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The Psychology Of Scarcity - Less Is More
If You Want Faster Sales From Your Web Copywriting
Copyright © 2004 Dave Alston
Author of 'Revealed: The Hidden Truth About Web Design'
http://www.aceofwebs.com
Countdown to Armageddon - at least you'd think so judging from
some of the garish copy and blaring headlines screaming at you
from so many websites.
At the opposite extreme though, you've some sites which don't
even have a single decent headline anywhere that captures
visitors attention, let alone leads them into captivating
copywriting that'll get them a sale.
Although it's true to say human emotion hasn't changed in the
last 10 years online, the consumer and buyer reactions have
undoubtedly become far more sophisticated over the past decade.
Further, with something like 43% of all web shopping carts being
abandoned at the point of sale it's crucial we understand and
react proactively to this new buyer sophistication.
In short, todays online buyers are both pretty wired and
wised up. Unless you understand this and adjust your offering
accordingly your headlines are very likely to drive prospective
clients away rather than entice them into your copy for a second
look if they've even a sniff of hype about them or just plain
bore them silly.
Either of the above extremes is obviously counter-productive but
rather than opting for a bland 'middle way' approach to your
copywriting or headlines, here's a sure fire way to generate
intensely gripping copy that rivets even ultra sophisticated
buyers to every word you publish. It keeps them spellbound all
the way down your pages until they've executed your desired
marketing action - either opting in, clicking through to a new
page or making a purchase without dumping the cart.
If you want these type of results then use "The Psyschology Of
Scarcity" and you'll soon have these new 'sophisticats' under
your marketing spell and more importantly, get them buying what
you sell. Here's exactly how it works...
The basic underlying principle is widely known of course, and
springs from the proven psychological response people give
when they're denied or given limited access to something they
intensely desire. Basically, when people are told they can't
have something they want it all the more. As a result incredibly
powerful emotions are released which go on to drive actions
often deemed irrational under normal circumstances. As marketers
we can take advantage of this almost primitive reaction
(ethically of course) to bypass even sophisticated buyers
resistance and go on to make the sale.
Here's a further demonstration to show powerful this is...
Imagine for a moment tonights TV news announces a grave national
emergency and petrol (gas) is to be be strictly rationed to one
just full tank for your car for an entire month... but this
rationing won't start until one weeks time. However, you are not
allowed to stockpile petrol because that's bad. Now I don't know
about you honourable folks but almost instantly a picture of my
storeroom stacked to the ceiling with Jerry cans full of petrol
popped into my mind! I'm not saying I'd do that if this was a
true scenario but I'd probably have a couple of cans laid aside,
just for emergencies of course. At the pumps and service
stations
there would be a stampede, because the psychology of scarcity
would release these deep emotional responses. This actually
happened here in UK two years ago and there was mayhem.
Now let's see if we can insert a mechanism deep into our
headlines and online copy that'll immediately invoke exactly
the same kind of emotional responses within those who visit our
sites. If we can then all the sophistication in the world won't
stop our visitors from reaching for their credit cards to buy
what we sell.We're looking for the response that comes directly
from the gut - that's not filtered out by the sophisticated
mind. That's where we aim our copy at, the heart not the head.
The type of mechanisms we've found work best in invoking these
emotion driven responses are as follows...
1) Strictly limit the amount of product you are selling in
each promotion, put it right up front in the headline or first
sentence where everyone can see it and strictly adhere to your
statement. If you say you've only got 100 widgets to sell, then
pull the promo when you reach that point or people will see the
whole thing as a facade. Here in the UK the richest sofa and 3
piece suite supplier uses this technique very well, although
now after 2 years we're all beginning to see through these
'promo weekend specials', so be wise when you use it.
Make your product scarce... because then you make it valuable
and desired in others eyes.
2) Set time sensitive deadlines that really do expire - Set a
deadline for the promo to finish and give a special discount on
the product if purchased before that time. When you reach that
day pull the promo headlines, ad, the lot. People will heed what
you say and buy far quicker next time you set a deadline. I've
done it myself, got to a site with expired deadline and missed
out, next time I payed far more attention to their pitch and
the website gained credibility in my eyes.
3) Use number limits for recruiting headlines - when recruiting
people for sales teams, affiliates etc use figures that limit
the amount of people you 'appear' to wish to recruit. For
example use a headline portion including "We urgently require 5
key individuals for our new IT project...". At the same time as
limiting the opportunity here you also give each individual a
glimmer of hope that they'll be among the 'chosen few' to land
the rare but rather plum project.
4) Bundle extra products, services, customer support along
with your product they'd not normally get, especially from your
competition. This is also a good way to get affiliate sales.
Your visitors realise they can't get the 'extra's from other
affiliate sites so they buy from your affiliate link. Your
product becomes 'value enhanced' and in the marketplace where
there are thousands doing the same thing, yours is perceived
as valuable because of the rare extras bundled with it.
