Do you think 7 is a lucky number?

31 replies
I suppose that someone, somewhere, sometime, must have done a study that showed something along the lines of people who purchase online like the number 7. This is the only thing that can explain why virtually every time anyone speaks about what they sell the cost is 27, 47, 97, 197, 997, I think you get the picture.

I've been clearing up some paperwork and working on some budgets lately. So I've been going over various contractor agreements, and purchases that have been made during the first quarter and I noticed that not a single one of them ends in the number 7.

In dealing with my own clients, I've never sold anything that ended in a 7. I know it may seem like a small detail, but maybe it's because people are creatures of habit and they expect things to end in a 9 when it's on paper and not on a screen.

Ok, it's not earth shattering information here, just something I've noticed since the first time, long ago, that I told a prospect that it was 997 to get started. I remember he looked at me with an odd expression and said, 997!?

Just some random thoughts at the end of a long day.
#lucky #number
  • Profile picture of the author beeswarn
    No, and -99 pricing pisses me off.
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    • Profile picture of the author David Miller
      Originally Posted by beeswarn View Post

      No, and -99 pricing pisses me off.
      I've never been a fan of 99 myself. I say give it a name and the name is HUNDRED
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  • Profile picture of the author beeswarn
    Hehe. I'm a fan of number theory, too. I used to daydream about the ten digits we use on the phone for hours, while hand-dialing residential numbers during the afternoon.
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  • Profile picture of the author beeswarn
    How did your D2D prospecting turn out last week?

    I went door-to-door today, first time since winter, and a really nice day to walk and talk to people. I caught my reflection in several store windows out there. I'm getting back on the phone. I got really fat this winter.
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    • Profile picture of the author David Miller
      Went pretty well. I think I must have been looking at the same reflection. Actually, I'm glad I did it but it's just not for me. I hate driving and hate 5 dollar a gallon gas even more. The people that say it's hard to be nasty when you're face to face haven't seen some of the faces I saw this week!

      I'm back on the phone. Getting out there is a nice change of pace but it's a drag when I think about how much more I can get done on the phone.
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  • Profile picture of the author beeswarn
    The phone really is the best business tool ever devised.
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    • Profile picture of the author nusretjahan
      the phone really best business.
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  • Profile picture of the author Doran Peck
    The only people that believe a price ending in 7 is some sort of "tactice" are people who populate the Warrior Forum.

    For the most part, people here have the sickness called "do it exactly like so and so guru did it down to the minute detail" ...or "so and so Guru said its this way or that way, so it is the word of God"

    So...somewhere along the lines I imagine some Guru...probably realizing the trendsetting power he had over the doting minions...decided to declare 7 to be a magical number.

    I've heard rumors of studies on this....havn't really bothered to look for them. So be warned I could be talking out my buttox. In my own pricing of various products I havn't really seen a difference in any number I use. I do actually feel like 4 stands out a bit more than others but I don't know for sure. I really think the whole thing is a crap shoot. Your pricing strategy probably has more to do with whether your "in the ballpark" of a buyers perceived value of what your selling. I mean if you way off base by like 30 or 50 bucks...then it isn't going to make a lick of difference if you end in 7 or 9 or 0.

    I will say this...the number 7 does seem to be a tell tale that your dealing with a warrior...its like...a tradition or something. Oddly I actually see that as a positive thing about it.

    ...but does it increase sales? ...I'm not a believer.
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    • Profile picture of the author iAmNameLess
      Originally Posted by Doran Peck View Post

      The only people that believe a price ending in 7 is some sort of "tactice" are people who populate the Warrior Forum.

      For the most part, people here have the sickness called "do it exactly like so and so guru did it down to the minute detail" ...or "so and so Guru said its this way or that way, so it is the word of God"

      So...somewhere along the lines I imagine some Guru...probably realizing the trendsetting power he had over the doting minions...decided to declare 7 to be a magical number.

      I've heard rumors of studies on this....havn't really bothered to look for them. So be warned I could be talking out my buttox. In my own pricing of various products I havn't really seen a difference in any number I use. I do actually feel like 4 stands out a bit more than others but I don't know for sure. I really think the whole thing is a crap shoot. Your pricing strategy probably has more to do with whether your "in the ballpark" of a buyers perceived value of what your selling. I mean if you way off base by like 30 or 50 bucks...then it isn't going to make a lick of difference if you end in 7 or 9 or 0.

