Psychological Marketing!

Quick - what's your brand?

2010-10-26T06:59:00.000-07:00

In the course of our work, we encounter many professionals who don't understand their Brand. They maintain such dysfunctional ideas of what a Brand is that their Brands become meaningless.

Your company's Brand is more than a logo and tag line. It's more than the sum of your advertising and marketing. It also includes all the people on the front-line, the people who represent your business. This includes customer service people, sales people, clerical staff, receptionists, repair team, you name it. Anyone who could possibly deliver an opinion about your company - they're all part of the equation, and everything that comes out of their mouths contributes to (or takes away from) your brand. But, the most important mouths are your sales people.

-- Michael Lovas

2009-06-11T12:59:00.000-07:00

Question:

Can the specific words you use in your marketing really make that much difference? Absolutely! When you purposefully choose the right words, and deliver them in just the right way, you give your marketing its best chance of success. The specific words can easily mean the difference between success and failure.

We’ve been analyzing marketing psychology for more than 20 years, and I can tell you from experience, it is almost always done wrong. The psychology is the exact point where most people screw up in their marketing.

The biggest mistake is mindlessly simple: they think their information alone is strong enough to inspire people to respond. That is just knuckle-headed thinking. However, in their defense, it's all they know. They just did not learn the right way to approach marketing (and selling).

Logically, your goal should be to inspire people to buy from you – again and again. So, what picture do you need to place in your target market’s mind that will inspire them to take action? Most people seem to think that picture is a customer blissfully reading a contract or the user manual. Again - knuckle-headed.

So, what do you think the right answer is?

-- Michael Lovas

Psychology of Your Website

2009-05-07T08:55:00.000-07:00

On your website, people tend to actually read very little of your content. Instead, they skim, jumping from point to point in an “F” pattern.

Visitors to your site tend to look at the first headline and typically read all of it (if it’s not too long). Then, they drop down to the next big, bolded line and read some of it. Finally, they skim down the left side of the page looking for something else to grab their eye’s attention.

There are only a few of these studies, and they all come to the same conclusions:

· visitors read very few words
· those words are located in an “F” pattern

The wisdom and advice for you is this:

If you want to capture your visitor’s attention, you have to reformat and edit your web content to take advantage of how people read websites. You have to take advantage of the psychology, or you will be victimized by it.

-- Michael Lovas

Psychology of how people read

2009-03-25T12:27:00.000-07:00

Open a sample of various websites, and you’ll most likely see the result of a person or firm trying to adapt a printed brochure to the Internet. It doesn’t work because people read them differently.

Brochures. In a brochure, people tend to look at your headline, subheads and bullet points. They will use look at those points to find relevant information. If they find it, they'll read more of your content.

Web. On your website, people tend to read even less and skim even more. They jump from point to point in an “F” pattern. (Jakob Nielsen) They look at the first headline and typically read most of it. Then, they drop down to the next big, bolded line and read some of it. Finally, they skim down the left side of the page looking for something else to grab their eye’s attention.

If you want to capture your visitor’s attention, you have to reformat and edit your web content to take advantage of how people read websites.

Logic. Think in these terms: smaller chunks of information, preceded by a relevant subhead, all written to give the most important information first.

Like this info? This information comes from our new eBook. It's so new that we're still finalizing the content, and the working title is Words that Guide Minds. It is an intense class in how to use psychology in your marketing, specifically how to use words to motivate people.

Want a sample? Just send me an email: michael@aboutpeople.com. Include your contact information and this paragraph.

-- Michael Lovas

New eBook on Psychological Marketing

2009-03-21T11:59:00.000-07:00

I'm currently editing our newest eBook. The working title is: The Language of Yes - how to frame and phrase your message to influence and inspire people to say YES!

Phew! That's a long title. But, the content is superb. I've been writing about psychological marketing since about 1991. That’s also when I began teaching people how to use psychology in their marketing. I learned the tools of the trade from writing stacks and stacks of direct response programs. From them, I learned what works and what doesn't - all in the school of day-to-day hard knocks as the head writer for JCPenney.

Then, I began to study psychology very seriously. That was about ten years of daily learning. So, when I talk about linguistic structures, language patterns and mental filters, I know what I’m talking about.

