Notes from the Book "Triggers: 30 Sales Tools You Can Use"

(Note: This post contains Amazon Affiliate links for the book.)

Not too long ago, I read Triggers: 30 Sales Tools You Can Use to Control the Mind of Your Prospect to Motivate, Influence, and Persuade by Joe Sugarman.

So…

I figured I’d write up notes for myself to help these triggers stick. And yes, for you, if you’re looking to master marketing and copywriting.

Do you know all of these sales success triggers?

Let’s jump in.

Notes on “Triggers: 30 Sales Tools You Can Use…”

As the title says, you get 30 concepts to help improve sales.

Trigger #1 Consistency

Are you into marketing? Do you want to learn triggers that get people buying? Then you’ll want to read this.

See? That’s consistency. You said yes to “X.” So, it’s likely you’ll say yes to “Y,” and “Z.” As long as X, Y, and Z are related to each other.

Consistency can also be used when someone’s buying. Because… once someone buys, they will likely buy again. So, if you’re ordering a pizza online from a “Zomino’s,” they will offer you an up-sell. For example, get it in 20 minutes for an extra $2 bucks. Or, if you’re buying a suit for $500, surely you’ll want this tie as well – just a small $20 – compared to the $500 you’re already spending.

Note: Another related concept here is “congruency.” See, there’s a reason why – if you sell a suit – you also offer them ties, vests, suit-and related thing. Not a protein shake and lipstick. The up-sells must be congruent, in-line and “consistent” with the original offer. If there’s no congruency, there’s no chance of extra sales.

Trigger #2 Product Nature

Hammers drive nails into walls. That’s their nature: to beat things. Colognes smell good and are used for self-care and improving appeal. Cars get you from A to B, some with more style than others. Everything has a nature. The kindle saves me space on books and helps me read.

Why do people buy your product? Once you have a list of reasons, pick a few with the strongest appeals and use those.

You do _____ faster.
You do _____ easier.
You do _____ for cheaper.
You can do ______ anywhere, anytime.
The list goes on.

Trigger #3 Prospect Nature

Then there’s the nature of the prospect or customer. Yes, you need to know that too. Why do they want an Amazon kindle? Are they tired of carrying heavy books? Do they want to save space? Do they want to “read more” and be smarter? What kind of hopes, pains, goals and dreams do they have?

It’s your job to find out what’s going on in their head.

That way, you can mention it in your copy.

Trigger #4 Objection Raising

This trigger is all about addressing objections head on.

So, what kind of objections do you think a customer would come up with? What kind of excuses will they have to NOT buy? Too expensive? No time?

Or, is there something wrong with the product that you need to address?

Address these things in the copy.

Yes, it costs $___…
Think you won’t have time?
Yes, this car is painted in the ugliest color…

Trigger #5 Objection Resolution

Basically, take those objections and flip them around.

Yes, it costs $___, but if you do the math, that as low as $_ a day.
Think you won’t have time? With (this), you can easily achieve (that) in a few minutes a day.
Yes, this car is painted in the ugliest color… but I’ll throw in a paint-job for free if you buy.

Trigger #6 Involvement and Ownership

This one is why you’re allowed “test-drives,” 7-day trials, and free samples.

You get to touch and feel the product.

What if they don’t have the product yet?

How do you use this in copy? Well, in the case, you should describe them using it. The book says things like “imagine yourself owning it, see how it feels like.” But, I think this point is more useful in explaining how easy it is use the product… so they can see how easy it is. For example:

Here’s how easy it is to make pictures.. Step 1: Press the “start” button. Step 2: Fill in your details. Step 3: Done! The program spits out a beautiful, share-able infographic.

Trigger #7 Integrity

This is just a matter of not over-promising and lying, and being genuine.

Otherwise, if there’s any sliver of doubt in a customer’s mind about you and your dealings, the sale is lost.

How can you put that into copy?

Money-back guarantee
Testimonials
Stating the deficiencies of the product upfront. Or, who it’s not for.

But, this is one of those things were your actions matter more than what you write. You have to deliver on the money-back guarantee rather than talk about it.

Trigger #8 Storytelling

You’ve probably heard this one over and over.

“Come up with a good story!” Ha. Easier said than done. It’s like the “just be yourself” advice. Gee, thanks.

But, it is true. You’re going to have to come up with some stories about your product. People like drama, action and there’s no point in me repeating this point any further. The only trick is… the story has to have something in it for them. Not a “we started in 1999 and bla bla. Thanks to you, we now have 2 million users. Things weren’t easy. Now, our app is the most downloaded. Thought you should know. Blah, blah, blah.”

