|
Words That Sell Are Interactive
By Ric Moxley
Last month, we looked at the driving
forces of persuasion: get in, get through, and get personal. Today, as
part of “getting in,” we look at interactivity as a critical component of
success. Please don’t dismiss this as a mere buzzword of the Internet
age. Successful marketers and sellers throughout the ages have recognized
and employed interactivity. Interactivity is a gateway to persuasion. If
you do not create a state of interactivity with the prospective client,
you cannot sell anything to anyone. Period.
Does it sound like I’m exaggerating? By
the time you have finished this article, you’ll see that I’m not. You
also have a strong grip on the tool of interaction and beginning
knowledge of how to wield that tool.
Nothing
New under the Sun
While the nature of business in the new
millennium has inspired the term “interactive age,” interactivity as a
tool of persuasion is as old as the marketplace itself. The Web has
simply opened new opportunities for interactive communication and made it
easier to measure the effectiveness of interactivity.
Last month, we introduced you to Mr.
Fred Clyant – our representation of the potential buyer in your efforts
as a marketer or salesperson. We’re going to work with Fred again today.
First, recognize that interactivity begins in Fred’s mind, long before
you interact with his wallet. If you wish to get into the Fred’s head and
impact the way he thinks or acts, several kinds of psychological
interaction must first take place. Understanding these mental processes
will help you master the age-old techniques of interactivity and apply
them to the modern marketplace.
Inter . . . Active
To understand
the power of interactive verbal and written communication, let’s first
look closely at the word.
Interactive
It’s an
adjective that, according to the dictionary means, “acting or capable of
acting on each other.” To
paraphrase, think of it as a mutually involving action. It’s “inter.” It’s “active.” By definition,
interactivity can only happen when there are at least two parties
involved. Who are those two parties? In business, they are the buyer and
seller.
Interactivity
is a two-way street. It is active,
not passive — neither for the seller nor the perspective buyer. If you want
your words to sell, you must figure out how to get beyond the typical,
initial “no” reaction of a prospective customer. To prevent or get beyond
that “no,” you must understand that there are several stages between
having no relationship with Fred and gaining cash commitments from
him. You may recall the marriage
proposal analogy from last
month’s “words that sell” article;
you don’t just walk up to a person you’ve never met and suddenly marry
them, do you? Of course not. The road to commitment — any commitment — is
a progression.
Let’s look at
the standard progression toward a successful indirection, toward the goal
of using words to persuade.
1. Perception
The first
step is Perception – getting Fred the viewer (or reader or listener) to see you – to have your message
arrive at his sensory receptors.
This step may seem too obvious to mention, but don’t underestimate
its significance: you are in stiff competition for Fred’s attention. Question: how effective are you at
concentrating when you have a bad headache? Me neither. Another question: How much of an impact
does that headache have on you if you have 3rd degree burns all over your
legs? None. Why? Competition.
Another
example: Imagine Fred standing on a small platform looking down at you as
you scream loudly and wave your arms up and down. You probably think you
are making a strong impression on Fred, right? What happens though if 200 others
are in the room with you, doing exact same thing as you are doing? Do you
think you will capture Fred’s attention more than anyone else in the
room? Of course not. Don’t fool yourself – capturing the attention of a
potential customer in the marketplace of the new millennium is not that
different. Step 1: connect: innervate the switches of Fred’s sensory
receptors.
2. Cognition
The
American Heritage® Dictionary defines
cognition as the mental process of knowing, including aspects such as
awareness, perception, reasoning, and judgment. It further describes
cognition as that which comes to be known, as through perception,
reasoning, or intuition; knowledge. Cognitive processing means that
Fred's focus has been successfully diverted to you — to your message! For
the first time, Fred now knows that someone is interested in his
attention. He hasn't committed to doing anything with that observation
yet . . . but at least you have his attention.
Once cognition or re-cognition takes place, then you can achieve . . .
3. Acknowledgment
Up to this point, the prospective
customer is still in a passive mode: you’ve been doing all the work. The
acknowledgment stage however is that critical moment where Fred must
decide to accept or reject your request for commitment. If he accepts,
you move from action to interaction. If he rejects your message, his
wallet stays closed.
It’s time. Will Fred acknowledge your message
and stay with it? Will he open his wallet, reach in, and . . .
Probably not. Sorry, but true. You are closer to a successful sale
than you ever have been. But there is more to be done yet before most
people will make the big commitment. At this stage however, just maybe,
Fred Clyant will consider
moving further toward your desired commitment. This step is called . . .
 4. Engagement!
This is it – the
psychological engagement is the beginning of an interaction. It is here that you and Fred become mutually
involved in an action.
Engaging the customer in a state of
interaction is the holy grail of persuasive communication. If you ever
want to sell or convince or persuade Fred of anything, he must be engaged
– mutually involved. He must be entertained; he must be entertaining your
notions and making favorable reactions. But to expect Fred to jump into a
cash commitment without this interim step to commitment – the engagement
– is unrealistic. The thought of it is likely to be overwhelming.
Now that you have successfully begun to
engage with Fred, the next step is to nurture that interaction until he’s
ready for a cash commitment. We’ll look at several ways to do that in
upcoming issues, including how to capture competitive advantage using the
e-tools of the new millennium. Next month, we analyze the power of the
question mark in Words That Sell!
=====================
WriteWorks Can
Help!
Are you confident,
ready to adjust your writing style to take advantage of these principles?
If not, remember that WriteWorks Agency works only with experienced
writers and editors: those we are confident can imbue your
mission-critical documents and marketing materials with persuasive
powers. Our writers insure that your words get in, get through, and get
personal, making those critical connections between your product or
service and your customers’ desires for buying those products or
services. Contact us for help in endowing your writing and speaking with
persuasive powers.
|
