Want to buy from you more and more? We at Alconost have translated wonderful material on how to quickly gain the trust of a client. All you need for this is a quality product. Read, apply, sell!
We buy goods only from people and companies that we trust. In today's saturated marketing world, people are anxious and almost an animally fearful of sales. Achieve confidence, and you can sell the notorious snow to the Eskimos. Lose trust - and even the thirsty in the desert will not buy water from you.
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However, we often underestimate the challenge. Absolutely all consumers faced with empty promises and low-quality products. Because of such a negative past experience, gaining their trust is not easy.
But we can shorten the path to trust and increase sales using behavioral psychology, in which there are principles of cognitive distortion and heuristics (
heuristics is a simplified way of thinking, a simple way to draw a conclusion without resorting to mathematical calculations or scientific thinking - note ). These principles relate to mental models (sometimes irrational and imperfect), which are used to save time or energy when making decisions. Although there are
more than 100 cognitive distortions and heuristics , I would like to focus only on those that allow to achieve instant trust in the eyes of the consumer.
This is a game of trust.
But first, a warning: I do not in any way encourage the use of persuasion technology for the sole purpose of obtaining money from people. First you need to get a good product that really helps consumers. A technique of persuasion will help the product to get into the right hands. If this is not about you, then stop reading immediately.
Let's get started
Below is a list of 6 psychological triggers (cognitive distortion and heuristics) that allow you to achieve instant consumer confidence. Next to each such trigger is a brief description and examples of use.
Trust Trigger # 1: Group Attachment
What it is: Attachment within a group means that we trust and sympathize with people we consider to be similar to ourselves.
How it works: The search for like-minded people is peculiar to us by nature, and we trust such people more because we consider them the same. Conversely, dissimilar people cause mistrust and doubt. This gives rise to we-against-them thinking. Opposition in marketing can be as powerful a means as supporting something.
Examples: Recall your last conversation with a stranger just to find out if you are from one city. Did you not automatically trust him / her even though you didn’t know anything about the person?
Similarity can take different forms to be effective. Such common things as the birthplace or alma mater instantly create an inner circle with a sense of security and sympathy. General experience, such as service in the same military unit or hobbies in the same sport, paves the way to trust. A similar view of religion and politics increases the credibility of the new comrade. And the defense falls, because we are accustomed to trust those who we like.
In nature, this behavior is observed constantly - for example, birds of the same species stick together.
Refer to the brand Harley Davidson. Bikers on the Harley demonstrate extreme commonality with others like them. Seth Godin calls it "people like us." This creates radical loyalty and builds a strong community. Harley bikers are so fanatical that it looks almost like a cult! They are a very specific type of personality and are thrown out phrases like: "People like us ride Harleys." Do you think a newbie who wants to become a biker would rather buy Harley or Honda?
As soon as you are identified as part of the group, other cognitive distortions will take effect that will strengthen loyalty and dedication to the group. Some of them:
Application: How do you sow a community grain - during marketing events or during the sales phase? Your marketing campaign carries the message that you are the same as the target audience?
Trust Trigger # 2: Simple Exposure Effect
What it is: People tend to sympathize and trust familiar things. The similarity nurtures sympathy.
How it works: Simply put, the more you come across something, the more you trust it. Frequent repetition gives rise to the feeling of a friend, because it changes the neuro-path, and thereby affects the perception and impressions of something as already known. The first encounter with a new stimulus (your product) will bring only the knowledge that it exists. Subsequent clashes will turn awareness into account by moving the product up the trust scale. The further your product moves along the scale of trust, the more curiosity and closer the establishment of a strong desire to purchase a product.
Examples: Have you ever bought a product simply because it was everywhere - on the streets and in advertising? Wherever they turn, everywhere he ... until you buy. And once something is found everywhere, it is clearly trustworthy, right?
Researchers from the universities of Villanova and Temple distributed among the students more than 140 plausible statements on random topics with which students are usually not familiar; half of them were true, and half were false. In the course of three independent tests with a difference of two weeks, students were asked to evaluate the validity of 60 statements on a scale from 1 (implausible) to 7 (very likely). Of the randomly chosen false claims, 20 were repeated in the second and third trials. The results showed that repeated false statements were evaluated by students as more and more likely with each repetition.