So, for example…

A few days ago, Bob emailed us and asked “hey, I found these guys for much cheaper.” He had a point. And he was also nice enough to email in. After a quick meeting – boom – Bob got 30% off. So, while we’re at it, you can too.
“They don’t want audiobooks. It’s a bad idea.” That’s what my co-worker said when we were discussing what kind of email to send next. “Who listens anyway? Everything is on YouTube” But, I disagreed. I wrote up this email. Attached 5 of our best audiobooks and here the are.

Trigger #9 Authority

In other words, you should position yourself as an authority on whatever-it-is-you’re-selling.

Why?

Because people trust authority. In fact, so much so that it’s a cognitive bias and a logical fallacy (argument from authority).

So, how do you use this? Well, don’t toot your own horn from the start unless it somehow deals with a benefit the user is getting. Use it to reinforce your claims, such as…

With 1 million app downloads, we know how to promote your apps.
You’re getting our 12 years of know-how of making widgets.
You’re getting security and peace of mind – with our tried and tested cyber-security firm, trusted by companies like A, B and C.
You’re getting the best business tips from the CEO with 5+ companies and 20 years of experience.

Trigger #10 Proof of Value

In other words, how can you prove that your product is worth the money?

Well, you can compare it to others.

“Shamino’s Pizza is $5 but mine is $2. Mizza Hut is $3 less, always.”

In the case of digital products though, I think people just make it up: “You’re getting a FREE BONUS – videos, PDFs and text – worth $799.” And that’s kind of hard to believe.

You can also show the ROI others are able to get with the product. That’s another way to prove value indirectly.

You can make an extra $20 per sale when you try the tactics in my new sales book.
Jimmy was able to learn PHP within 2 months after this course. And, he got hired by Boogle.

Or, you can just emphasize the discount to drive the point home.

Full price? $100. Today, it’s just $45.

Trigger #11 Emotion

Basically, write with emotion. Use adjectives.

It’s another crucial sales trigger, but just like “tell a story,” it is hard to do. That is, unless you’re in the business of selling sex, dating, greed, fear, politics, pills and anything that taps into human primal needs.

Yes, it’s harder to make textbooks, software, laptop stands and widgets sound sexy. But, it’s doable. This is where it counts to know your prospect’s fears, dreams, needs and desires. Only then you can write emotional copy.

Caveat #1: Like with telling stories, the emotion you’re looking to trigger must be a helpful one. If you want to get them outraged when you’re trying to sell, it may not work well. Or, at least test the angle against something else.

Caveat #2: Sometimes, emotion may not matter at all. This is where you have to take a look and think: “do some of these triggers apply to me or not?” If you’re selling salt or q-tips, you don’t need much more explanation.

Some examples:

You’d be OUTRAGED if you knew our real price. $599. For our email subscribers like you? $99. Why the insane price difference?
We’ve updated your “Kesla” vehicle with a BRAND new feature. Curious?
If you want to finally “understand” the stock markets with laser-like focus, spot incredibly-profitable trends 3 days in advance, and know when to “Get-The-Hell-Out” before it all collapses, maybe you’re the right person for our brand new guide.
You are the only obstacle standing in the way of your own success. And that’s why most people crash, burn, fail and carelessly throw away their hard-earned money to self-help charlatans that say…
Finally, read books in 1 week or LESS, become smarter, “quick-to-understand,” and out-perform your coworkers…
Look how EASY it is to learn HTML with our course. These 4-minute lessons will leave you embarrassed… and wondering why you didn’t start sooner.

Trigger #12 Justify with Logic

Once you’ve gotten their interest with some good, old emotion…

…you need to justify it with logic.

So, let’s take this one:

Look how EASY it is to learn HTML with our course. These 4-minute lessons will leave you embarrassed… and wondering why you didn’t start sooner.

The next question they’re likely having is… how exactly will these 4 minute lessons fulfill that promise? This is where you can talk about features, proof and what-not to back it up. You can say:

Look how EASY it is to learn HTML with our course. These 4-minute lessons will leave you embarrassed… and wondering why you didn’t start sooner.
You learn with 4-minute lessons.
In every lesson, you learn a tag like <P> and <BR>. We show you onscreen tutorials of typing them in. You’re prompted to follow along in your own HTML editor.
With 100 lessons, you learn all 100 tags and combinations… and yes, you do master HTML the easy way.

