Use These 3 Subliminal Elements To Sell More

Modern consumers are more savvy about sales tactics. Selling directly to them in a direct way by outlining the features and benefits isn’t easy (or the best way of doing it). Your product or service shouldn’t look or read like a checklist.

If you speak to their subconscious you’ll be driving buyers naturally and easily towards your solution. In this article, I’ll outline 3 elements you should include in your sales copy, emails, website and ads to do just that.

Imagery to sell more

Using language which invokes an emotional response or is able to speak to the deeper level of a buyers consciousness is an effective (and relatively simple) way of tweaking your sales copy to be more effective.

Imagery attempts to describe something so that it appeals to our sense of smell, sight, taste, touch, or hearing and is usually used along with metaphors.

While Australians can be ambivalent towards American politics, we all know who Donald Trump is, and while we may not like him for the most part, he is a great salesman. Check out how he uses imagery to evoke emotions;

“mothers and children trapped in poverty“ creates a feeling of injustice and you can almost visualize the cage surrounding a woman and child.

“rusted-out factories scattered like tombstones“ creates a clear image of empty factories scattered across a wasteland.

“crime and the gangs and the drugs that have stolen too many lives and robbed our country of so much unrealized potential.“ The use of stolen and robbed again allows us to feel the injustice and other negative connotations that come with these words.

“This American carnage stops right here and stops right now.” Carnage is a very visceral word which we usually associate with war or physical demolition.

Using metaphors and language like this is effective in sales because while a buyer online may not be able to picture what a list of features and benefits mean to them in real terms. You can connect with their more primitive brain and make them picture the cost of inaction or what the final result might look like for them.

It’s important to note how smoothly the phrases and words fit into the writing. The writer didn’t build the speech around these phrases or words but went through after and added imagery to make the copy more effective.

If it isn’t built-in naturally it can very easily turn into what is perceived as manipulation, exaggeration or hype.

Fear of Loss to sell more

A sense of urgency and fear of loss are powerful sales drivers. Undecided buyers can be encouraged to make a purchase or inquire if they think they’re either in direct competition with other people for a product, or if a product has limited availability.

One common application is to have a timed sale, the countdown timer can be used effectively on sales pages because it’s very visual.

Another application is to create a sense of exclusivity in emails, which also leverages the fear of loss.  If you have a limited amount of a product to sell, let your potential buyers know that you’re giving them first pick, but after that, you’ll open it up to the rest of Australia.

You can use this to get more clicks through your emails and drive more action on your sales page if they feel they have a particularly exclusive opportunity that is available to them for a limited time.

Manufacturing the fear of loss becomes even more effective for giving buyers that last push when you can provide them with risk reducers such as strong guarantees, trial periods or super low entry pricing.

Social Proof/Trust Building to sell more

You may have a great product and a slick website but many buyers need to hear one more thing before they’re willing to part with their dollars – what other people are saying about you or your product.

Today’s modern buyers assume marketers and salespeople are trying to take advantage of them, so it’s vital to build credibility through each touchpoint.

People need to see that others also enjoy your product or service. It’s the idea that buyers are influenced by the decisions and actions of others around them. There are 4 basic ways of using social proof when it comes to selling.

1. Keep it relevant and approach a local celebrity or community leader to speak on your behalf. Getting quotes from influencers within your niche often results in a conversion boost.

2. Display your clients with pride, as well as certifications, badges, and awards on your web pages as key status symbols (we do it well!).

3. Feature success stories starring all levels of users, this can help increase the feeling that the end result is achievable for the buyers, reducing risk and increasing sales.

4. Ask for reviews, and don’t file them away as a keepsake, use them! According to consumer reports, 70% of consumers rely on online reviews before making a purchase. If you’re still on the fence about inviting customers to give their opinion, this should be enough evidence.

Make sure that when you do use these elements of social proof that they are used in context, that they help to overcome specific objections and aren’t just space-fillers.

Take Action

We often trust our gut even if the decision flies in the face of all the facts and figures. This is what including these elements can do, your buyers are out there and might just need that little extra nudge to take the next step.

It doesn’t take much to include some of the great things your current customers have to say about you and spice up your sales copy with some imagery. Then your buyers will truly be afraid of missing out!

It can be hard starting from scratch to create a sizzling copy and designing a powerful high-converting landing page. Luckily it’s the kind of thing we do day in, day out! I recommend getting in touch with our team and take advantage of our free consultation.

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