How do you think, how ridiculous myths like “Einstein collapsed math in school” spread? This effect is called the "illusion of truth."
And it is applicable for the market - I call it “the illusion of trust.”
There is a
study of banner ads in which college students were offered to read an online article with the banner next to it. In short, the group found the test banner more credible than other ads that were shown less often or not at all.
Remember, when you were last on an ecommerce site, an advertisement for a product from there appeared on your Facebook page in three minutes? This is called retargeting - one of the most profitable ways to advertise ... The effect of simple exposure is also manifested in retail, when we prefer a branded product to the rest simply because we already know it. Even the content is the same, but with a different label.
"BUT WAIT", you say. “What about these annoying clips that repeat at every commercial break with intrusive regularity? Or these ads on the radio, the phone of a certain company, are repeating 20 times. OK, I just hate them! ”
Yes, I know, I hear. But here's the nuance ...
here is the fine line on which the triggering of the trick for advertisers and marketers depends.Repetition is effective only when people do not focus attention on it. In a
study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology , they found that repeated messages increase the persuasiveness of a message only with a
low level of processing by the listener . The brain is able to process emotions unconsciously. When your message is heard by a consumer focused on it, the argument must be especially convincing, since with each repetition it loses its strength and becomes intrusive.
That is why subliminal advertising is so effective - you can
control the mind of the consumer. Everyone (even the "crazy man") is susceptible to subliminal advertising.Application: How can you achieve an intuitive consumer thrust to your product? How to keep the product in the minds of consumers?
Trust Trigger # 3: Authoritative Heuristics
What it is: When someone with a certain power (authority, experience, influence, etc.) expresses an opinion on a certain topic, their opinion looks credible.
How it works: Those who deserve authority usually achieved such a position due to their impressive experience, skills, wisdom and power. When we are not sure how best to proceed, we often turn to the leader for guidance. This allows you to take advantage of expert knowledge without the need to perform complex work (and often also avoid responsibility).
Sociologist Max Weber argues that there are three types of authority:
- Rational legal authority. The force of this type in the formal rules. Examples include John F. Kennedy, Bill Bratton, and General Colin Powell.
- Traditional power. Such power derives power from customs and social formations. An example would be Queen Elizabeth, Dad and your boss.
- Charismatic leader. It gains strength by demonstrating an exemplary trait (for example, heroism or strength of character) that inspires respect and devotion. Examples: Robert Downey Jr., Tony Robbins and Elon Musk.
The most interesting type of such leader, in my opinion, is a celebrity. They are very popular in modern society and have a huge influence on the consumer desire of the masses. But above all, these people are known for being themselves (Kim Kardashian, Paris Hilton, etc.). Think about it - we all know that they received fame not for outstanding intelligence or hard work.
There are many ways to achieve consumer credibility. Titles like the PhD, the governor or the Olympic gold medalist are often among the most difficult to achieve, although this is a quick way to look authoritative in the eyes of the consumer. Appearance, like a white robe with a briefcase or stethoscope, implies a certain authority. But this image is easy to fake. Expensive items such as a new sports car, penthouse or luxury watches can have the same effect.
Examples: When was the last time a doctor diagnosed you and prescribed medications? Did you check the license and knowledge of the doctor, were you interested in second opinion or drug prices? Or did you just follow the advice of a doctor without any questions? Just an example of authority in action.
One of the most cited examples of such heuristics is the book of Stanley Milgram
Obedience to Authority experiments . But authority is also manifested in other forms: doctors, lawyers, accountants, professional athletes, police, etc. Without a doubt, you have seen an ad with such statements: “a medicine recommended by doctors for pain # 1” or “9 out of 10 dentists use our toothpastes.” The effect is also observed at a more subtle level of product positioning. If
Frank Underwood uses a Mac , maybe it’s worth it ...
When
The Cuckoo's Calling was published by war veteran Robert Galbraith in mid-2013, it received rave reviews, but was sold in scanty copies of 1,500 copies. Even with reviews from USA Today, Slate and Publishers Weekly. A couple of months later, it became known that Robert Galbraith is just a pseudonym of JK Rowling. And sales instantly soared to 185.866%, moving from # 4,709 to the top of the Amazon bestseller list. Why? She has authority and reputation in the literary circle. Her name attracts attention. The book became a bestseller, not for its quality, but because of the reputation of the author.
