Psychological triggers to convert leads into paying customers

Companies spend thousands of dollars and countless hours trying to convert leads into customers. But, the truth is you don’t need to bend yourself backwards to do that; you just need to be smart. Smart in terms of getting into people’s head. Knowing their psychology and using it to your product’s advantage.

Once you get to know how human mind works, gravitating potential customers towards your product/service should be a piece of cake. So, without further ado, let’s dive into it and take a look at some incredibly powerful psychological triggers that marketers can use for turning leads into loyal customers -

Know their pain points, and offer a remedy

 One thing is seeking pleasure. Another is avoiding pain. It shouldn't come as a surprise that human race has always been more concerned towards escaping pain than wanting pleasure. We tend to stay away from anything that will cause trouble. Even if I’m doing something that’s physically painful (such as physically strenuous activities or anything adventures), it’s because I have programmed my mind to derive pleasure from it. I have associated physical pain with pleasure.

Everyone product/service is supposed to offer a solution to some problem. Which means people are dealing with some pain points that are slowing people down from achieving the desired goal. Now, depending on the kind of product/service that you offer, recognize what those pain points are. All the major elements of marketing campaigns should be heavily concentrated on how you can remedy those pain points. Do some prior research and find out which points people associate with pain and which ones they associate with pleasure. Accordingly use this trick in your strategies to increase conversion rate.

Maintain newness and originality

Apple is a company that has always successfully used this trick to generate more sales. The company rolls out a new iPhone model almost every year. And, even though the difference between new model and its predecessor is usually miniscule, people still eagerly wait for the launch.

Why is that? Because there lies the element of newness. Or at least it gives the illusion of newness and novelty! In the middle of bombardment of new technology hitting the market every single day, people are getting bored with one thing very easily. After a point, they crave freshness. That’s why car companies release new models every year. And so, if you want to attract customers and keep them loyal to your brand, keep giving them something new (even if it’s not something monumental) just to keep refreshing their experience.

Give them the WHY

Another interesting fact about human psychology is that we act more agreeable once we get to know the why behind things. People are more likely to do something if you give them a reason. So, it goes without saying that whatever efforts you put into marketing and branding efforts, always have the WHY at the forefront of it - Why should they buy your product?

For instance, if you are branding online then tell people why they should use your product at the front page of your site. This will improve the likelihood of people actually pausing to read what you have to say than they do when you just try to nag them into buying something.

Justify how you have the easiest way out

Humans are lazy creatures. Laziness is something that’s deep ingrained in our DNA. Which is why if there are ten different ways leading to the same destination, we will always gravitate towards the least complicated one.

Words like easy, hassle-free, simple; these are trigger words. They give people hope that can get from point A to point Z in the least troublesome manner. Deep down we know that actually reaching that point will demand a whole lot of efforts than what’s being promised; but, we still want to avoid hard work. People are more likely to give things that promise easiest solution a try in the hopes of achieving the desired result even while staying lazy.

Give them social proof

Sometimes we are quite sure of our decision, but all we need is someone’s approval and we jump right into the execution mode. Approval seeking is in our nature. We find it easier to do something when others approve of it or when they’re also doing the same thing.

And so, if you want to convert potential customers into actual customers, give them proof of how other people (who share similar tastes, beliefs, demands, and goals) are benefitting from your product. To make it sound more believable, give proper credentials of the people acting like a proof on your behalf. For example, while displaying testimonials and reviews on your website, provide proper credentials of those people. It gives the impression that you’re not just creating clients out of thin air. Use the same trick in whatever ways you can in your promotional strategies.

Create controversy

Let me preface that by saying that while using the element of controversy to influence people, make sure to refrain from sensitive topics (race, religion, politics, etc). Otherwise it could backfire too. Go with something lowkey.

For example, challenge a common belief that majority follows. Be subtle. Anything that challenges people’s perceptions and belief systems will certainly drawn their attention. They would want to get to the bottom of it just to satisfy their curiosity.

Show your potential customers you care about them

It was Aristotle who said, “Man is a social animal”. And rightly so!

We all like it whenever someone makes us feel special. I know I do. Us humans seek comfort when others make us feel significant and valued. The same principle can be applied in marketing as well. But do not just fake concern because it’s easily detectable. Try to sound genuinely concerned about people.

Showing that you care is a surefire way to attract more clientele. Always remember that a potential client may have a lot of questions on his/her mind. Excellent customer service is one way to convince people for real, just how much you care about them. Avoid delays in answering their queries or reaching out to them when they need so. And, you can win their hearts quite easily.

Give away freebies

Everybody loves free gifts! Most credit card companies use this trick. They always lure people in with tempting offers in exchange of opting for their services. It could be a free meal at your favorite restaurant or free tickets to the movies. Examples are many.

You too can convert leads into customers by offering them rewards upon opting for your product/service. You could even offer a free trial period (which most service providers do). Give them first hand experience of how your product looks and feels like without actually charging them. Once they get the taste of it, they would willingly want to spend money on it and be in for the long haul.

Have you ever used any techniques to attract more clientele? What psychological triggers do you think are not mentioned in the post that are worth knowing? Do share your experiences. I’d love to hear them.