      I will say this...the number 7 does seem to be a tell tale that your dealing with a warrior...its like...a tradition or something. Oddly I actually see that as a positive thing about it.

      ...but does it increase sales? ...I'm not a believer.
      Online, end the price in a 7, offline ends in 9.

      This is one "gimmick" I believe in wholeheartedly. A long time ago I sold a WSO on SEO... and sold more at 17 than I did at 10.. LOL.

      The reason internet marketers use the number 7, is because psychologically it is the least threatening number. It's important in IM because trust, and impulse purchases dominate. 3...4..9.. threatening.. 7 is not threatening.

      I believe it works...

      I also believe copywriting works, I believe in certain ways of optimizing a website to funnel actions, colors to provoke certain feelings and emotions. It happens, it works. It really does. I'd recommend trying it out if you do any internet marketing.

      As for offline, not sure if it has the same effect, but I guess it would.

      Obviously it isn't something that works for everyone. If you're in the IM niche though, it's all about milking every possible penny available. If pricing increases your conversions by .2%.. its worth it.
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      • Profile picture of the author Doran Peck
        Originally Posted by iAmNameLess View Post

        Online, end the price in a 7, offline ends in 9.

        This is one "gimmick" I believe in wholeheartedly. A long time ago I sold a WSO on SEO... and sold more at 17 than I did at 10.. LOL.

        The reason internet marketers use the number 7, is because psychologically it is the least threatening number. It's important in IM because trust, and impulse purchases dominate. 3...4..9.. threatening.. 7 is not threatening.

        I believe it works...

        I also believe copywriting works, I believe in certain ways of optimizing a website to funnel actions, colors to provoke certain feelings and emotions. It happens, it works. It really does. I'd recommend trying it out if you do any internet marketing.

        As for offline, not sure if it has the same effect, but I guess it would.

        Obviously it isn't something that works for everyone. If you're in the IM niche though, it's all about milking every possible penny available. If pricing increases your conversions by .2%.. its worth it.
        I'd be inclined to believe you could have priced it at 19 and have it sell just as well as 17...reason being, the overall higher price increased the perceived value of the product, not the number 7 necessarily.

        I still think its hokey...but I am open to the idea that someday down the road I might be proven wrong (shrug)
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  • Profile picture of the author beeswarn
    I just remembered that someone spammed me in a PM here offering a gimmick WSO for $7.

    Here's an overview of psychological pricing I just scanned over Psychological pricing - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia It's on Wikipedia, for what that's worth.
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  • Profile picture of the author sandalwood
    David,

    Since you mentioned you had lived in Las Vegas I think you know the importance of 7. The house loves it and the shooter only loves it when he is on a come out roll. Of course you could always place bet the 7. Not too smart but it is gladly allowed by the house. Wonder why?

    By the way the largest retailer in the world loves 8. All of their prices end in 8. Just returned from Wally World, ugh! don't get me started, and had my eyes half peeled at the pricing. 8's are everywhere.

    Must be their secret weapon for doing a quarter of a trillion dollars in biz every year. Maybe IMers should follow the Benton AK gangstas...

    Have a great day,

    Tom

    Originally Posted by David Miller View Post

    I suppose that someone, somewhere, sometime, must have done a study that showed something along the lines of people who purchase online like the number 7. This is the only thing that can explain why virtually every time anyone speaks about what they sell the cost is 27, 47, 97, 197, 997, I think you get the picture.

    I've been clearing up some paperwork and working on some budgets lately. So I've been going over various contractor agreements, and purchases that have been made during the first quarter and I noticed that not a single one of them ends in the number 7.

    In dealing with my own clients, I've never sold anything that ended in a 7. I know it may seem like a small detail, but maybe it's because people are creatures of habit and they expect things to end in a 9 when it's on paper and not on a screen.

    Ok, it's not earth shattering information here, just something I've noticed since the first time, long ago, that I told a prospect that it was 997 to get started. I remember he looked at me with an odd expression and said, 997!?