I also learned that most copywriters don't have a clue how to use psychology in their writing. They're more interested creating in a catchy pun than slipping past the reader's mental filters.

Truth Frame. Here's an example of a little-known technique. I call it the Truth Frame. At the beginning of your marketing piece, say three things that are undeniably true. Just three things that are simple and obviously true. Then, link them back to you. That's it. In this way, your reader starts off by dropping all red flags and extending trust to you. Thus, you just slipped past mental filters and entered the mental kingdom.

If you like this type of information, please let me know. Just send me an email, and I'll personally send you a list of the most powerful and persuasive words ever assembled. Be sure to say you found me on this blog. Write to me at: michael@aboutpeople.com

-- Michael

Easy Way to Use Psychology in Your Marketing

2009-02-26T12:23:00.000-08:00

Pam and I were interviewed on two radio shows recently:

http://www.ducttapemarketing.com/podcast.php?id=P1329
http://www.contacttalkradio.com/hosts/archives/eldontaylor.html

During the Duct Tape interview, John Jantsch asked a question about using psychology in marketing. We explained that the easiest way is to segment your target market by professions. See, each profession attracts people who tend to have the same personality type.

For example, surgeons are cut from the same bolt of cloth. They are people who want to be (need to be) the king of the mountain. They want to tell other people what to do. The must be able to make snap decisions and be right. They have the Driver personality type.

Now, knowing that, all you'd have to do is appeal to that personality type to reach them more effectively. If you approached them in any other way, they would filter out your message.

There are three or four different types of doctors. Half a dozen different types of business people. Several different types of financial people. Each one is represented by a personality type, or a combination of personality types. If you don't have a solid understanding of personality types, you will completely miss out on this strategic psychological advantage. So, isn't it time to improve your knowledge?

Follow this link: http://www.aboutpeople.com/Catalog/index.php. That's where you can find a description of our book Face Values. It is the best book on the planet to learn about using personality types (and values) in your marketing and selling.

-- Michael Lovas

The psychology of referrals - part 1

2009-02-26T09:47:00.000-08:00

Since 1986, the common advice for getting referrals is ask for them. It took me years to figure this out - It's wrong. It's bad advice.

In this article I will share some of the research that clearly proves the folly of asking for a referral. Plus, I'll share with you some guidance in developing an approach that is much more effective.

Fact Set #1

The following comes from a 2008 report titled Investor and Industry Perspectives on Investment Advisors and Broker Dealers.

FACT 76% of Investors Found Advisors through Referrals
Regardless of the types of services received, the most common way respondents found their current advisor was by referral from a friend or family member.(45.6%) The second most common way was by a professional referral (30.5%).

FACT Investors seek Attentive, Likeable and Credible Advisors
When asked "What do you like about the services you receive from your advisor" the types of comments most frequently mentioned fell into 3 categories:

Accessibility or attentiveness ("she stays up to date on my issues," "is there when I need her")
Relationship or personality (he's "personable" or "friendly," "listens, asks good questions, understands my needs")
Expertise (she is knowledgeable about " or "knows her business")

There are really only two sides to every client relationship --- the personal and the professional. The more important side is the personal. Unless that side is addressed effectively, you could give your clients the impression that you consider them nothing more than a number. And, that number would be their contribution to your income statement.

FACT Investors dislike advisors who fail to keep in contact
When asked why they disliked an advisor, the most common type of comment was in accessibility or attentiveness category ("lack of contact" or "doesn't call me frequently enough"). One other notable negative comment commonly cited refers to the advisor's focus ("I don't think he has my interests at heart." or "He is trying to make money for himself" or "Often tries to sell securities that the brokerage firm is pushing."

Most clients won't call you on it. People are loath to cause stress. They will merely nod and make you think they're in agreement with you. Then, they will log it into their memory and move you from the "referable" category to the "un-referable" category.

FACT Investors are looking for an advisor they can Trust
Trust of the individual financial service professional was the most cited feature of what investors look for in a financial service provider.

Trust of the individual was cited as more important than trust of the firm for which that individual works.Who you are as a person, your personal congruence, is much more valuable to your clients than the firm listed on your business card. Your credibility is the most important asset you have. And, it's the glue that bonds all the other elements together to make you referable - or not.

