3 PERSUASION TRIGGERS to create DESIRE for your products or services
How to create desire for your product or service. It’s really the big question, isn’t it?
Because if we want a successful business, we need to create demand, love, loyalty - and ultimately more sales.
The good news is - there are ways to capture the hearts and minds of your audience that don't involve sleazy NLP techniques or anything manipulative. Rather, we’re going to go back to basic human behavior and psychology.
3 WAYS TO CREATE DESIRE FOR YOUR PRODUCT OR SERVICE
You might have noticed that it's a bit noisy out there. The online world is super noisy. We’re constantly being bombarded in our Facebook feeds and in our inboxes, left, right, and center, with “buy me now!” messages.
And whilst there’s never been an easier time to start a business, it's never been a harder time to get heard.
But not to worry - it's not all doom and gloom. Because I’m going to share 3 easy ways to cut through that white noise, cut through the clutter, and get your message heard.
1. Identify the core needs, & desires of your ideal customer
The first thing is to understand the core needs, desires, feelings that your ideal customer or audience wants to feel.
And the easiest way to do this is to go back to a tried and trusted method you probably know from school - Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. You may remember this pyramid from school.
At the bottom is Physiological needs. This covers basic needs such as food, water, sex, breathing, shelter. Basic survival needs.
Second is Safety, including our desire to live comfortably. Then you've got belonging, which is all about love, connection, and relationships.
Next up is Esteem, basically self-esteem. Our innate human desire to feel significant and important.
And then at the top is Self-Actualization. In other words, how can you live life to the max? Live out your purpose? Push yourself to your personal limits?
Your job is to figure out where your product or service sits on that pyramid and what core need it fulfils.
Where is your customer now?
And where do they want to be?
What's the problem they have? Where are they stuck in the mud?
What do they want to feel?
Zero in on the core need or desire your product or service helps with. Once you've got that, you can crystallize your message around it.
And when you nail that down, it helps in three ways:
Your message becomes really clear
It cuts through all the noise because it connects with an innate desire they have inside them
And it helps you differentiate because it's different from what other people are putting out
LET’S LOOK AT SOME EXAMPLES.
Example: Nike
Nike sites squarely on that self-esteem category.
They are all about the desire for greatness. The greatness we each have within us and that the brand helps people fulfill.
Example: Facebook
If you look at Facebook, it's around belonging and connection. We come to the platform to connect with others, to feel like we belong, to make friends.
Example: Instagram
Maybe Instagram is slightly more about self-esteem because people want to be significant. They put their best-curated self out there, don't they? The most beautiful photos and a news feed that exemplifies the perfect life they're living.
So, it's a little bit about belonging but probably more about self-esteem.
WHERE DOES YOUR BUSINESS FIT?
Think about where your product or service sits in this hierarchy of needs.
What is the problem you solve?
What feeling do people want to have?
Where are they now? Are they overwhelmed or stuck?
Do they want to feel significant or important or as if they belong?
Example:
Let’s say you’re a career coach. You take someone from being in the Safety level of needs. They've got a job with some security but they have a desire to do more. To be more significant. To achieve more.
How does your brand take them from where they are to where they want to be?
2. Weave it into a story
Once you've crystallized that feeling, once you know what your audiences’ needs are, you need to weave that into a story.
Why Story?
Because story essentially bypasses the conscious part of our brain and goes straight to the subconscious.
When we learn facts and figures and data points we kind of switch off. If I gave you a dry list of things to remember, you’d switch right off.
But when you think in terms of a story, you are taking your customer on a journey.
Your customer is at the centre of the story - they are the hero. And they’re in a place where they are struggling.
So, going back to our Career Coach example, they're hating their job and they really want to change but they're stuck. They've tried a few things. They're climbing this mountain on their journey and then they meet you. You’re their Guide.
You give them a solution and you show them how to get the end result and the feeling they desire.
So if you can weave your message into a story arc it's so much easier to connect emotionally and to create a relationship.
It’s exactly the same if you have a product. Let’s say you have a skincare product. Your customer may be struggling with acne or troubled skin, they react to absolutely everything.
They've bought all these different products but nothing's worked. They've wasted money, they're feeling despair and they want to feel confident.
They want to feel significant and feel great in their skin. Or maybe they want to feel love. They're on that belonging level and they want to feel love and connection. But without having great skin they feel insignificant.
Then you show them how your product is the answer to that feeling. It’s not just the answer to great skin for great skin's sake. What is the feeling that great skin gives them? What can they do now that they have this glowing beautiful skin? How will they feel?
3. Employ the law of singularity
There’s a great book on branding and marketing called the 22 Immutable Laws of Branding by Al Ries.
One of these laws is the Law of Singularity.
This is so important if you want to cut through the noise. Because whilst a brand like Nike may have golf, basketball, soccer - running all these different categories now, remember - they started out with one track and field shoe.
They targeted university athletes at track and field with one product and one message.
Only once they conquered that market did they expand their brand into different audiences and different markets.
This is where most people go wrong - and especially small businesses. If you don't have a gazillion dollar advertising budget, you can't go out there and conquer lots of markets at once.
You need to find the smallest viable market and serve the heck out of it, first. So choose what you want to be known for.
WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU WANT TO BE KNOWN FOR?
And don't go into fear mode here thinking, “I offer lots of different things. I don't want to kind of cut off my hands and just offer one thing.”
It doesn't mean you can't offer other things. It just means your marketing and your message really focus on that one area. Your area of expertise or your one product.
HOW WILL YOU USE THESE 3 TIPS TO CREATE DESIRE FOR YOUR PRODUCT OR SERVICE?
Here’s a quick recap.
Think about the hierarchy of needs and where your brand fits
Use story to captivate and enthral people and create that emotional connection
Focus. Be singular in your focus and what you offer.
And by the way - none of these cost any money. It’s all strategic work.
But if you can do those three things, those 3 tiny tweaks can make a massive difference in your business. They can help create wildfire demand for your products and services
HOW TO CREATE YOUR OWN IRRESISTIBLE OFFER
I can hear what you’re saying right now ... “But Nikki - I have no idea what type of bite-sized offer would work for my business!”
No worries. I’ve got you covered. You can take my free quiz to help you find the perfect bite-sized offer for your business right here:
FREE QUIZ - WHAT OFFER SHOULD I CREATE?
PS - If you’re already bursting with ideas or know you definitely want to jump on this bandwagon, skip ahead and grab the Bite-Sized Offer Masterclass here.