    Just some random thoughts at the end of a long day.
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  • Profile picture of the author roncarson
    I like number 7 also and i'm a great fan of this number. Some say its lucky number and i believe it's some sort of superstition. Some also stopped raising their money to $8M because they love $7M than $8M and they don't want to be richer than $7M.
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    • Profile picture of the author jimbo13
      [DELETED]
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      • Profile picture of the author David Miller
        I logged in this morning to notice 13 posts here so I thought I better add at least 1 more to keep the bases covered!

        I definetly do remember there was a study about using the number 7 for online sales. However, I don't remember the specifics of why, but IAN is usually spot on with that sort of info so I'll defer to his post.

        As for me, just about everything I've ever marketed ended with a 9 but the client is always invoiced at 00. However, I've yet to have anyone say anything about it.

        It's hard to imagine that a successful business owner would be swayed by the psycho-social impact of a particular number instead of the value it brings to the table. But I suppose it's not the strangest thing that could happen.
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        The big lesson in life, baby, is never be scared of anyone or anything.
        -- FRANK SINATRA, quoted in The Way You Wear Your Hat
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        • Profile picture of the author iAmNameLess
          Originally Posted by David Miller View Post

          It's hard to imagine that a successful business owner would be swayed by the psycho-social impact of a particular number instead of the value it brings to the table. But I suppose it's not the strangest thing that could happen.
          Maybe they aren't REALLY successful until they meet us!
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          • Profile picture of the author David Miller
            @Iamnameless - I just noticed you quit smoking! So congratulations on that and good luck. But now I'm wondering if some of your posts may be even a bit MORE to the point, shall we say, than usual?
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            -- FRANK SINATRA, quoted in The Way You Wear Your Hat
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  • Sorry to jump on this weeks after the fact but I only just came across the thread.

    The 7's theory was actually started by Ted Nicholas (marketing guru, made squillions, old dude), it had nothing to do with the forum. The funny thing about it is that no one seems certain where the evidence is or if it's just a theory. His claim was simply that having the price end in a 7 made consumers more succeptable to the sale, and that was pretty much it.
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    • Profile picture of the author Blase
      Originally Posted by Brooke@wadeswrittenword View Post

      Sorry to jump on this weeks after the fact but I only just came across the thread.

      The 7's theory was actually started by Ted Nicholas (marketing guru, made squillions, old dude), it had nothing to do with the forum. The funny thing about it is that no one seems certain where the evidence is or if it's just a theory. His claim was simply that having the price end in a 7 made consumers more succeptable to the sale, and that was pretty much it.
      Good job Brooke!

      You are exactly right, that is where it came from. I own a lot of Ted's stuff
      and all I can say is, just because it worked for Ted doesn't mean it will
      work for you.

      TEST, TEST, TEST!

      However, for all of you sellers out there, please keep
      your prices at $7.00. I like that better than $9.99.
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      • Profile picture of the author iAmNameLess
        Originally Posted by Blase View Post

        However, for all of you sellers out there, please keep
        your prices at $7.00. I like that better than $9.99.
        For info products? I'd sell more at $17 than you would at $9.99. Want to test it out?

        And Ryan... what do you mean I tried getting you to quit? LOL quit what?
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        • Profile picture of the author jimbo13
          Put it like this.

          Amazon don't worry about 7 and neither does any other online retailer eg WalMart, Tesco, Home Depot etc

          Because it is nonsense.

          Selling info to IM people is different because they have all read things saying it should end in 7 so expect it.

          Dan
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        • Profile picture of the author ryanmckinney
          Originally Posted by iAmNameLess View Post

          For info products? I'd sell more at $17 than you would at $9.99. Want to test it out?

          And Ryan... what do you mean I tried getting you to quit? LOL quit what?

          Smoking cigs!
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  • Profile picture of the author rbecklund
    when I did some direct mail marketing in the mid 90's (i'm old...) I remember direct marketing experts suggested the price should end with a 7 and they did lots of testing on it. so the 7 thing has been around a long time.

