Make Believers Out of Your Top Prospects

by Jeff Seehorsch

published on 2015-03-18 08:55:00inShare

For some, seeing is believing. But for consumers who wade through waves of ads, more commonly, believing is seeing.

In the oft-cited book "Breakthrough Advertising" by legendary copywriter Eugene Schwartz, such curved psychology abounds. Reading it can cause involuntary nodding even when you're not in agreement. Among the most interesting assertions is this:

The need to believe - and the need for secure beliefs - is just as powerful an emotional force as the strongest desire for physical satisfaction, or the most urgent search for expression.

If you can channel the tremendous force of his belief - either in content or direction - behind only one claim, no matter how small, then that one fully-believed claim will sell more goods than all the half-questioned promises your competitors can write for all the rest of their days. 

Published in 1966, many of Schwartz's approaches continue to help companies seem more approachable (and sell more goods) because they reflect timeless, inherent tendencies. While technology branches into more uncharted territories, the roots of human behavior remain the same.

Pointing out the power of beliefs may not seem groundbreaking, but consider how far-reaching they are. They form perceptions and guide decisions. They lead to lifestyles and define identities. They make us click on headlines that support or oppose them. 

Align your brand with the right belief, you'll form instant bonds with consumers. So how should your business go about it?

The more natural and apparent, the more resonant it's likely to be. A Facebook post announcing support of a cause...an iconic image in a banner ad. Is the indestructible hammer you're selling a testament to hard work? Feature a dirt-smudged hand gripping it with pride. Craft your tone and messaging around a common, singular ideal.

Schwartz describes beliefs as "opinions, attitudes, prejudices, fragments of knowledge and conceptions of reality that your prospect lives by." Think about how your product or service supports those opinions, how your brand signifies those conceptions of reality. It's not a matter of forcing two attitudes to match. Identify just one that's shared equally and with the same intensity, and allow what your customers believe to make your ad the one they see.

Perhaps just as importantly, Schwartz warns that the opposite effect can be just as powerfully damaging:

If you violate your prospect's established beliefs in the slightest degree - either in content or direction - then nothing you promise him, no matter how appealing, can save your ad. 

As humans or as brands, we might not choose all of our beliefs. But in either case, it's wise to carefully choose which ones we advertise.

Submitted by Jeff Seehorsch, Copywriter, Creative Team