5 Psychological Triggers That Turn Leads Into Sales

As customers, we’re very familiar with the psychological triggers that drive mass marketing campaigns.

We’ve all heard: “Act now and receive 15% off…But wait, there’s more!”

While kitschy and overused, these tactics tend to work because they are grounded in human psychology. To choose the best tactic(s) for your next sales campaign, it helps to start by narrowly defining your ideal customer. This buyer persona will help you focus on the motivations that might drive them to complete a purchase, then plan your triggers accordingly.

Once you know who your target customer is, it’s much easier to understand the motivations that might lead them to purchase your product or service. Here are five of the top ways to trigger your audience into completing a sale:

1. Scarcity

Blame it on cavemen, but as humans, we’re attracted to the allure of scarce resources. We’re motivated by the promise of a limited supply or time constraints — and we’re also drawn by the idea of getting a bargain. The majority of customers shop frequently but only complete recreational purchases a few times per year around major holidays. When customers hear a sales message that limits availability to time or number, it can spur them to be more impulsive (or miss out!).

2. Mini Commitments

Scarcity and large-scale commitments don’t inspire customers that are more risk-averse. Instead, consider utilizing an upsell approach, even if it’s during the checkout process. Get a customer to commit to one product. Then, before completing checkout, offer a discount on a complementary or compatible product. Customers are motivated to make purchases when they see a chance to save money, even if they’re actually spending more than they intended.

3. Authority/Social Proof

Narrowly understanding your buyer persona will also help you to understand who inspires them as an authoritative source. For some segments of the population, traditional authority figures like doctors, elected officials, and law enforcement can give a product or service legitimacy. For others, word of mouth or the use of social media influencers can be particularly effective. Engage with those authority figures or utilize them in your marketing plan in order to maximize your credibility with your target audience.

4. Early Adoption/FOMO

There is an entire segment of humanity that will try anything once — as long as they can try it first. This early adoption crowd has a surprisingly outsized impact on pop culture (ex: think about the opening weekend for movies at the box office) because they directly impact whether something becomes trendy or fizzles. While there is usually a deeper underlying psychological motivation (ex: wanting a competitive advantage, social credibility, etc.), don’t discount the tactic of targeting and appealing to people who want to be first.

5. Storytelling

Storytelling triggers customers to buy, using stories to explain and emphasize the value of our offering. These stories can be very specific to your product or service (ex: This Pancake Recipe Changed My Family’s Life), or they can be universal (ex: “We Go Above and Beyond For Our Customers”). Despite a push for humans to be “data-driven,” stories are more likely to complete a sale than a well-sourced stat.

The psychology of the sale is aligning your product or service with your customers’ intentions. Your marketing strategy should always provide ways for your audience to see the personal benefits of your products. Your journey to success depends on how you use psychological triggers to encourage your audience to act.

Let Our Connecticut Marketing Agency Help

Need a better understanding of who your audience is and what they need to see from you?

KLR is more than just a marketing agency. Based in Westport, Connecticut, we offer a mix of marketing services including branding, provide SEO services, consult on social media marketing, video production, creative services and more. We work with local and national businesses of all sizes. Contact the team at KLR to help trigger your successful sales campaign today!