy a product in a special condition, the customer is much more inclined to buy
2) Urgency / Opportunity
The Urgency (or Opportunity) trigger has a concept very similar to that of Scarcity, but it is related to the question of time rather than quantity.
“Limited-time” deals are excellent examples of how this feature can convince customers to make the decision to buy from you.
The lightning offers are also demonstrations of the trigger power of the Urgency. Knowing that time is short, the customer has to decide quickly what to buy and ends up acting on impulse.
3) Fear
This is a strong emotion, with an incredible impact on sales.
To properly use this trigger, you need to know your persona and understand what her fears are.
So, it should show how your product or service will “protect” your customer from what he fears.
To illustrate, see how this company that sells soap created an advertisement that strongly appeals to one of the biggest collective fears: cockroaches.
The idea is to show that by not washing their hands with the right product, people are putting their children in indirect contact with the dirt.
Pretty shocking, huh?
4 – Gain
One more of the triggers used every day that keep working is Gain.
The idea is to show what the customer gets by acquiring your product or performing the action you want.
Again, it is critical that you understand what your persona considers to be a worthwhile gain to have.
Products that promise weight loss use this mental trigger consistently to show the benefits of your products.
It is common that they show pictures before and after so that the prospective customer can see the transformation they so desire and believe that that product can make them have that gain in quality of life that they crave.
5 – Greed
This trigger is very close to the previous one, but it is directly related to the financial question.
Money is an incredible asset. The idea is to make the customer perceive your product or service as an investment and not an expense.
If you can show that your customer will make money after buying from you, you can be sure that sales will increase.
For example: preparatory courses for competitions usually disclose the final salary that the candidate will have if approved.
This causes potential customers to be tempted to buy the product because they have the ambition to reach that salary.
6 – Anticipation
“Attention! Do not buy cars this weekend! “
Every year, major car companies promote fairgrounds. A week earlier, they literally ask customers NOT to buy at that moment.
It’s because?
Because they are using one of the most powerful mental triggers: Anticipation.
The goal is to generate a buzz, an expectation around that action.
Another practical example is launches. It is common for brands to tell you in advance when they are bringing news or launching something new.
This makes prospects eager to know exactly what is going to happen.
Using this trigger strategically is a big draw for any segment.
7 – Reciprocity
The best way to sell is to create a healthy relationship with customers.
What many brands do is see this almost unilaterally, offering only products and hoping that customers buy.
But it turns out that it’s easier to sell when your customer feels connected to you.
And this is what makes Reciprocity one of the most effective triggers.
The logic of “one hand washes the other” applies perfectly in this case.
A very effective way to use reciprocity is to offer advantages, bonuses and gifts to win over your client.
But this trigger does not refer only to material questions.
When sending happy birthday messages or if you are genuinely interested in your customer, your brand will start to be perceived much better by the public.
And this emotional reciprocity will surely bring you more sales.
8 – Authority
Imagine that you are selling a pill that increases concentration and performance by 200%.
It would be a challenge to convince people that this product works, right?
But what if you could say that the product was tested by Harvard University? What if you had a doctor like Drauzio Varella ensuring that the pill works?
It would be much easier …
And this is the trigger of Authority. It serves as much to show that that product has already been tested and approved as to show that your brand has enough history to be reliable.
In addition, the whole concept of the pharmaceutical campaign “If it’s Bayer, it’s good” was based on the Authority of the company, conquered after years of services rendered in the sector.
9 – News
Here we have a mental trigger that has a concept very close to the previous one.
To increase sales, it is important to support your products and your business.
One great way to do this is to show newspaper clippings, prints of news portals and news reports about your business and what you sell.
When using this trigger, remember that it only works if that vehicle you are quoting is relevant to you.
For example, the result can be very positive if the news is cover of the Globe, but it is not always worth using materials from famous communication portals for fake news.
10 – New
Who does not like a novelty, does not it?
Your customers are certainly also interested in innovative products and ideas.
And that’s why you should use this trigger.
Launches, products that have just hit the market, innovative solutions to old problems … All this has a great appeal.
Incidentally, the public’s interest in the news is what explains the success of Apple.
No matter what product the company sells, there are always queues at the store doors with people desperate to be the first to buy and use those products.
11 – Secret / Curiosity
The human being is by nature curious.
When you offer your audience a secret, chances are they will at least be interested in hearing what you have to say.
The term click-bait only exists because curiosity is very appealing to people.
With a mysterious headline, the public is almost “forced” to discover what is the secret that was said earlier.
This feature is used in actions such as:
- What Successful People Do not Tell You
- The secret to losing weight with health
- 10 Secrets to Making Money
- And much more!
12 – Logic / Reason / Why
With several names, this is one of the mental triggers that most converts.
The idea is that you show with facts, facts and in a rational way why that person should take the action you expect.
The idea is to explain by A + B the reasons that justify that purchase or action.
Using reason is a great strategy, but it is even more effective when using the “whys”.
Examples:
- Buy this car because it is reliable
- Buy this product because it is durable
- Drink water because it’s too hot.
13 and 14 – Proof and Social Proof
These two mental triggers are so important that they can help you DOUBLE your sales.
15 – Community / Ownership
We all want to be part of a group, a community, a tribe …
They are similar habits and thoughts that unite people, so the mental trigger of Belonging is so powerful.
When someone says, “Join thousands of people who bought this product …” or “join our club,” the goal is to make that customer feel the need to participate.
16 – History
To facilitate communication and engage your client, it is always valid to use the trigger of History.
With it, you make your audience connect with your message through a story (true or otherwise).
An everyday situation, a story, some event … All of this can be used (along with other mental triggers) to generate empathy for your client.
17 – Common Enemy
Every industry or segment has a “big villain” that unites both sellers and buyers.
The logic of “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” can be used in your business so that your customers trust you, consequently being more apt to buy.
18 – Exclusivity
Exclusivity … Who does not want to be VIP, belong to the elite, be part of a select group of people?
Your client would certainly like to feel like a very important person.
That’s why this mental trigger has so much power.
When you offer a premium product or something that can not be easily purchased, the perceived value of that item triggers.
The same logic is for customization (customization). When you offer something tailor made for your customer, simply having something “own” already makes you more inclined to buy.
19 – Security
One of the main objections of those who buy in Ecommerce is the lack of confidence in online stores.
And how to solve it? Using the safety trigger.
In it, you reaffirm that that purchase is safe, that there is no risk that the buyer is deceived, passed behind.
One of the most effective ways to use this feature is to provide warranty. In this way, the customer feels much safer. He knows that if there is a problem, he can ask for his money back.
How to choose the best mental triggers to use
These are the top 19 mental triggers that sell. But how do you choose the best one for your business?
Well, you do not have to choose just one.
The best way to use them is to vary and choose based on your goal.
For example: when doing a stock burning, the Shortage feature is very interesting, but nothing prevents you from also using the Urgency as well.
Either way, it is critical that you understand your person.
Only then will you know what fears, pains, dreams, gains … Anyway, everything that goes on in the head of your persona and all possible objections that your client may have.
Apply in your business!
Now that you know the 19 mental triggers you sell the most, it’s time to apply them.
Get tested, understand what your customer is looking for and offer it to him.
It’s important that you find out which ones work best in each situation, which ones connect with your audience, and which ones give the best results for your business.
Take your business further
Using mental triggers is great for increasing your sales.
But it’s no good knowing how to sell if you do not have a healthy business structure, do you?
If you want to have a solid and profitable business, you need to know Zero’s Ecommerce.