CONCLUSIONS:
Based on the research provided by this research, we see that most people who are looking for an advisor end up finding the one they hire through a referral from a friend or relative. The people making the referral are feeding new business only to a certain type of advisor --- one who keeps in touch with them, is accessible to them, has demonstrated trustworthiness, and one who has that client's best interest at heart. In our world, we call that Credibility because it effectively and successfully covers both the personal side and professional side.

With that in mind, my prescription to you is to create an effective system for keeping in touch with your clients, at least with your best clients. Mix your contacts with personal visits, lunches, small gifts and greeting cards.

Approach these touches personally. Think of it as individual communication or one-to-one marketing. If you can make those personal communications relevant to each person, you will have taken your first step into the realm of "Credibility Marketing."

The psychology of referrals - part 2

2009-02-26T09:36:00.000-08:00

(continued from Part 1)

In this article I will share some of the research that clearly proves the folly of asking for a referral. Plus, I'll show you an approach that is much more effective.

Fact Set #2

The following come from a 2008 report titled Economics of Loyalty --- Conducted by Advisor Impact. One of the areas covered in this study was the dynamics of a disintegrating client relationship. In other words, what is really going on in the mind of your client just prior to your being fired or replaced If you knew that, you'd be able to plug the hole and retain that client.

Let's look at the findings:

FACT If you're not building the relationship, you're putting it at risk. One of the notable factors about client satisfaction in the financial industry (and most likely every industry) is that clients are on average very satisfied. That is an extremely misleading statistic which may lead us to believe that very few client relationships are at risk.

The key point (for advisors, consultants and relationship managers) is that the relationship seems to be at risk when overall satisfaction is at a 7 or less out of a 10-point scale. The numbers suggest that even if the relationship had been excellent, there was a decline in satisfaction just prior to making a change. In other words, if you're not building the relationship, you're putting it at risk.

These results together with those from the Investor and Industry Perspectives study suggest that client relationships slowly erode over time and probably hit a tipping point relative to some event or time when the advisor should have been responsive but wasn't. (9-11, 400 pt down day, Bear Stearns imploding).

To many financial advisors, the client relationship is not with the person but with the person's money, estate or account. Big mistake. When you focus on the impersonal aspect, you allow the human to drift away. So, how does that affect your ability to get a referral from that person? It destroys it.
FACT Engaged clients are most likely to give referrals. The study finds four categories of client relationships Disgruntled, Complacent, Content and Engaged. As you might expect, the more engaged a client is in your relationship (and work together), the more loyal the client is. The more loyal a client, the greater the chance he will give a referral. After all, the engaged client has something (more than money) invested in you. Giving a referral is one way they validate their connection to you.

FACT Asking for referrals does not produce referrals. The process of asking for referrals does not impact the likelihood of getting them. Consider how most advisors ask for referrals, "Can you share with me the names of some friends I might be able to call on."

Over the years, I've personally asked hundreds of advisors to tell me how they ask for referrals, and that's what most of them say. It is backwards! It is tantamount to saying, "I may not be able to help your friend, but I sure do need the business."

The findings from this study suggest that the reason clients give referrals is not to help the advisor; it is to do their friend or colleague a favor. If that is the case, how does that change your referral strategy?

For example, you might consider immediately implementing a communication strategy to show yourself as more responsive. This could include some or all of the following:

Personal phone calls to discuss the market and involve the client in the most appropriate next steps.
Lunch with a small group of clients to discuss the market and appropriate positioning of assets.
Devote time to developing your "value proposition." What do you want your clients to tell their friends about you? Perfect that language, then teach it to them to day on? your behalf.
Launch a greeting card campaign to enhance the personal side of your client relationships.

Conclusion.
Referrals are the result of a complex set of factors. You are in control of most of those factors. Referrals are NOT the result of asking for them. People who are engaged with their advisors are more satisfied with the relationship. Engaged clients give more referrals. Communication is a key to increasing the level of engagement.

Want to learn more? How about a FREE report on the 6-Step Referral Process? If you want it, just send me an email: michael@aboutpeople.com

The logic of psychology in marketing

2009-01-18T09:47:00.000-08:00

Pam and I were interviewed on a radio show this past week. One of the questions asked dealt with using psychology in marketing. We explained that the easiest way to start using simple psychology in marketing is to discover the professions practiced by your target market.

