Month: May 2021

Know, Like & Trust is a LIE

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Unpopular opinion:

The “Know, Like & Trust” factor in marketing has cost entrepreneurs a bajillion dollars since John Jantsch popularized the concept in 2007.

Literally blocked a bajillion dollars from being deposited in their accounts.

Nobody is telling you this.

But I care about you too much to leave you in the dark.

No matter what your favorite expert says…

People don’t buy because they KNOW you.

Here’s a prime example. Think about all the times you asked your family to support your business. How did those conversations go?

If you’re like most entrepreneurs I know, less than 1% of your business comes from the people who know you best: family and friends.

(Friends you met after starting the business seem to be an exception.)

In most cases, people don’t buy because they LIKE you, either.

Or because they TRUST you.

We make buying decisions based on desire.

We buy what we want.

Knowing, liking and trusting the seller can help. But it plays a supporting role, not the leading role.

Don’t act like you’ve never bought merchandise from a hustle man who you’ve never met and have no reason to trust.  

If you have what someone really wants, they’ll talk often themselves into buying regardless of other considerations.

That’s the reason Know-Like-Trust is dangerous.

  • You spend an inordinate amount of time, money and energy trying to get “known” rather than creating a desirable offer.
  • You postpone making an offer until you feel you’ve built up enough K-L-T first.

    Truth is, many of your would-be buyers are bored with you by the time you’re ready to make an offer.
  • Trust is important. But no one buys something they don’t want just because they trust the person selling it.

If you offer something that improves people’s lives, you don’t have to “earn” the right to sell it to them.

The longer you wait, they longer they’re missing out on the benefits of your offer.

Imagine Moderna (a company you don’t know) and Pfizer (which NO ONE likes and few people trust) waiting to make their vaccines available until they’d crossed some arbitrary Know-Like-Trust threshold…

Doesn’t work like that.

People begged to get those jabs. Stood in line for hours to get them.

Because they desire protection — and getting back to “normal” life.

What does your ideal customer really want? Show them how to get it.

And whoever paints the clearest picture of a specific desirable outcome wins.

P.S. Share this revelation with your business buddies. They need to know the truth too!

Emotional Copy Sells. Here’s How You Do It

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Emotional copy focuses on "body, bank and boo"

Your life is about to get a little easier, my friend.

Starting today.

I’m going to remind you about something you may already know…

Then I’ll share a distinction you may have never thought of. One that could seriously simplify your sales and marketing efforts.

Let’s dive in.

As a student of the persuasion game, I’m sure you already know that emotions drive buying decisions.

If you have never heard this before, today’s your lucky day. Because now you know.

If you thought the air-tight logic of your sales argument is what seals your deals, today’s your lucky day. Because now you know better.

(If you feel the need to cling to this theory, check out where you swipe your own credit cards. You’ll see your feelings’ fingerprints all over the receipts.)

Here’s an old video covering this in greater detail, along with 5 specific emotions worth targeting.

The question that naturally comes up is…

How do you create emotion with copy? – especially when your product or service is “boring”?

Which is just one way we make sales and marketing more complicated than it needs to be.

The solution is simple.

Talk about topics your ideal customers are already emotional about. The stronger the emotions, the better.

To make it even simpler, I refer you to Body, Bank and Boo.

Everyone already has strong feelings, positive or negative, about their:

  • Body (physical, mental and emotional health)
  • Bank (making or saving money, other work-related stuff)
  • Boo (love life and other relationships)

They already have:

  • dreams and desires…
  • pains and problems…
  • fears and frustrations…

…about their Body, Bank, and Boo.

Get familiar with your should-be customers. You’ll discover which Body dreams… which Bank problems… which Boo frustrations they have the strongest feelings about. Which they’re most desperate to address.

See how that works?

You don’t have to be very creative. You don’t have to be a Donnie Bryant-level copywriter. And you don’t have to resort to overhype or dishonesty to get your prospects in the buying mood.

They’ll tell you how to get them in the mood.

Get to know them and then show them how you can help them get the Body/Bank/Boo result they’re already emotionally invested in achieving.

Every effective sales and copywriting strategy is a variation on that.

My advice? Keep it simple… and keep leading the way.

Have a productive day!

Donnie

P.S. Trying to generate emotions in your copy ex nihilo is almost like trying to divert a freight train hurtling down the track.

Why put yourself through that?

Tap into the momentum that’s already there. It’s easier, and more likely to take you smoothly to the desired destination.

Body, Bank and Boo.

Simple.