Trigger #13 Greed

Yes, we people are greedy.

So, how can you apply this? Simple:

Offer a limited time discount. Because people love a good deal. And if it’s a deal on something they’ve always thought about, they’ll likely move.
Set a limit as to how many items can be bought. “Only 20 widgets available so buy now.”
Set a deadline. That way, urgency kicks in and they realize “I must have it before time’s up!”
Offer extra gifts to push them over the edge. “Not only do you get this premium notebook, but you also get this FREE pen and whiteout.”
Offer a greater volume or duration. “Get 3 years supply!” Or, “yes, you get 4 pairs of pants. Just in case 1 rips.”
Oh, use the word FREE. Buy this, get 1 FREE.

Trigger #14 Credibility

This falls in line with Trigger #12 – Justify with Logic.

After you’ve made an outrageous claim, you have to make it believable.

If you’re selling a car and you say it’s super-safe and no-one can knock it over, mention the weight and the metal it’s made out of. If you’re selling a super-speedy bike, mention the max speed…. and HOW it’s able to reach such a speed. What kind of engine? And that they can see it for themselves, if they come by.

You can also mention…

the years you’ve been at this/experience
testimonials
examples of previous clients

Trigger #15 Satisfaction Conviction

Always include a money-back guarantee. Or, some sort of other promise that tells them that they will be satisfied. Because that’s what makes a killer offer.

If you’re not learning new tennis swings in the 1st lesson, you get your money back.
Clearly you can’t “Return” a digital course. But, here’s what we’ll do. If you don’t like it, you get a refund AND continued access for the next 3 months. That way, you have extra time to take advantage of everything in our course and FIND a way to make it work for you.
If our gym pants tear, rip or break somewhere, just send it back. We’ll send you a replacement AND free socks.

Trigger #16 Linking

What can you connect or compare your product to?

What is it like?

Creating such comparisons and links can help a customer better understand what you’re selling.

It’s like a science class… but on your phone!
This app is like a personal trainer… available anywhere, anytime.
This book is the bible of marketing.
Our baby stroller is the Rolls Royce of all the baby strollers.

If your links are “too much of a stretch,” skip this trigger. It may not be for your product. Or, come back when you have something interesting in mind.

Trigger #17 Desire to Belong

Again, this is where you need to know about your customer.

What do they want and need? Who do they want to become? Do they want to become entrepreneurs? Polyglots? Fitness influencers?

It also helps to know why current customers use your product. Because others may identify with their cause.

“Join 100+ Spanish learners inside.”
“Join our exclusive group of $100,000/month business owners.”
“Become a copywriter by taking this course.”
“Pay off your loans with our support group. 100+ debt-free members inside.”
Show a picture of a fitness model wearing your gym brand.
Post videos of [ people who already achieved X ] non-stop.

Trigger #18 Desire to Collect

People like to collect stuff.

Miniature planes and action figures aside, if you’re a copywriter, you probably have 5+ books on copywriting. And, you would likely buy a 6th, a 7th, and an 8th. Because it’s part of your identity. Similar with me. I have a bunch of gym clothes from a brand and tend to buy new stuff every now and then.

So, how can you satisfy this desire to collect? Well, if your product isn’t a collectible…

Would you believe when I was 18, I had a sssssssilver dollar collection?

Sell similar products related to your main item.
- i.e. Suits and ties
Offer extra products as gifts if they buy the main offer.
Create an updated, 2018 or 2019 edition.
Promote someone else’s related product that doesn’t compete with yours.

Trigger #19 Urgency

People need a reason to act now.

Otherwise, they never will.

Just like they need a reason to get up in the morning. Otherwise, they wouldn’t. The bed is far too comfortable.

How do you create urgency?

Set a deadline. Only 1 day left.
Only 10 products left.
Buy now and you get this FREE gift.
Give a strong reason why the product is limited. “We only have 100 shirts.” “We only have 500 books available.” “We make more money if you pay full price so we can’t have this discounted for too long.”

Trigger #20 Exclusivity

Similar to trigger #18: collectibles.

How can you make something exclusive?You make it 1-time only. And you have to keep your promise, otherwise it’s no longer exclusive.

Examples:

Free AdWords Mastery book … only with our January sale. You’ll never see this again.
Every 6 months, we open up our “get rich slowly” success program. If you’ve been waiting to join, now’s the time.
Since it’s Christmas, here’s an exclusive Christmas themed sweater. You’ll only see it for the next 5 days. Buy now.