See, each profession attracts people who tend to have the same personality type. For example, surgeons are cut from the same bolt of cloth. They are people who want to be (need to be) the king of the mountain. They want to tell other people what to do. The must be able to make snap decisions and be right. They have the Driver personality type.

Now, knowing that, all you'd have to do is appeal to that personality type to reach them more effectively. If you approached them in any other way, they would filter out your message.

There are three or four different types of doctors. Half a dozen different types of business people. Several different types of financial people. Each one is represented by a personality type, or a combination of personality types. If you don't have a solid understanding of personality types, you will completely miss out on this strategic psychological advantage. So, isn't it time to improve your knowledge?

If you are curious about it, just go to our website: http://www.aboutpeople.com/ and go to the Shop page. That's where you can find a description of our book Face Values. It is the best book on the planet to learn about using types in your marketing and selling.

-- Michael Lovas

Psychological Marketing Basics - Part Two - How to Benefits, Emotion and Values Work For You

2008-12-09T18:43:00.000-08:00

How many times have you heard someone say, "Sell with benefits -- not features!" Or, "Use emotion to sell -- not facts." Has anyone ever explained to you what benefits and emotion really mean? Probably not.

At the risk of sounding overly simple: every decision maker is a person - that's the most common element in all of business. Everyone who buys your product is a human being - politician, hockey mom, human resources manager, homeowner, CEO, widow, Boy Scout or musician.

Instead of passing that off as merely obvious, use it to your advantage. You can appeal to any human being by presenting your product or service in terms that person relates to. What are those terms? They are the person's values. In fact, think bigger - If you can discover what your target market values, you will be able to be far more effective reaching them and inspiring them to give you a try.

Psychologically, values are the umbrella under which you find specific business benefits. Those benefits are determined by emotional motivators. But the person will only take action if the motivators belong to that person and are phrased in his or ner psychological language. How do you know what that language is? That's easy. Simply determine the person's Personality Type.

For example:

Driver Personality Type values control and tradition.
Analytical Personality Type values relevant information and being the expert.
Expressive Personality Type values freedom and out-of-the-box action.
Amiable Personality Type values relationships and appropriate behavior.

Now, knowing those things, can't you more easily see which Type will want your products or services? Then, merely use those words in your marketing. In fact, use those words in the headlines. The combination of values, emotion and benefits will directly affect your prospect by helping him like you. And once he likes you and what you are telling him, those values, emotion and benefits will help him take action on your behalf.

How could he not take action? You speak his language, understand what he wants, and you're extending it to him. It's not a sales pitch, it's a great deal. You made this his lucky day!

When you apply this thinking to your drip marketing, or website or selling proposition, you set-up multiple opportunities for you to show or prove your value to your prospect or target market. In other words, you are serving as a magnet to attract them, rather than running after them. Which makes more sense to you?

In Closing. Personality Types are very simple to understand. You don't need a degree in psychology to use this body of knowledge. In fact, you can learn all you need from our book Face Values. The bottom line is this: if you're not building your business on effective psychology, you're holding yourself back. Please, let us help you. Find us at: www.aboutpeople.com -- Michael Lovas

How to Promote "You" in Your Business - The Simple Psychology

2008-12-09T18:05:00.000-08:00

How can you be more effective in promoting "you" in your business? Easy. You can do it by accomplishing these four goals:

1 Controlling the perception of who the prospect perceives you to be.
2 Building a perception of you as a provider of authentic value.
3 Building a perception of your product or service as a desired value in an extremely cluttered marketplace.
4 Show how much you are like your target market.

The idea is so simple; the more you are like your target market, the more they like you. The more you share their values, the more they like you. The more they like you, the greater the probability they will see the value in you and what you can do for them.

How can you accomplish those three goals? It's tough. You need to use database technology, relationship marketing, advertising, public relations, journalism and academics. And, you must package them all, so they perform as marketing, not sales, not data, not hype. More specifically, Wave Marketing, because that's what works best to build a relationship with your readers, prospects or clients.

What are the keys to Successful "You" Marketing?

Key Number 1. Be committed to being in the right place at the right time with the right information to inspire positive action. You can accomplish that by conducting an integrated, sequential, long-term marketing program that combines: creative tactics, thoughtful analysis of your list, projections of client values, journalistic and academic techniques. Most important, however, you need to shift your perspective to understand how other people see you through their own eyes.

