Would you give your money away for nothing in return?

There is a pattern behind people’s choices and the products they buy. It is not random, although it sometimes seems so.

People don’t buy based purely on logical reasons. They first buy based on emotion. In the end, you will find that people buy for how it makes them feel about themselves.

In a business, you are providing an exchange of value. An accountant does his taxes, handles bookkeeping, or helps him understand the numbers in his business. They are paid for the value they provide.

It’s the same whether you’re a real estate agent helping a client sell her house or a bakery selling wedding cakes, clients pay you for the value you provide.

But what about a charity?

They are asking their donors to give money without any exchange of value.

They are giving out of the goodness of their hearts.

Perhaps there is a token gift provided to donors or their name is honored somewhere for the donation, but no real value is exchanged.

Why does someone give to charity?

They give because of how it makes them feel about themselves. They feel good meeting the needs of others.

It is an investment based on emotion. There is no “logical” value exchange here.

What could be more difficult than asking people to give up their hard-earned money for “nothing”?

They do it because they care and the transaction makes them feel good about themselves and their place in the world.

For this very reason, the power of persuasion is realized by understanding these 5 Golden Rules:

Look for a desperate problem
Offer a unique Promise
Give Them Overwhelming Evidence
Throw them an Irresistible Offer
Give them a reason to act now

The first step is to define the audience you are targeting. Who are you talking to?

The better you define your audience, the easier it will be to talk to them.

Identify a pain point that you can help your audience resolve. Describe the problem and the repercussions of this problem in detail.

How is this problem influencing the life of your potential client?

What frustrations are they experiencing? who is tolerating that that could it be fixed?

What do they worry about in bed at night?

What are the results of this problem if it is not fixed?

1. Look for a desperate problem

There are only two motivations in life: pain and pleasure. Of these two, pain is a much stronger motivation.

It is difficult to convince people of prevention.

But as soon as pain enters the picture, that’s when people are motivated to act. You go to the doctor. You take the medicine. And if the problem is painful enough, maybe even modify your nutrition.

It is difficult to educate people and sell them the prevention of a future problem.

Persuasion is much more effective when you take advantage of a current problem that they are already experiencing.

The problem depends on what you are selling and how well your audience understands the problem. You’ll often go into more detail about the problem when offering something like an information product or made-for-you service versus a physical product.

An information product is a difficult purchase because most people don’t want to learn.

The average person on the street doesn’t want to read a book to improve her business.

They should be reminded how serious the problem is to motivate them not only to buy the book but even more so to read it and apply it to their lives.

That’s why an “A service done for you is often a much higher offer.”

There is a popular formula used by copywriters called Problem-Agitation-Resolution. Y

ou bring up the problem. You stir up the problem by looking at it from every possible direction.

Once the reader understands the problem in detail and all its long-term effects of it, you share your unique solution. The basic question you ask yourself to discover your desperate problem is:

“Who is this for and what problem are you solving for them?”

2. Offer them a Unique promise

Next, make a unique promise that stands out from the competition.

This is directly related to your desperate problem. If you’re having a hard time finding a single promise, you often haven’t fully defined the desperate problem it solves. Y

ou are making a unique promise to solve their desperate problem and back that promise with strong evidence. Make the strongest promise you can prove!

There are two types of benefits in each market.

“Entry price” benefits are promises that everyone in the industry must make for the customer to consider them an option.

For example, a plumber has to be able to fix leaks.

That is an entry benefit price.

What sets it apart in the marketplace is a “Point of Difference” benefit.

That same plumber can promise to show up within 30 minutes of the agreed time or the job is free.

That would be a unique point of difference because it not only stands out from what all the other plumbers are offering, it also points out one of the frustrations that customers have in that market.

Your One Promise question is:

“Why should they choose your solution over any other option on the market?”

3. Overwhelming proof

He has laid out the desperate problem in detail and has made a unique promise on how he has a better solution than any other option.

Now you have to prove it!

The amount of proof required depends on the relationship you have with the prospect thus far. If one of his best friends referred him to you, the burden of proof may be low.

Your friend’s referral is proof enough for them, if they trust their friend! But if they are a cold leader, that obstacle will be much greater.

The first form of proof that everyone thinks of is testimonials. Has it produced similar results for others?

That’s another little tip for finding your unique promise.

Look through all of their current testimonials.

Why did they buy from you?

Why do they recommend that others buy from you? If you link your unique promise to your current testimonials, you already have the proof to back up the promise you make.

Higher ticket purchases require more proof than lower ticket purchases. It doesn’t take much proof for someone to give you their email address.

If they think they may have the answer and that it will protect your information, they give it a try.

It’s the same with a $20 book. There is not much risk here. If you ask them to invest $10,000 with you, now you have to prove it.

That ability to connect with you personally helps you get over the hurdle of making the highest ticket sales.

The question you ask yourself about the test is:

“Why should they believe that the solution is real, you are a credible person to buy from, and the solution will work for them personally?”

4. Irresistible Offer

It doesn’t matter if you’re selling a cheap appliance or a new Porsche.

The customer wants to feel like they walked away with a lot.
Offering a reduced fee first session or even a free session paid off as a loss leader to generate a new client.

Where does this offer fit into your overall funnel?

You can create your own loss leader to get customers through the door.

Stores offer door smashers during Black Friday sales to get you into their store.

Consultants and trainers do their discovery session for free.

A dentist might offer a discount exam or teeth whitening.

The restaurant might give you a free entree on your birthday because they know you’ll be bringing someone else with you.

At the other end of the deal spectrum, you can have your high-value deals that have much lower volume.

For a dentist, this may include cosmetic surgery.

For a trainer, it could be the corporate package where they train 10 company executives for $10,000 per month.

For a real estate agent, it could be the five million dollar house.

For a manufacturer, it might be taking their product to a major retailer like Wal-Mart.

For a project selling website management software, this could be a corporation purchasing a license for 1,000 of its employees.

A guarantee, especially if your competitors don’t have one, is a powerful way to attract new customers to your business. You just have to make sure the numbers work.

The question you ask with the Irresistible offer is, “How can you make it more painful for them to walk away than buy your offer?”

5. Reason to act now

What will a customer lose if they don’t act now? What is at stake here?

This could be as simple as reminding them of the problem.

What will happen if they allow the problem to continue?
Will it get worse? If so, how will it get worse?

The fear of loss is stronger than the desire to win.

This is even more effective if there is an upcoming deadline or a limited number available.

For example, I only accept a limited number of one-on-one coaching clients.

This means that my training program is often sold out and prospects need to put their name and email list on the waiting list for when spaces become available.

When I email this list and tell them about availability, they almost always sell out within 24 hours.