The ‘Consistency’ Trigger Explained
People tend to be consistent when they’ve taken a stand on something, even in the face of conflicting information. So as a copywriter, business owner, or entrepreneur who wants or needs to “up sell”, your ace-in-the-hole is to offer something else that is consistent with a decision your client/customer has already made.
For car or home insurance, this might be an umbrella policy; for a new website, this might be a PR to announce it. For a car, this might be rust-protection undercoating or a routine maintenance agreement.
Whatever it is, it’s important to think about what your client or customer may actually desire as a result of their purchase.
“You want fries with that?” usually goes with hamburgers.
Coffee filters usually go with coffee.
Vacuum cleaner bags usually go with vacuum purchases.
You get the idea.
Your additional offer should make sense immediately–your client should “get” the obvious connection–or what you suggest won’t be as likely to work.
That’s consistency in a nutshell.
The ‘Product Nature’ Trigger Explained
The nature of your product or service can–and should be–a powerful trigger.
People don’t buy smoke alarms or security systems; they buy the peace of mind that security systems and smoke alarms offer them.
If you know why people consider buying what you offer, you can tap into their emotional reservoirs to make sure they come aboard.
As a copywriter, I tap into business owners’ and entrepreneurs’ desires to make sure the words they broadcast on- and off-line attract a lot more money than it took to engage my services. I have to let them know that they aren’t spending money when they hire me; they are going to be making a lot more money as a result of hiring me. The nature of my product is “more green in your jeans” and a heftier bank balance. What isn’t there to love about that?
Bring out the nature of your product (instead of its features, explain its benefits) and stay with the emotion that its nature evokes and you’ll do fine. (For a cautionary tale about what violating this rule does, read my earlier blog about the fellow who wanted his app video to sing and dance while he was trying to get his target audience to consider the fact that they might not come home ever again. Here’s the link: https://wordwhisperer.net/content-questionnaire-available-here/)
