Psychology & Sales – Study #2

LESSON 2 – The Power of Labels

The study examined the voting patterns of 133 adults to see if labeling them as a “politically active person” had any affect on their turnout at the polls.

After being casually questioned about their regular voting patterns, half of the participants were told that they were much more likely to vote since they had been deemed by the researchers to be more politically active.

(This wasn’t actually true; these people were selected at random.)

Our brain seeks to maintain a sense of consistency (even if it’s artificial), and this is why the foot-in-the-door technique works so well even on prepared minds.

We enjoy being consistent so much that even being told we are a part of a group makes us more receptive to it’s message, as long as it’s something we approve of (like being a responsible voter). This is why “gold” or “platinum” status works effectively for a customer loyalty program.

People who are labeled as “superior” consumers tend to spend more, and those in the “regular” class aren’t affected.

Don’t be afraid to label your customers. People like being part of groups that imply some superior quality or level of status that has their approval. Even when given an artificial reason, people tend to take action in order to feel they belong to an “elite” group of people.

Hope this helps make your week even more successful.

Happy Tuesday & Happy Selling!
Kevin