If you want to sell more, you must think more like a buyer. You can put out endless marketing campaigns, but if you still need to do your homework (with the help of our Market Research Wrkflow) to understand consumer psychology, you will likely fall flat.

The secret to closing deals is more than fancy marketing or branding. It's about understanding sales psychology and the psychological triggers that make people purchase stuff.

It's not a simple topic. Let's look at how you can tap into consumer and sales psychology to improve your bottom line and develop more genuine customer relationships.

What is consumer psychology?

Put in simple terms, consumer psychology refers to the psychological triggers that make someone click "buy." You can include obvious and not-too-obvious factors when proposing your products and services.

For example, having a good product or service is good, but sometimes more is needed to close deals. To reach your target market, you need to understand why they make certain purchases over others.

While some people buy for practical purposes—for example, if your service fits their particular need—emotion is involved. Because people have freedom of choice in the marketplace, sales psychology focuses on emotional and environmental details that distinguish between "buy" and "bye."

Sales psychology understands the blend of factors that excite your target market into buying from you. It may sound like simple marketing 101 but is rooted in science.

Using emotion as a tool to close deals

When someone buys something substantial from you, it's usually because you've reached them deeper. That's one of the advantages of sales discovery calls: potential customers are less likely to pull out of a deal when both parties have invested considerable time and effort into the process.

Other psychological triggers can close deals. Here are some approaches we commonly use to turn leads into prospects, with our Lead Enrichment Wrkflow available to help.

Nostalgia

What sold in the past is a powerful force when it comes to selling in the present.

This is why vintage records are so popular, and bands charted 30 years ago are still touring. Vintage clothing is often in style. People have a deep connection to what reminds them of their younger selves and are willing to pay a premium.

When you use nostalgia as a selling tool, you connect them to an entire demographic they can relate to. That's how trends are born (and reborn).

FOMO

For those who don't know, FOMO is a "fear of missing out." It's become especially poignant in the age of social media when people see stuff others have or places they've been.

You can use FOMO to close deals in a couple of ways. One is a limited-time offer, which we will explain more in the next section. The other is using social media to create excitement around your product and have people enjoy it. When potential customers see the lifestyle or ease of use associated with your products, they might be more likely to buy them.

Popular companies often use FOMO marketing to drive revenue – because no one wants to feel left out regarding the newest gadgets and trends.

Free bonuses/limited deals

People love getting what they perceive to be a good deal. That's why offering limited-time bonuses or discounts with purchases often works.

Giving special deals (within reason) makes a person feel like they're special. You can let them know we will reward them for their purchase, or you can surprise them. This latter tactic can help people remember you the next time they purchase because you gave them something beyond what you agreed on.

Value propositions and value-adding

A value proposition is an important detail in sales psychology. In short, it's spelling out to a potential customer why your company is the best one to buy from. It's your competitive advantage.

Apple is an example of a company that has turned its value proposition into a successful brand. It promises a good user experience within Apple's network, even at comparable prices to Android devices. 

But another dimension to this concept is value-adding. This is when you outline extra features to compete with others at the same price point. That little extra boost helps buyers over the finish line, hopefully in your favor.

For example, your company can offer a longer product warranty or free support for a month. This may also allow you to sell your wares for a little more than the competition if there's perceived value.

'Anchoring bias'

"Anchoring bias' is an aspect of consumer psychology you've likely already seen in televised infomercials. It shows people an inflated price for a product and then shows them it's cheaper (the real price) until a particular time or date.

The first price they saw—not the real price—becomes an essential reference in the person's buying decision and even how much they're willing to pay. In this way, anchoring bias is an effective tool for closing sales.

To summarize, consumer psychology is a powerful tool to close sales. When used, companies build it on these central principles:

  • People like to believe they're getting great value for the price.

  • Consumers like to feel special—like they're getting something that not everyone else is.

  • Not many people want to miss out on the latest and greatest trends and gadgets.

  • Limited offers often trigger people to purchase on the spot.

  • Listing features that separate you from the competition can work in sales psychology.

  • People want to see how your products/services will improve their lives.

Using sales psychology to your advantage makes sense

If you think you're "tricking" people into buying stuff using these sales psychology tips, think again. You're (hopefully) not making any false promises. Instead, you're telling people what they want or need more cleverly.

When you use psychological triggers to close deals, you tap into people's natural biases. It's about relating to them, rewarding them, and highlighting how your solutions are best for them—and that's how we believe you do business!

Learn how our automated Wrkflows can help you reach more people and turn more prospects into satisfied customers. Contact our Automation Experts today!