You want to make an offer no one can refuse, but how can you do that? Is there some magic trick or a few magic words that you need to utter to capture a customer’s interest– and most importantly, their money?
Influence
by Robert Cialdini
⏱ 14 minutes reading time
🎧 Audio version available
Be Clear
The first trick to remember is that there are likely countless other businesses like you, and they’re likely all trying to do the same. But you can still stand out by being genuine. Being clear brings in more customers than you think.
Create your irresistible offer by making a very clear offer that’s easily understood. People who don’t fully understand or are convinced of what your service/product can do for them will not take the extra step to buy.
Be as clear, concise, and specific as you can. There is no need to use overly complicated or clouded terms that confuse clients. What really sells is the truth– and showing it through numbers, percentages, dates, and proven data that convey the specifics of your offer while still also making it intriguing.
Sell Time
Or to put it in other words, sell an offer that saves time rather than one that saves money. Most of the time, yes, people are looking to save money, but another thing they’re looking for is to save time. Think about it. Everyone is always busy. And time is the only thing we always want more of and want to minimize the amount we waste it.
When your offer markets your product as a time-saver, you’ve succeeded in marking it as a whole experience– one a customer will be more likely to listen to and invest in.
And, hey, if selling on price isn’t getting you the results you wanted, why not time this instead? In addition, when selling time saving experiences, you’re also creating a connection with the customers and the product because they begin to think about it in a positive way. On the other hand, a product’s dollar value leaves them feeling less connected or irritated, especially if they’re not willing to pay extra. Leave the negative light behind and, remember, time is a great positive perception booster.
Try Decoy Marketing
Decoy marketing is one of those things that should be counterintuitive, but it strangely isn’t. What is it? Decoy marketing, also known as decoy pricing or the asymmetric dominance effect, is when you offer a similar but inferior product to your customers in order to make your intended product more appealing.
By now, you know that price is marketing’s most delicate element. It’s the thing customers put the most thought into.
By highlighting the inferiority of the second product– and how Product Number 1 knocks it out of the park, your customers will feel swayed favorably. They see a compromise, and they feel like they will be getting the best deal. The decoy effect works best when you’re comparing not two, but three products.
The decoy then becomes the “attraction effect.” Its entire purpose is to be priced to make one of the other products infinitely more attractive. These two other products “dominate” it in terms of pricing, quantity, quality, and extra features. It will nudge the customers towards your target, which is the more expensive option. Plus, it gives customers the satisfaction of thinking they have the upper hand.
Offer Scarcity
It’s amazing what thinking there’s only one day left in the sale does. Black Friday is a prime example of that. So one of the things to further make your offer more enticing is to give your customers a reason, right here and now, to buy on the spot. In order to do that, you need to either offer a discount, a premium offer, or a time-limited deal. Add as many bonuses to the offer as you can that it would be idiotic to pass up.
A customer’s attention span towards an offer is usually short. They expect to feel robbed or to find overpriced offers. So if they see all those extras stacked up, you get past those worries.
Remember earlier when we said you want to sell time saving offers? This time, we’re going to use time again, but we’re going to wield it to our advantage. What’s the best thing better than a discount? A discount on a time limit.
Provide a sense of scarcity to nudge customers towards making that leap they may be hesitant to take. Instead of just offering a discount, say it’s a sale that will only be available for a day or for the next two days. Deadlines encourage people to make the buying decision now.
Seek Immediate Response
The same way a discount or a time-limited offer often secures clients, requiring an immediate response does the same. Note that time is of the essence. Both for you and for the client. You never guarantee that once they leave, they’ll come back, having reconsidered the offer.
That’s why businesses like car dealerships, for example, always push to get you to buy in this instance. They know that when the client steps outside, the chances of them making the purchase dramatically lessens. For an immediate response, have a powerful call to action added to your offer.
Think of your clients as someone that needs to be carefully guided. Tell them exactly what you want them to do and clarify the next steps. If your business is based online, this is amazing. You can add the cherry on top of your compelling offer by using bold colors and buttons, as well as remove any extra that may deter a client.
Connect to Your Clients
To get clients in no time, it’s important to connect with them. Think about what goals and struggles they usually have. A great and essential shortcut is to focus on a specific audience. This way, you can make your offer as appealing as possible.
It’s infinitely harder to market your offer to the whole world– and definitely impossible to grow your business when you’re stretched too thin. By specializing in a niche to targeting a specific audience, you may even be able to charge more due to the specificity of your offer.
Start with the audience first.
By now, you may already have a great general idea on this. See what kind of audience would benefit more from your business. Approach it from a fresh perspective and an open mind. Really immerse yourself into what their world looks like, what their struggles are, and what kind of goals they have– what kind you can help them with. Is there something they want to get done but can’t? How will your offer help them do that?
To really dive into your clients’ minds, in your offer, put an emphasis on how valuable your product is in terms of time and benefits, not just money.
Offer Bundle Offers
What is it about bundle offers that make customers go for them? Bundle offers are one of those irresistible offers. You have probably already purchased countless bundle offers yourself. It’s a win-win if there ever is one. It gives you the ability to sell more items, makes your offer more valuable than that of your competitors, and almost guarantees return clients. So if you do it properly, a bundle offer will boost your sales and increase client satisfaction in the same breath.
People are always looking to get more value for what they’re paying– or to at least get their dollar’s worth. After a long day of turning down competitive prices they can’t afford or a product they don’t know yet if they’ll like, they’ll find your offer! It could be, for example, something like “Get three products for the price of two!” This is irresistible.
Because, well, then, a client will run the logic of it in their mind. It does seem more advantageous for them to take advantage of this offer. And who knows when they’ll get another chance to get a similar deal? And out comes the credit card.
Wield Testimonials To Your Advantage
How likely are you to buy a product that has raving reviews rather than one that doesn’t? It’s just something human. We’re way more likely to buy a product, even at an added cost, if you know or have heard before that it’s a valuable product. This happens if the testimonial we heard came from a close source, an ad, or even from strangers. They say it takes one to two raving reviews. That’s all you need at first to secure clients’ trust. If you don’t have reviews or testimonials yet, that’s okay! Be your own ambassador to your brand or ask a loved one.
Referral and affiliate programs also work wonders in this aspect. Referral programs are one of those methods that are untouchable due to how effective they are. Studies show that 83% of people in the US are way more likely to buy a product after a referral from someone they need. 83%. A referral program is simple. You reward customers for spreading the word about your product/service. It encourages them to talk about your business and it builds a stronger relationship with clients, which ensures their return and them becoming your strongest advocates.
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