May 16, 2017
In today’s episode …Direct Response Internet Marketing Copywriter and Consultant (and Host of the Get Clients Now Podcast) Ken Newhouse discusses the psychological phenomenon known as “Social Proof” …and how business owners, entrepreneurs and professionals can harness this powerful aspect of human behavior to ethically sell more to their clients, customers and patients.
According to Robert Cialdini, author of the book: Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion - “We view a behavior as more correct in a given situation to the degree that we see others performing it”. For the business owner looking to get clients now …looking for more referrals …and looking to increase and improve their sales conversions …this episode may (literally) be …the secret weapon that you’ve been searching for.
In almost every instance when your prospects are considering your products and services …they reach that critical point (just prior to purchase) where they are uncertain about what to do. The innate response they experience at that moment is to look to the people around them (experts, celebrities, friends, etc.) …people who have more knowledge about your business …based on personal experience. Prospects look for “Social Proof” from others to know if it’s you’re a legitimate and honest individual or company.
In addition to that, your prospects will often make judgments based on their overall impression of you and your business — A.K.A. the halo effect (named by psychologist Edward Thorndike). For example:
- People think anything that experts use is great because they are probably more knowledgeable than us in their area of specialization.
- People buy products endorsed by celebrities because they want to look like them.
- People trust user reviews and testimonials (especially video) because they have experienced your product or service, unlike themselves.
We’ll cover the six types of social proof (below) and how you can use them for maximum effectiveness in your marketing and advertising:
- Expert:Expert social proof is when an expert in your industry recommends your products or services or is associated with your brand.
- Celebrity:Celebrity social proof is when a celebrity endorses your products.
- User:User social proof is when your current users recommend your products and services based on their experiences with your brand.
- The wisdom of the crowd:This type of social proof is when a large group of people is seen to be endorsing your brand.
- The wisdom of your friends:This type of social proof is when people see their friends approve your product.
- Certification:This type of social proof is when you are given a stamp of approval by an authoritative figure in your industry.