The "Because" Factor: Simple Trick to Add Believability to Your Message
In the book, Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini, he talks about an experiment in which people would ask to cut in line in front of someone using one of two tactics.
In one tactic, a person would just ask to cut in front of someone without giving a reason why. I don't have the book here so I'm operating from memory, but as I recall about 40% would let the person cut in front of them.
In the second tactic the person would give a reason they needed to cut in line, and nearly twice as many people would allow someone to cut in if the person gave a reason for it.
What's interesting is that it didn't seem to matter what the reason was, just so they had one. In one case there was a line to use a copier. The person trying to cut in simply ask if they could cut in line because they needed to make a copy.
Obviously if the line had formed to use the copier, the reason a person would want to cut in is to use the copier. And yet, about twice as many people would let someone cut in line if they offered a reason, even when the reason was dead obvious.
The lesson is that people like to have reasons, for anything. If you're making a point in your sales copy, just adding a because adds persuasion power to your message unless it's simply not believable.
For example, suppose you sell an ebook about time management. If you have a bullet point that reads:
The main point of this is that people like to reasons to believe something, so if you're not including the "because" factor your offer will have less impact.
This goes beyond sales copy though. When I decided to make some changes to my member site I outlined the reasons for them, and knowing some people just don't like changes, I anticipated at least a few objections. Not one. I received around 200 emails about the changes, and every single one said to go for it. I doubt the results would have been so positive if I hadn't included the "because" factor.
What do you think? Can you think of other ways/places where using a "because" will help?
In one tactic, a person would just ask to cut in front of someone without giving a reason why. I don't have the book here so I'm operating from memory, but as I recall about 40% would let the person cut in front of them.
In the second tactic the person would give a reason they needed to cut in line, and nearly twice as many people would allow someone to cut in if the person gave a reason for it.
What's interesting is that it didn't seem to matter what the reason was, just so they had one. In one case there was a line to use a copier. The person trying to cut in simply ask if they could cut in line because they needed to make a copy.
Obviously if the line had formed to use the copier, the reason a person would want to cut in is to use the copier. And yet, about twice as many people would let someone cut in line if they offered a reason, even when the reason was dead obvious.
The lesson is that people like to have reasons, for anything. If you're making a point in your sales copy, just adding a because adds persuasion power to your message unless it's simply not believable.
For example, suppose you sell an ebook about time management. If you have a bullet point that reads:
* You'll have more time to spend with your family.That's nice, but if you add a because...
* You'll have more time to spend with your family because you'll discover how to eliminate unnecessary distractions that drag down your productivity....you've given a prospect a reason to believe you instead of asking them to just take your word for it. That can be HUGE.
The main point of this is that people like to reasons to believe something, so if you're not including the "because" factor your offer will have less impact.
This goes beyond sales copy though. When I decided to make some changes to my member site I outlined the reasons for them, and knowing some people just don't like changes, I anticipated at least a few objections. Not one. I received around 200 emails about the changes, and every single one said to go for it. I doubt the results would have been so positive if I hadn't included the "because" factor.
What do you think? Can you think of other ways/places where using a "because" will help?
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