    I end everything with a 0 now.
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  • Profile picture of the author DoWhatWorks
    Hi David,

    Legendary marketer Joe Sugarman wrote a book called Triggers a while back, and one section of the book specifically talks about using the number 7. Just a quick quote from the book:

    "There are certain words that are very familiar to most people and to human consciousness. For example,if you ask someone to give you a number from 1 to 10, right off the top of his head, chances are that he'll choose the number 7. For some reason, that number is chosen more than any other, and in fact it dwarfs the next choice. Therefore, using the number 7 in a book title, such as "Seven Ways to Improve Your Relationships" or "The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success", is utilizing the most common and familiar integer of the first ten. You are therefore relating to the familiar and harmonizing with your reader."


    Whether there's any validity to this or not, who knows! :-)

    -Terry


    Originally Posted by David Miller View Post

    I suppose that someone, somewhere, sometime, must have done a study that showed something along the lines of people who purchase online like the number 7. This is the only thing that can explain why virtually every time anyone speaks about what they sell the cost is 27, 47, 97, 197, 997, I think you get the picture.

    I've been clearing up some paperwork and working on some budgets lately. So I've been going over various contractor agreements, and purchases that have been made during the first quarter and I noticed that not a single one of them ends in the number 7.

    In dealing with my own clients, I've never sold anything that ended in a 7. I know it may seem like a small detail, but maybe it's because people are creatures of habit and they expect things to end in a 9 when it's on paper and not on a screen.

    Ok, it's not earth shattering information here, just something I've noticed since the first time, long ago, that I told a prospect that it was 997 to get started. I remember he looked at me with an odd expression and said, 997!?

    Just some random thoughts at the end of a long day.
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  • Profile picture of the author ryanmckinney
    David,

    I always heard that "7" is the last number your brain relates to the lowest number.. before "realizing" its more? I hope you get what I am trying to say..

    So when the average person sees "$47" , they are ninja mind tricked into related it with $40, I suppose.

    Like someone who posted prior, I have never really looked into the psychology behind the "7" .. but I understand the psychology behind paying "more" means it's "better" -

    In my offline business, I started "low" (compared to where I am charging today) and heard no often, and when I started branding my self as the "mercedes" of my services, people said yes more, as nameless referred to.

    Nameless trying to get me to quit, but for the saftey of the people who I may interact with daily, I choose to continue on.

    Maybe if there was a way to quit, that charged me something .. that ended in a "7" ..I would buy it.
    Ry
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  • Profile picture of the author weheartcontent
    I'm pretty curious about 7 & 9 as well. To be honest I never really cared about what number the price ends with. But I really wonder what the general public thinks about it. I remember reading somewhere you should really split test 5,7 and 9.

    But at the same time I HAVE heard of many stories of people getting more sales with the price ending with the number 7 as IAmNameLess has pointed out...
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  • Profile picture of the author Michael Bucker
    The number 7 is not only an online thing. When I sold cars and now when I train others I will often end a price in 7. There are a few reasons for using 7 instead of 9 or 0 or even 5. I will also sometimes use 3.

    The psychological reason is that in using 7 instead of 9, 0, or 5 is because of how the human mind is conditioned to the other numbers. Certain words or events create anchors in our mind. Once an anchor is set it is extremely hard to rest your mind in that area. 9,5, and 0 are numbers that in most minds are associated with slick advertising that is designed to get your money. 0 and 5 are round numbers so can’t be the actual price I should pay and 9 is an age old trick to make you feel you are getting a discount. The problem is every American knows that about 9.

    Number like 7 and 3 seem more of a calculated definite number and creates pattern interrupt as well as cognitive disassociation. This also begins a new anchor in the minds telling it “if this is ending in 7 it must be more of a definite price and the actual deal, because 9 is a trick and 0 and 5 is rounded off numbers.” It is subconscious but it is what is happening.

    I am not speaking theory here. While selling cars anytime I priced one ending in 7 I received less negotiations using other methods along with it, than doing the same sale methods and ending the price in 0,5 or 9.

    I now train with 7 along with a certain phrases and those clients are now making more per deal. It is not online and it is not theory or guessing. It is a matter of how “most” minds works and how they are fixed in anchors.

