EVERYONE IN BUSINESS WANTS THEIR IDEAS TO STAND OUT AND REACH THE AUDIENCE THEY’RE TRYING TO SERVE.
But everybody knows it doesn’t happen by itself. Persuasion requires time, dedication and skill. For some it’s too hard.
HERE ARE FIVE WAYS TO DO IT:
1. Repetition
Saying something over and over again to make your point is a good start. Think of it as a trip to the supermarket. You walk in and you know where everything is as you pick up the yoghurt, the milk and tinned beans. You walk through aisle by aisle. You know the place, so you like it. That’s why you go to the same supermarket every week.
It’s an idea explored by psychologist Robert Zajonc who did experiments with exposure and found the more often people have previously been exposed to something, the more they like it. It’s proof that repetition works.
There are different ways of using repetition. These include repeating a word or phrase within a paragraph or piece, using anaphora which is repeating the same words, phrases or sentences (We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans – Winston Churchill) and using the same idea with different words.
There are also different ways to repeat the same thing over and over again in different formats. It can be done in website copy, or with podcasts and videos.
2. Using social proof
Getting recommendations from others is a good way to persuade people about your service. The best way to get this sort of social proof is through customer testimonials.
3. Solve problems
It’s an old technique used by the best copywriters. It’s a technique called problem-agitate-solve. You identify the reader’s problem and explore their pain before offering your solution and your services as the answer that will make it all better. The credibility of your solution is demonstrated by you understanding your reader’s pain.
4. Address objectives
It’s a case of addressing customers when they are about to say “Yeah but…
Usually there are four kinds of objections: lack of budget (“It’s too expensive), lack of trust (“I’ve never heard of your company”), lack of need (“I don’t see how this could help me” and lack of urgency (“This isn’t really important for me now”). Listen to the objections carefully and deal with them. There is no-one who knows your company and its services better than you.
5. Tell a story
Story telling lies at the heart of what persuasion is all about. People relate to stories more easily than they do to facts. A careful blending rhetoric and facts woven into a story can bring people on board. Tell a story about your company and its services. If you do it concisely, the facts and figures become an important part of the story.
These are the keys to persuasion. If you need a copywriter’s help call me on 0411 7645 193 or email me at leon@leongetler.com.