Think of it - you're giving chips (fries) along with the main
event for free, your competitors aren't, who will buyers go
with?
5) Give special 'insider access' passes or memberships to the
first 20 respondents etc or if your visitors order before a
deadline. You increase value and evoke quick response by
limiting
the number of memberships available. Tell folks at the same time
- "... in a few days our national advertising campaign will be
rolled out and these 20 memberships are likely to be snapped up
within minutes, order now to secure yours." etc.
6) Give forward dated 'Future Proofed' Discount Vouchers for
future product releases - for example, "Buy a X widget right
now at £199.00 and you'll get our brand new Y software at £99.00
when we release it next month. That's a whole £100.00 off the Y
software retail price of £199.00. Lock this discount in today by
buying your X widget NOW and save yourself a whole £100.00."
Then make this offer even more powerful by number limiting this
'future' offer too. Say something like "Obviously we can't make
this offer available to everyone or our profits on next months
new release would be affected but we would like to say a special
'thank you' to you as a valued client if you've bought an X
widget. As a result we're willing to give you a very special
£100.00 discount on the new Y software, but sadly we can only
offer this to the first 50 respondents for the reason I
mentioned earlier. Please act now and purchase your X widget
and I'll be happy to lock in your special £100.00 Y software
discount right now.
7) Show dramatic visual countdowns to increase the sense of
scarcity - when running a promo that limits purchasers to say
50 copies of a book or manual, special health clinics etc then
countdown the progress of the sales before your prospects eyes.
On Monday at the start of the promo you only had 47 left, a week
later 24, then 12, 7, 3 etc. This is very gripping and effective
in any industry.
When you make your product so scarce it literally disappears
before visitors eyes they want it all the more. Nowadays you
can get little javascript codes to insert into your pages, or
pop ups to make this 'live' countdown seem very real indeed
and it's extremely effective.
8) Add value to your product by tying a celebrity name to it -
for example "Aretha Franklin swears by our nutritional vitamin
syrup because she says it makes her feel like she's seventeen
again and protects her vulnerable vocal chords so she can sing
like an angel..." Other nutritional syrups are basically the
same but yours would be the only one used and endorsed by a
famous celebrity. It may not be possible to get Aretha Franklin
but with a little imagination you're likely to be surprised at
the folks you could team up with like this. Their end of the
deal is they get extra exposure, or even a share in the sales
from the promo you run.
9) Tie up with other related business owners and run a dual
promo offering a unique 'Double Whammy' product - As an example
a specialist seat cover maker could do something along the lines
of...
"Order One Set Of Super Soft Custom Leather Car Seat Covers
and our friends at Alloy Wheel Kings will give you a full
set of alloy wheels at 50% discount. Obviously this is such
an incredible deal we can only afford to let the first 25
respondents participate in this promotion which we expect to be
sold out by next wednesday. Please book your covers now - click
here"
NB: You really need to give such a humdinger of a deal to make
this kind of offer fly off the page - 15% off the alloys example
above wouldn't be enough. If the owner of 'Alloy Wheel Kings'
feels there's not enough profit in the deal by giving away 50%
on the alloys then you'd offer to enhance his profit by building
in some extra 'fat' in the price of your 'Super Soft Custom
Leather Car Covers'. You get the picture, but remember the
better the offer the faster it flies. The best part about this
type of special 'dual deal' is you create a very scarce and
unique product in your market which your competition don't have.
Sure there may be thousands of car seat cover manufacturers but
none that also bundle in superb alloys with their deals. That'd
make you stand out in a crowded marketplace wouldn't it?
Okay that's enough for now, I'm sure you get the idea.
Hopefully this sprinkling of 'scarcity' mechanisms will inspire
you to employ them in your own headlines and throughout your web
copywriting. You don't need to be garish or loud or use
screaming
titles etc to get your message across and get serious buyers
reading. If you state simply and clearly, a genuinely scarce
commodity is available to a hungry targeted market who you know
beforehand want what you have, and you strive as your copy
continues to make it almost literally 'disappear before their
eyes', folks won't stop reading, and if you've done it correctly
they'll order at the end... sophisticat or not. Remember, you've
got to get them 'in the gut' bypassing the intricate sales
filters of your prospects minds, and this is one of the very
best ways to do it - try it and enjoy watching what happens.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Dave Alston is the Author of 'Revealed: The Hidden Truth About
Web Design' and owner of
http://www.aceofwebs.com - small
business web success driven by crystal clear copywriting.
Subscribe to his 'Ace Tips' marketing RSS feed by copying and
pasting
http://www.aceofwebs.co.uk/rss/wp-rss2.php into your
RSS Reader.
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BUSINESSMATE EZINE is published and edited by
Jess Guim, MCSE. |
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