Application: What reputable personalities can you use in marketing? Where would you place them (advertisements with famous personalities, reviews, sponsorship, partners, etc.) to build trust?
Trust Trigger # 4: Bandwagon Effect
What it is: We tend to believe in something because other people began to believe in it before us. There is safety in numbers.
The phrase “jump into the winner’s carriage” (Bandwagon) comes from American politics of the late 19th century. Dan Rice, a famous circus performer of the time, used a cart with loud music installed to draw attention to his political campaign. With the growing popularity, more and more people saw his success and wanted to take a seat in the wagon. He did not win, but this effect was so strong that it became a standard element of other campaigns. But such a trick was used too often and soon acquired a negative connotation, as people joined the crowd to associate themselves with success.
How it works: When we see a group of people we want to join, the social component and the innate need for community come into action - therefore we act like everyone else. We want to be part of the crowd. The effect is so strong that people often ignore or even change their beliefs to follow the masses.
It all depends on the assumptions we use as mental approaches. The subconscious as if tells us: “If the others buy this toothpaste, then it is good. And I do not have to strain to find the best brand. I will simply use the wisdom of the crowd. ”
Examples: Have you ever decided to watch a YouTube video based on its number of views? Social media makes such a trigger extremely effective, demonstrating involvement in the crowd and helping to easily jump on the “loudly playing wagon”.
Solomon Ash's research in 1950 demonstrated the power of conformity. The participants and researchers representing the same subjects were shown 3 lines of different lengths. Then they showed the 4th line and asked which of those three were of the same or similar length. This happened several times with general agreement. Then all the dummy participants unanimously chose an obviously false answer. The experimenters wanted to know how often the participants adapt to the group. Almost 75% abandoned their own judgments for the sake of matching the group and gave the wrong answer. The differences from the control group are colossal - there, only 1% gave incorrect answers, as there was no crowd pressure.
For one more example of the effect of a general car, let us return to
politics . Although real “bandwagons” are no longer used, the effect persists. Many people pull to the last with a vote in order to assess who is most likely to win - and vote for it. In a
study by the British Election Committee, Ian McAllister and Donly Stadler collected the final ballots and found that voters who had heard at least one opinion poll before the election (about 3 out of 4 people) were inclined to vote for the most likely candidate.
It is always nice to associate yourself with the winner, be it politics, sport or something else.
The crowd has the power to direct attention. A
study by Michael Luke from Harvard University noted that an increase in the rating by 1 “star” in the Yelp service raises the company's local revenue by 5% -9%. In another study, two economists from Berkeley found that a ½ star rating increase in Yelp increases the chances of selling all tickets by 49%.
There are whole business models built around this concept. Remember the site of Groupon, a company that quickly reached a value of $ 1 billion. Or crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter, which received more than $ 1.5 billion in contributions.
Application: How to achieve the effect (or sensation) that everyone is buying your product? How to demonstrate the popularity of all?
Trust Trigger # 5: Deficit Trick
What it is: As soon as something becomes difficult to acquire or limited, its conscious value grows. This trick relies on a person’s perception of the immediate availability of something.
How it works: This trigger goes hand in hand with the previous one. When certain resources become limited, the deficit trigger takes effect and makes such resources more attractive to us. Your subconscious tells you: “Those things should be very popular. I don’t want to miss them! ”In his bestseller
Influence, Robert Tsialdini says that“ The tendency of a person to be more sensitive to possible losses than to gains is one of the most useful discoveries in sociology. ”
Examples: Have you ever been lost in a pharmacy before mass packs of pills? When there was only one box with Allegra, and a number of dozens of boxes with other options. What did you buy?
For an example of the use of the deficit in business models do not go far. Antique and collectible shops work well on this. Twinkie hysteria is a great example of what people are ready for in short supply.
The ruin of the Hostess bakery led to absurd prices at eBay selling Twinkie.
Stefan Vorchel, Jerry Lee and Akanbi Adevalla suggested that participants choose their favorite cookies in their
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