I’ve loved the Patti Smith cover of Bruce Springsteen’s song “Because The Night” since it was released in 1978. I just listened to it again before writing to you. Hey, I know it’s nowhere near as powerful as Taylor Swift’s songs, but it’s held up pretty well. 🙂
Not only did I want to share with you some cool music, but I also wanted to fulfill my promise in yesterday’s email, where I told you I’d reveal the power influence word hidden in it.
The word is…
Drumroll, please…
Because.
Robert Cialdini, in his legendary book, “Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion,” sites a case study where a researcher asks a person if she can cut in line to make copies. She asks in three, slightly different was with surprisingly different results.
“Excuse me; I have five pages. May I use the Xerox machine because I’m in a rush?” Result: 94% of those asked let her skip ahead of them in line.
“Excuse me; I have five pages. May I use the Xerox machine?” Result: Only 60% of those asked complied.
“Excuse me; I have five pages. May I use the Xerox machine because I have to make some copies?” Result: 93% complied even though no real reason, no new information, was added.
It seems that giving a logical reason (“I’m in a rush”) had little impact on the subject, letting her cut in line. The use of the word “because” is what triggered the automatic response in people.
Here’s how you put it all together:
- Make a benefit-oriented promise that grabs your prospects’ attention.
- Justify your claim by stating a proven fact prefacing it with the word “because.”
- Add the words, “Which means to you,” and describe the outcome the prospect will receive.
Here’s an example:
“If you use webinars to get prospects to book appointments with you, you can double, triple, or even quadruple your sales because a webinar lead comes to you pre-sold and pre-qualified, which means to you that you’ll be talking to people who already want to do business with you and, as a result, you close sales more easily.”
Have a fantastic weekend, my persuasion-minded friend.
Kick butt, make mucho DEEnero!
Dave “Music Critic” Dee
P.S. Don’t miss a single daily DEEmail. Subscribe for free below.
PPS: Start the weekend off right by listening to this tune du jour.