5 Psychology Hacks to Boost Your Sales

Every buyer is unique. Yet, certain principles of human behavior apply to nearly everyone. Understanding these principles can help you guide your direct mail and digital marketing strategies more effectively.

Ross Kimbarovsky, founder and CEO at Crowdspring, an online marketplace for crowdsourced creative services, has synthesized these principles into five helpful marketing hacks that can transform your offers from “I’ll get to it later” to “I need to act on this right now!”

Which one of these hacks fits your next marketing campaign?

1. Use “primers.”

Priming is just as it sounds: Using a word, a phrase, or an image that prepares people to be more receptive to your message. For example, a humane society might send fundraising letters addressed to “compassionate animal lovers like you.” Framing the recipient as a compassionate animal lover automatically puts them in a state of mind that encourages them to help.

2. Give first.

If someone does something nice for you, most people will feel an obligation to return the favor. This principle is called “reciprocity” and is why nonprofits put address labels and small trinkets into their fundraising letters. Thanks to reciprocity, recipients feel obligated to return the favor by donating.

3. Tap social proof.

Buyers like to be “in” on the next great thing. This is what makes social proof so powerful. Customer testimonials, reviews, social media comments, and case studies all enhance the credibility and desirability of your product. You can also use customer counts: “Over 100,000 units sold!”

4. Imply scarcity. 

The scarcer something is, the more buyers tend to want it. It’s why Amazon puts alerts on many products, saying, “Only three left in stock!” Of course, there will probably be more in stock tomorrow, but the fact that there are only three left in stock right now makes buyers want to snatch them up. The same principle applies to deadlines to respond to offers.

5. Anchor it!

The first fact people hear about your product often becomes the most critical fact they hear. So put your most compelling fact, statistic, or testimonial right up front: “Simply the best solution out there!” This technique is called “anchoring.” Set your anchor and let it frame the rest of your message.

Psychology is a critical element in any marketing campaign. When crafting your next direct mail and digital marketing strategy, use these hacks to your advantage.