Trigger #21 Simplicity

Keep your offer simple.

“Hey, get 25% off our programming course… and be a super developer” or “Get 25% off our programming course with 3 books on how to understand programming and a DVD lecture from Professor Prog McGrammer.”

One of these offers is super confusing. The other is straight forward.

Make your offers (and copy) easy to understand.

Get 25% off and a FREE Gift
Save $5 on a new laptop
$3 gets you 100+ articles on copywriting
new CD player for just $29.99

These are fairly standard offers. So, if you follow an offer structure like the one below, you should be good.

— [ item ] + [ deal ]

Trigger #22 Guilt

Guilt is another thing that gets people to move.

But, how? How can you make people feel guilty in copy?

Give away free stuff. This is simple reciprocation. People will do stuff for you because you did stuff for them.
Tell them they’re about to lose something:
- “Hey, the sale ends in 2 hours. Your dream of becoming Pokemon master is still very much realistic… if you act now. At midnight, we’re closing down the Poke-store and you will have no more chances to buy.
Nobody likes being a hypocrite. So, remind them that “they wanted this. They signed up because they wanted the juicy benefits.”
And people also want to stay true to their identity. “You’re a graphic designer and this 2019 guide on Web 2.0 buttons is the NEXT big thing. So, don’t miss out on brand new designs and themes. Don’t miss out.”

Caveat: My last 2 suggestions can be a hit or miss. Word it poorly and you’re attacking someone’s identity… and that’s no way to sell anything.

Trigger #23 Specificity

Numbers and specifics make things more believable. Just take a look at these two:

Get rich quickly
- OR
Earn an extra $50 a month with these 5 scripts you can use on your clients

One is outrageous. The other is believable because it has specific details and numbers.

Trigger #24 Familiarity

People like things they’re familiar with… and grew up with. And somehow, their generation’s music is better than ours. I’m not sure why.

For me it’s… 90’s rap music. Seinfeld. Simpsons.

So, how do you create familiarity in copy?

Repetition. Meaning, stay in contact often.
Remind them of your USP.

So when they think of buying some “product,” they’ll thing “oh, yeah, that guy has it.”

Trigger #25 Patterning

Find an ad that’s been running for a while… and duplicate it.

Why?

Well, there’s likely a reason why. It probably works.

Read others’ copy.
- If they have a good angle, try it out.
- If they have a good offer, try it out.
- If they’re not doing a bullet-point list of features, try that too.

Just don’t be obvious about your “theft” or inspiration.

Trigger #26 Hope

Hope is another powerful motivator.

People buy various things in hopes that those things give them results!

So, give them that hope.

Again, this goes back to “knowing your customer,” and once you know what they want and why, rephrase it back to them in the copy.

You want to learn HTML and design 1995-esque websites. And this course gives you the key… to doing just that. You’ll be designing sites like Geocities, Angelfire and AskJeeves in no time.

Trigger #27 Curiosity

There’s a gift for you at the bottom of this article.

Curious? Well, you can’t have it now. Only when you finish reading. I’ve made sure my website doesn’t let you rush past this point.

Yep, curiosity will definitely get people to act.. or at least, keep them going. So, how do you do it? Well, for example…

You get 3 gifts. Click through to find out what they are.
Want to know your IQ? Take our 3-mintute quiz.
What’s the one trait that successful entrepreneurs have?

Trigger #28 Harmonize

This is similar to Trigger #1: consistency.

Basically, ask questions and make statements that they’ll say “yes” to or agree with. Anything that draws out a “no” or creates resistance needs to be removed.

Do you like copywriting? [ yes ]
Do you want to know how to write letters that pull $10,000? [ yes ]
Do you want to feel the pain I felt over the last 10 years while perfecting my copy? [ No, please don’t. I’m here for fast and easy solutions. ]

Basically, you’d have to place yourself in the shoes of a reader. And then, read the copy and try to see where they’d raise an eyebrow. Then, delete that stuff.

Trigger #29 Mental Engagement

In other words, don’t be boring or predictable.

Like writing with “emotion” and “telling a story,” this is a tough one to pull off as well.

Trigger #30 Honesty

Look over your copy and simply make sure everything is true.

And hey, if there’s a glaring defect or downside, you can mention that too. Why? Because in marketing, honesty is disarming and unexpected, and thus, appreciated.

If you want to get your hands on the book, just click on the link below.

Triggers: 30 Sales Tools You Can Use to Control the Mind of Your Prospect to Motivate, Influence, and Persuade

Enjoy!

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