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The Contrast Principle and Your Copy
You are writing copy for a client that has several products to sell. They have asked you to sell products in several prices ranges and you aren't sure where to start.
Should you present the least expensive product first, the mid-priced product second ending with the most expensive? Or start with the mid-priced product? It seems like starting with the least expensive product first makes sense, because you don't scare the prospect away with a high-ticket item.
But that's NOT what you should do.
What you should do may go against what seems like common sense, but is proven to not only sell more products, but in the long-run results in clients spending more money overall.
The key to making more money overall and selling more products is to sell the most expensive item first. Robert Cialdini gives an example in his book The Psychology of Persuasion of men's clothing salesmen. If a man walks in and asks to look at suits, sweaters and other accessories you should always present him with the suit first. After deciding on a $500 suit, a $200 sweater or a $150 belt seems inexpensive and he is more likely to buy all of them.
And because he just decided on a nice suit he realizes he should have high quality accessories to go with it and is more likely to spend more.
Another example Cialdini gives is a strategy used by car salespeople. They first sell you on the price and style of the car. They make the car easy and affordable to buy. After you've agreed on the price and type of car, they then offer you smaller items to add on. Upgraded seats, a nice stereo system, etc. What's a couple hundred more dollars to the $25,000 you are spending on your new car? All those accessories add to a nice chunk of profits in the end.
Offering the most expensive product first is called "the contrast principle" and automatically triggers certain responses in humans. It's psychology.
Failing to use the contrast principle and selling the inexpensive items first will not only make the more expensive items seem and feeeeeel more expensive, but it actually causes the contrast principle to work against you - it causes the more expensive item to seem even more expensive that it actually is.
This principle works so effectively because of the mood or atmosphere created in the beginning. When used effectively the mood you create is leveraged on the secondary sales items.
Let's take a closer look at why this principle really works so well. You can try this experiment yourself. Get three buckets and fill them with water. Fill one with hot water, one with very cold water and one with lukewarm water. Put your left hand in the hot water and your right in the cold water. After a minute or so take both hands out and place both hands in the lukewarm water at the same time.
When you feel is truly amazing! Logically you know the lukewarm water is one temperature, but both hands are experiencing something very different. The hand in the hot water feels like the water is very cold, while the other hand is feeling warmth. Because of what they experienced before they were merged into the cold water.
What's important to take away for your sales copy is to know what impression you want to make with your reader. Whether you want your product to seem expensive or inexpensive - the perception is influenced by what you present first.
(c) 2007, A Marketing Connection
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