Key Number 2. Make sure you are perceived as all of the following:

1 An expert who conducts research and shares important knowledge.
2 A kindred soul who is informing instead of selling.
3 A professional who is more interested in presenting truth than opinion.
4 Providing value instead of focusing on quick sales.

You accomplish those things by quoting credible magazines and news sources that your target market values, and by contacting your target over an extended period of time. You can't afford to be seen as the business world's version of a one-night-stand. Visit again, call, buy the prospect flowers, take him or her to a nice dinner (figuratively, of course). But above all, write!

Bottom line. The point that most marketers and writers miss is the shift in perception. When you understand your target market from their perspective, you can be highly successful at reaching them and influencing them to pay attention to you. Until you make that shift, you are reduced to throwing product pitches. The more frantic you get for business, the more obnoxious your pitches become. Who wants that?

Is effective marketing important to you? If so, contact us right away. We prove a unique service where we analyze your marketing for both the effective and ineffective psychology. Then, we'll tell you what to fix, or if you want, we'll fix it for you. Find us now at www.aboutpeople.com -- Michael Lovas

First Impressions of Credibility - What Face to Wear

2008-12-09T18:01:00.000-08:00

Every person you approach experiences an emotion, and logically, he or she expresses that emotion. Where? On the face.

Good news for you, most people do not know what facial expression they wear when they greet someone new. That includes you. If you want to make people feel comfortable and special, you need to give them a warm, open and sincere face. But, what does that look like?

Way too many sales people wear a frown at the moment they meet someone new. Because we wrote a book on reading people (Face Values), we understand that the frown is the sign of an Analytical personality type. But prospects are unaware of that. They think a whole host of things: indigestion, trouble at your home, business slump, federal investigation, computer crash, or worse. The expectation given by that frown is anything but inviting.

So, the question is, what face should you be wearing when you meet someone new? There are two answers. First, look into the face in front of you and wear that same face. Doing that will tell the visitor that you understand his or her state of mind. Second, start with a smile in your eyes, then adjust to wear the same face as the other person. The smile buys you a little time to make the adjustment and it gives a welcoming first impression.

Imagine the visitor's eyebrows are lowered and he's biting his lip. What would you assume from that? Probably that there's something troubling him or her. It would then be reasonable that you would say, "You look like there's something on your mind. Is there anything I can do to help?"

The psychological strategy here is to match the visitor's face. Sounds easy, but it's not. When I teach this little skill in seminars, I direct the audience to match all my own facial expressions for a few minutes. They find it almost impossible to do. Especially the more analytical people in the audience. Analytical people seem to have an inability to move many facial muscles. If you can't move your face, you can't match the visitor's face, and if you can't do that, you miss out on the most powerful tool in your relationship-building bag of tricks.

In Closing. Credibility is the result of a complex process. You have to purposefully put the process into play, and you need to know how to use the specific steps and elements inside the process. But, just why is credibility important? Because the American business has taken a gut punch - a rapid and catastrophic disintegration of credibility. And, it directly affects anyone in sales.

Consumers (or investors) see the horror stories in the media. They know the country is in a sad state. And, they associate you with it. After all, you are a representative of it, right? So, while you are likely to be a paragon of competence and honesty, your target market now lumps you in with the industry's problems. That means you need to learn how to fortify and build your credibility. And, you need to initiate a Credibility Strategy like yesterday! Where to start? Start with your face!

If you like what you see here, you'll love what we can do for you in real life. Find us at: www.aboutpeople.com -- Michael Lovas

Psychological Marketing Basics - Part One

2008-12-09T17:57:00.000-08:00

Let me make a bold and provocative statement: any marketing that is not based in psychology is doomed to fail. Here's why.

Most marketers think in terms of tactics - a sales letter, or an email, or a brochure, or a landing page. That's a major blunder because people need more than one exposure to your message in order to feel comfortable enough to make the decision to give you a try. This advice is based on the psychology known as, "Convincer Strategy."

In other words, think in terms of multiple opportunities to tell parts of your message. The idea is to not give all your information at one time. Rather, you would piece it together so the target market experiences you and your message multiple times. As long as you include at least three separate pieces, you'll reach most people's convincer strategy. And, by breaking your message into smaller bites, you are making sure that the readers don't fall into information overload, which is a state of confusion caused by too much information in too short a span of time.
The more effective approach is called "Drip Marketing." This is the process by which you make contact in a pre-meditated sequence. Let me give you an example.

