Some activities happen naturally, like chewing, breathing, or scratching.
The human brain regulates certain tasks to save energy. If not, you’d be drained off by 10 a.m.
The choice of purchase is another autonomous task.
Your unconscious mind knows what it wants before you do. As you can see, it is quick and self-sufficient.
Some cues impact our subconscious and make us prefer one thing over another.
And those subliminal influences are called “mental triggers.”
In marketing, mental triggers function in tandem with persuasion. Together, they make a product or service appealing to the buyer.
Knowing how they work helps build strategies that positively impact your clients’ emotions. And you can motivate them to buy your products or services.
What will you find in this post?
1. Scarcity mental trigger
This cognitive trigger increases the value when something is limited.
What makes diamonds so costly? There are many fewer than pebbles.
The brain seeks out scarce things because they provide an exclusive sensation.
Also, the more difficult it is to get something, the greater its value. That’s how the subconscious works.
Let me share a personal example.
At the flick of a wand, I become one of your clients. 😅
“This month I will turn 40.
As much as I don’t want to take it seriously, I am getting older. My face has changed notably since my 30th birthday (the other big number before that).
The last time I had Botox was two years ago.
I know I should get it done more often.
So this was my immediate response when my hubby asked what I wanted for my birthday.
I researched clinics near me, and three of them suited my criteria. I liked the doctors’ backgrounds and experience, and the prices were reasonable.
I wanted to book my treatment around a week before the big day.
But one of the clinics offered a 30-minute facial only in January.
Guess what? I booked it for January.
The scarcity mental trigger is a wonderful tool and works.
Because, sadly, there are no magic wands to remove wrinkles.
Amazon and Booking are two platforms that excel at this. You can see how many units are left. And also, how many people are on the page at the same time.
The idea of someone taking the last item you like, makes you buy it.
2. Curiosity mental trigger
This cognitive trigger is all about grabbing attention.
Incomplete knowledge drives action: you want to know the whole story. Satisfying your nosiness enhances pleasure-related brain activity.
And this engages the audience.
Curiosity will make consumers want to learn more about your product. They’ll watch your videos, check your emails, and sign up for your newsletter.
Let’s look at an example:
There’s an incredible copywriter who’s selling his first book in Spain.
You get a freebie if you pre-order it.
In his first email, he said something like this. “You’d pay 50 euros just to have the information in the audio you’ll get with the book.”
Nothing else.
I know him, and I am certain I will be surprised.
So I bought the book to find out what’s in this audio.
Because it is on pre-sale, I haven’t received it yet.
Perhaps I have activated your “curious” mental trigger.
Maybe now you want to know whether this audio was worth it or not.
So, please write to me in the comments section, and I will let you know.
3. Reciprocity emotional trigger
Isn’t it natural to return a favour?
That’s why creating quality content for your customers comes before making money.
Giving precedes receiving.
Most clinics share valuable information with clients on social media.
There are also blogs where helpful information is shared.
Abigail James is a good example.
Another example is a free seminar.
However, there’s another way to add value and increase revenue.
I’m talking about a lead magnet.
This is a download of a document, video, or audio that your clients would pay for. But you give it to them for free in exchange for their email addresses.
The idea is to start an email marketing campaign when you get enough leads.
It pays off when done right.
Keep tuned in, and I’ll explain it in-depth in another post.
PHOTO: Woman photo created by freepik – www.freepik.com
4. Authority cerebral trigger
This mental trigger aims to build consumers’ trust.
You can either use an influencer or do it yourself.
When a public figure endorses something, people invest more and question less.
For example, Skin + Me vs High Street Skincare (skinandme.com) uses Caroline Hirons’ influence.
A referral from an authority figure like her is a surefire way to success.
It also works if you establish yourself as a leader in your field. A very clear example is Zein E. Obagi – Wikipedia.Where should you start? Make valuable, relevant, and accurate content. When people see your knowledge, you’ll begin to build trust.
PHOTO: Social photo created by freepik – www.freepik.com
5. Proofs
People tend to trust half of what others say unless proven otherwise. Especially if it seems exaggerated.
That’s what this mental trigger is for: verifying your information.
I’ll give you an example:
“I was searching for email marketing on Google the other day. This shocking statistic came up:
Email marketing generates $42 for every $1 spent, which is an astounding 4,200% ROI.
It’s possible you wouldn’t trust me if you saw this written in my post. You could think: “she’s trying to sell her email marketing services. “
Well, if you need them, I can help you here.
But I found this information in a source as reliable as Hubspot’s. Here it is:: The Ultimate List of Email Marketing Stats for 2022 (hubspot.com).
Your perception has probably changed.
It’s not me saying email marketing works.
Hubspot is proving it.
Use scientific research, statistics, and experiments to back up your claims.
When you have evidence on your side, the user is far more likely to trust you.
And you know that trust is the foundation of all relationships.”
6. Social proof mental activation
This emotional trigger is a classic, I know.
I include it because I still see testimonials like:
“excellent,” “highly recommended,” etc.
- Why was the service excellent?
- Why would you recommend it?
That’s what good feedback is aimed at.
When I work with my clients, we collect their patients’ feedback on a testimonial form.
This is beneficial for two reasons:
- First, they provide us with the information we need.
- And second, many clients are unsure of what to put in.
By including meaningful testimonials, you can build more credibility for yourself and your company.
Other evidence includes social media followers and online reviews. Also, the number of times your product or service is sold.
For example, “we perform more than 700 treatments with this laser in a year.
7. Be your clients’ painkiller
Knowing your customer is essential.
You don’t wander down the street talking to strangers. Or you don’t give personal details to someone you met yesterday while standing in line at the cinema.
If you or your clients don’t know each other, building a relationship is the first step.
Only then will they tell you what bothers them. That’s their pain.
Your job is to help them sort it out.
Activate this mental trigger again and again, and you will have a successful business.
You could also increase their enjoyment if they don’t have any “pain.”
Just remember how pleasant it is to have a relaxing facial. You don’t need to have wrinkles or pigmentation to enjoy it.
There are different types of pain, and you’ll have to identify them.
They can be a lack of money, time, trust in the person, product, or results.
I’ll show you a good example of this mental trigger:
I once met a client who went to a hospital despite its poor statistics.
You might be thinking she skipped breakfast that day. And her brain didn’t get enough energy to think.
So did I, till she explained.
She needed a complex procedure that many doctors refused to provide.
She had three pains:
- She had a health issue.
- She spent a lot of time looking for someone to sort it out.
- Because it was too complicated, nobody wanted to do it.
This particular hospital stood out from the competition. How? By focusing exclusively on the most challenging cases.
That’s why their success was lower than others.
But sometimes, relieving your clients’ pain is more important than statistics.
These are only a few mental triggers that may help you increase your sales.
However, strategy is required to put them into action.
Need help hitting the target?
