The Psychology of Sales
Psychology has huge potential for influencing people’s behavior. Although we all like to think that we are independent individuals, the fact is that there are experts who can predict our behavior with shocking accuracy. Knowing how people operate and how to communicate best with them can help you to build your brand and entice customers to become conversions. Here are a few sales tips gleaned from the science of the human mind:
1. Include pictures and figures. People are largely visual. If you want them to choose your product or service over that of the competition, you need to show them why. Show pictures of your product packaging and your logo. Make sure both are clear and memorable, easily associated with your small business brand in color and other visual cues. Psychologists have found that the best results come when you show the package rather than the product, and when you show the package by itself rather than with people using it.
2. Make comparisons. People are more likely to choose you if they see that you win when compared side-by-side with the competition. Tables and charts that compare you to competitors and show a marked advantage are especially helpful because they make a comparison while also tapping into that visual preference discussed above. You know that you are better than Brand X; find a way to quantify that.
3. Avoid discussing the competition. While it’s okay to refer to the competition in a vague way, you never want to say their name or show their logo design or packaging. This is because these will make an impression on the customer and create confusion with your own images. There’s a reason you see so many detergents compared with ‘Brand X’ in television commercial. These companies know that giving their competitors even a second of their marketing time would only be free advertising.
4. Talk about your customers. Instead of talking about your brand and your products, talk about your customers. Use the word ‘you’ a lot and tell them how your small business is going to benefit them. People register this subconsciously as being true and are also automatically more interested. This is easier than it sounds. Instead of telling what your product does, tell customers how much they’ll3love what it does. This is a subtle distinction that makes all the difference.
5. Be beautiful. Every aspect of your business, from its website to its logo design to (hopefully) its employees should be as attractive as possible. People automatically prefer more attractive people and items. In fact, psychologists have found that even newborn babies have this preference for beauty. If your advertisements and other materials are attractive and well-designed, they’ll get more eye contact than an ugly or plain alternative. So, make sure all of your visual elements are top-notch.
These are just five ways that psychology can help your business succeed. There is a whole field that specializes in knowing how various shapes and colors affect the human mind. Because most logo designers are intimately familiar with this topic, they are the best people to consult when trying to make psychology work for you.