    The only other anchor is, as we all know 7 is the most common favorite number out there, especially among Christians, who make up a big majority of America thus the majority of purchasers. Some feel and believe inside that it is a sign when they see it, as silly as it may seem to some these people will be influenced when seeing 7. Influenced by either the anchors I mentioned above or because of personal beliefs.
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  • Profile picture of the author mikelukjaniec
    I adopted the number 7 as my lucky number years ago and it hasn't brought me an ounce of luck!
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  • Profile picture of the author Aditeo
    Nope , not a luck number for me
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  • Profile picture of the author wilder1047
    James Shramcko tested this and shared his results.

    He said he saw no difference in ending with a 9 or 7, but, he said with the volume he sold last year, if he did not test and just went with ending in a 7 he would have lost 1000s.

    Online, since you don't pay for tax, I prefer seeing it end with the lower number I think $17 would be more enticing to me then $19 for example. But. if I'm in a store and I see the price ending in any number I just naturally round it up in my head so I don't think that has much of an effect on me personally anyways.

    My wife doesn't though, and they're the real target market in the offline shopping world!

    The price could be $55.99 and she'll say it's $55, drives me nuts, haha.
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    • Profile picture of the author Michael Bucker
      Originally Posted by wilder1047 View Post

      James Shramcko tested this and shared his results.

      He said he saw no difference in ending with a 9 or 7, but, he said with the volume he sold last year, if he did not test and just went with ending in a 7 he would have lost 1000s.

      Online, since you don't pay for tax, I prefer seeing it end with the lower number I think $17 would be more enticing to me then $19 for example. But. if I'm in a store and I see the price ending in any number I just naturally round it up in my head so I don't think that has much of an effect on me personally anyways.

      My wife doesn't though, and they're the real target market in the offline shopping world!


      The price could be $55.99 and she'll say it's $55, drives me nuts, haha.

      I guess that's the difference between testing something and doing it correctly. As I said I make more money and my clients now make more profit. I have never done it and lost money. I never said decrease from 10.99 to 10.97 if anything go up to 11.97. I have clients closing more deals and making more gross. People who test things, not always but often "test" because they don't know how to "do" it. Not in everycase but in a lot.

      There are all kinds of methods people say don't work then there is someone else making good money off of the exact same thing. Trust me my clients pay me to much for me to give them methods that are just theory or that I'm just testing. However I don't just change the price I explain the price. Its often in the explaination.

      It works period if done right or no one would be doing it. If you lose money your doing it wrong. I already explained why it works. Again no offense to james but its not theory at all, I train it and my clinets increase sales and gross and actually if done right takes out the back and forth of negotiaions . Now if james is selling something like a book or somthing that people don't negotiate that another story. I'd still increase the price not decrease.
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  • Profile picture of the author RedShifted
    I can tell you this for a fact about myself. When I am in the supermarket searching for things that are on sale, say shaving cream for instance, if the price ends in a 7 I often get angry about it and it just irritates me for some reason.

    I can't explain why, but I think its that voice in the back of my head that screams "why the **** couldn't they just add 2 cents to it?" It does something to mess up my personal schema for how I expect prices to look. If I just saw 50 items that were all $1.99, $2.99, $15.99, then I see a product thats like $4.97, for some reason I have to stop and think "how much does $4.97 =?" Almost like I don't understand its value and I always stop and get confused.

    Its pretty dumb yes. But think about this (what I learned in psychology). SCHEMAS ARE A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF HUMAN BEHAVOIR. The function of a schema in human psychology servces to make things simpler, and keep certain aspects of thought on autopilot. If you disrupt that schema, you disrupt the way a person takes in information, which will often trigger anxiety. So it seems I do know why the #7 bothers me.

    Another thing I heard about the #7 that is a bit contradicting, is if you ask people to guess a random number between 1-10, 7 is always the most commonly reported number. Go figure. But as far as pricing goes, like I said people are just use to 9 so 7 pisses them off.

    I'd be really curious to see if what iamnameless said was true, because I can't think of an explanation in the world that would explain it. Would think in most cases it would cause more harm than good, but who knows, humans are very odd creatures.

    -Red
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