Do You Know the Secret Trigger Word of Successful Marketers?

This is not a post about copywriting - it is about an ingredient that should be part of the foundation of everything you do as an online marketer.

It is more than copy, or mindset, or persuasive advertising. It should be central to how you market regardless of your niche or business model.

I thought I would share a little of this marketing goodness that may help you sell more of your own (or affiliate) products. This is not something I devised or discovered - I learned it from Gary Bencivenga and Robert Cialdini, two marketing legends.

There is great persuasive power in using "reason why" psychology in your online sales letters, presentations, seminars and offers. By giving prospects the "reasons why" they should buy your product or service over the alternatives, you are helping the potential buyer understand the superior nature of your offer and why it's a no-brainer for them to choose your product. Compelling "reasons why" also allow the prospect to believe you over someone else that fails to offer his "reasons why" - you are being transparent and giving the prospect more than just a hyped-up pitch - you are offering valid supporting evidence that your offer is the best choice right now and that the prospect will not find a better offer than the one before him at this moment!

That being said, there is a secret trigger word, according to Bencivenga and Cialdini, that magnifies the power of your "reasons why" and is at the heart of why this principle is so powerful . . . and that's what I wanted to share with you.

Harvard social psychologist Ellen Langer conducted a famous experiment that showed the power of the "reason why" principle. By asking a small favor of people waiting in line to use a copy machine in a library, it became apparent that most people waiting in line were willing to let a stranger go ahead of them if a simple "reason why" was offered.

"Excuse me, I have five pages. May I use the copy machine because I'm in a rush?" was met with a 94% approval rate. The exact same phrase without the "reason why" only resulted in 60% approval. [That phrase without the "reason why" was "Excuse me, I have five pages. May I use the copy machine?"]

But here's where it gets interesting . . . a third request by Langer which went as follows "Excuse me, I have five pages. May I use the copy machine because I have to make some copies?" received a 93% approval rating, even though there was no valid "reason why" given - just the obvious and meaningless "I have to make some copies" statement.

It appears that the key to the high approval of the request was actually the trigger word "because." Even when the "reason why" was simply a no good or logical reason at all ("I have to make some copies") the strangers (like your prospects) were almost universally giving their approval to the request.

There is something about the word "because" in marketing that calms the prospect's fears, convinces her that you are telling the truth, and encourages a positive action.

Here's the takeaway IMO . . .

Compelling "reason why" marketing works wonderfully, but it will work best if it follows the word "because" in your dialogue . . . something like this:

"I am sharing this principle today because it is experimentally proven to increase your sales."

"I want to give you this marketing advice because I have used it over and over again in my own business to make my offers more compelling."

"I wish all of you success in your business ventures because smart ethical marketing is the pathway to long-term business profitability."

Have a great day,

Steve