When I was writing direct response marketing programs for JCPenney, we made millions of dollars using a marketing strategy called "continuity programs." In those programs, the reader is asked to place an order for one inexpensive item. For example, it might be a cubic zirconia dinner ring for three dollars.

Then, after a few weeks, the reader would receive a related offer, this time for another piece of the same ensemble, say a matching necklace. Because each piece obviously belonged to the same collection, the target market would instantly recall the previous pieces. In addition, the photography and the copy in all the separate mailings were all similar. So, they would build on the psychology of familiarity.

The headlines might be something like this:

Mailing one. Incredible Austrian Crystal Dinner Ring - Only $3!
Mailing two. Incredible Austrian Crystal Matching Necklace - only $8!
Mailing three. Incredible Austrian Crystal Matching Earings - only $9!

JCPenney has sold millions of pieces of inexpensive jewelry using this type of marketing. And, there were three keys to their success. The familiarity of design and language, the sequence and the initial decision to buy the very first piece. That first decision is directly linked to the sequence and the familiarity.

Today, we see a twist on this concept. Many marketers give away a free report or ebook. As soon as you make the decision to accept that free gift, you've short circuited your convincer strategy. The marketer then follows up and sends you related pieces that taunt and tantilize you into wanting to gain access to something far better than that original freebie.

Here's another way to use this psychology on the internet. You might send an email with a subject saying, "How to get the best deal on car insurance - tip number 1." Then, the next week, you would send a second email saying, "How to get the best deal on car insurance - tip number 2." You would continue that sequence until you had exhausted your major benefits. But, here is the warning; the benefits must be described from the consumer's point of view, not your company's point of view.

If your firm operates with a limited marketing budget, you need to get more than simple recall from your marketing dollars. You need to make contact with your target market in a more personal, meaningful, memorable way. You want the prospect to associate you with the solution to something that he or she is worried about. The way you do that most effectively is with drip marketing - an extended series of sequential communications.

This is powerful stuff. You don't need to be a great writer. You only need to have empathy for your target market and think logically. When conducted correctly, drip marketing is a tremendous strategic advantage that will energize your marketing and bring you higher returns. When it's not conducted correctly, it's pollution.

If you like this information, you'll absolutely love what we can do for you in real life! Find us at: www.aboutpeople.com -- Michael Lovas

Copywriters are idiots - more

2008-12-08T15:56:00.000-08:00

The traditional marketing and advertising world has been driven by demographicis (see previous post) for generations. But why? Because it's easy to get and it is easy to measure. Whereas, people are mess, unpredicatable and difficult to measure.

The step beyond demographics is called "psychographics." That's general descriptions of target markets. Sara Palin represented a psychographic - hockey moms. That descriptive will give you some idea of what those people are like. But, it doesn't give you enough to be really compelling.

You can't use a generic description to target an individual, and all great/effective marketing targets one individual. What kind of information should you be looking for? It's called "mental filters." Actually, the technical term is "meta programs."

You would find people who are representative of the audience you want to attract. Then, you would interview them to determine their mental filter configuration. That would give you the words, phrases and language patterns that you should use in your marketing - and selling.

That is the big secret in marketing! But because it requires a lot of study, training and experience to be able to use mental filters effectively, very few copywriter (or marketers) even know what they are. Instead, they rely on cute. Can you hear me now? -- Michael Lovas

Copywriters are idiots!

2008-12-08T15:48:00.000-08:00

Sorry sound so provocative, but - I was a copywriter for a huge corporation, so I know how they are trained and what they are praised for. It's not for being smart - it's for being cute. And, frankly, cute doesn't work to drive results.

For example, one of the main types of information given to copywriters is called "demograpics." That's your zip code, houshold income, age - that stuff. So, what does any of that have to do with your decision-making strategy or personal values? ZERO!

The point is, when you want to produce marketing that actually works, do not look to copywriters! Where would you look? Look for someone who knows how to use psychology in marketing. Look for someone who understands the dynamics of "imbedded commands." Look for someone who has at least taken some classes in language patters. And, avoid anyone who does not have those qualities! -- Michael Lovas