Transcription
There are nine psychological writing triggers that make selling [music] almost effortless. After 20 years writing for brands like Shopify and Canva, I've learned that [music] there's a hidden two-part system in the human brain that when you trigger it correctly, makes people say yes [music] automatically.
So, these are the nine writing triggers that can help you sell almost anything. These nine triggers are divided into the three parts of the funnel. Think of it like this. [music] Every sale has three parts. If you move your customer through all of these parts, you make money.
The first part is [music] the top of the funnel. This is where your customer asks, "Am I in the right place?" At this point, you are not selling yet. You're just helping them figure out if this is for them. And the first trigger is framing.
You need to understand that your brain has two systems. System one is the highway. It's fast, [music] automatic, always running. System two is like a toll booth. slow, logical, lazy, always looking for a reason to make you stop. Now, here's how this plays out in real [music] life.
So, you're scrolling LinkedIn. You see a quick guide for in-house copywriters who hate frameworks. That's you stop scrolling. If it's not, you keep moving. Your brain just sorted you in half a second. Compare that to a headline that says business strategies for everyone. Your brain doesn't know where to [music] file that. Too vague. So, it keeps scrolling while trying to figure out if this matters.
The first headline named a narrow category. The second made your brain work to figure out if you belong. If the brain can't instantly bucket information, it won't get stored anywhere. [music] So when you force people to figure out if your message is maybe for them, you've already lost them. Their system one has basically moved on. System two, if it even engaged, is still trying to decode [music] your vague promise. So open by naming the specific category. test copywriters who hate frameworks versus jumping right into your message. If they can't tell instantly that [music] this is for them, you've lost them.
The second trigger is called identity matching. Let's look at two landing [music] pages. Same product but different opening lines. The first page says for marketers who already know the basics. You read that and you think, okay, that's me. I'm in the right place. But on the second page, you read. Most marketers get this [music] completely wrong. What does your brain do? It immediately goes, "Wait, are they saying I'm getting it wrong?" The first page [music] made you feel seen. The second made you feel attacked, and people don't continue on when they feel [music] attacked. They continue on and then buy when they feel understood.
So, here's the psychology here. Remember those like two systems that I mentioned earlier. System one scans for safety in seconds. When you mirror [music] someone's selfidentity, they scan for safety, they relax. When you threaten it, system two gets woken up to defend. [music] And that defensive response actually costs millions. That's why sellers who [music] open with you're doing it wrong lose before they start. The brain won't let that slide. So when you're making content for potential customers in top of funnel, mirror their self-identity in your opening. Ask, [music] "Am I reflecting their self-image or am I threatening it?" If your copy implies that they're wrong, [music] change it. The goal is to make them think, "I see you." Not, "You're broken."
Next is trigger number three. It's fluency. I want you to read these two phrases out loud. Bread and butter. Now read this one. Bread and peanut butter. Notice what just happened there. The first one flowed. Bread and butter. But the second one made you pause for a split second. [music] Why peanut butter instead of butter? That tiny pause, that's your brain hitting a speed bump. And on a sales page, that speed bump can make people either stop reading or full-on leave.
So when you're selling, [music] you're building momentum. The brain processes messages on a budget. Complex grammar wakes [music] up that slow, logical part that looks for reasons to stop. Great sellers keep it simple. Short sentences, familiar words, small hits of specificity. [music] The easier your message flows, the more people keep reading. So, when you're writing, use short sentences, familiar words, predictable rhythm in top of funnel. Read your copy out loud. Where you stumble is where you're adding friction. And use a checklist. Does this ask them to decide anything? Imply that they're wrong, make their life harder? If yes, for any of those, rewrite [music] it.
Now, we move into the middle of the funnel. At this point, your prospect already knows your product or service may be for them. Now, you're helping them believe it will actually work for someone just like them. This is about plausibility. [music] In this space, you are building desire, reducing doubts, but still not asking for [music] the sale.
So, we start building plausibility with trigger number four, unique mechanisms. You've probably watched a Scrub Daddy commercial at some point. this like little sponge is tackling grease, grime, stuck on food, all that stuff. It looks impressive, right? But then your brain asks, [music] "Okay, but like how? What makes it special?" And that's when they introduce Flex Texture, an exclusive [music] material that changes texture based on water temperature. So cold water makes it firm for [music] scrubbing, warm water makes it soft for wiping. And then they gave it a name, made it a thing, and [music] suddenly your brain stops asking how and starts thinking, "Oh yeah, that makes sense." That one named [music] unique mechanism turned this sponge into a nearly billiondoll company because once [music] people understand the how, they stop being skeptical and they start kind of turning into buyers and then they're ready to buy over and over again.
Now, when you name a unique mechanism, you're answering the objection before it even forms. [music] Here's the psychology. When you name a specific mechanism, your brain goes, "Oh, there's a logical reason this works." and your skepticism goes back to sleep. That's [music] system two. Companies that can't name their mechanism lose to companies that can even if the product is [music] identical. So identify and name your unique mechanism. Test something like our solution works because of mechanism name which means specific outcome. Can't fill in those blanks [music] in 10 words? You don't have a mechanism yet.
In my book, The Copy Selling System, I go deep on concepts [music] like unique mechanisms. So, if you want to master writing that sells, like the top 1% and level up your persuasive writing skills, follow the link to buy my book in the description below.
Next is trigger number five. Be typically atypical. Let's look at another two headlines for the same product. The first headline says, "Double your conversion rate or your money back." Most people think, "Wow, this is a great argument because it reduces risk." But actually, this may be making your brain think, [music] "Wait, double? Really? It seems too good to be true." Now, you are defending your claim before [music] they've even read your pitch.
Now, the second headline says this, "Over the course of a year, nine and 10 of our clients more than double their conversion rates." [music] Okay, same result. You're still doubling conversion rates, but this one gives a time frame. shows it is not everybody and uses more than double instead of exact numbers. [music] The first one triggered skepticism, but this second one sounds reasonable.
When [music] you sell, you are managing skepticism. The skeptical part of your brain wakes up when claims [music] sound too good to be true. But when you balance miraculous results with non-miraculous language like time frames and realistic ratios, it stays [music] more relaxed. 9 and 10, not all. over the course of a year, a realistic time frame. So, balance miraculous [music] results with non-miraculous language. Use specific time frames and realistic ratios. Replace transform overnight with in over 6 months, most clients see the transformation [music] they didn't think was possible.
Next up is number six. It is boring by design. Imagine you're reading an onboarding email from a new software company and you're getting excited about the features. Then you see three words actually, powered by AI. Your brain tenses up a bit. You have [music] heard and lived maybe the horror stories. AI is replacing jobs. AI keeps making mistakes. AI is taking over. But the very next line says it won't replace [music] thinking. That's it. Period. Monotone. Almost boring. Just like that. You relax. They named the fear. They killed it with one boring sentence. [music] And now you're back to being excited about the product instead of worried about the risk.
Here's the psychology. Objections exist whether you mention them or not. When you address them in plain monotone language, you neutralize the threat before system 2 [music] fully wakes up to demand answers. By keeping it boring and factual, you signal this is not a big [music] deal and the brain moves on. Companies that ignore soft objections lose to companies that calmly kill them. So identify a common skepticism and address it in neutral monotone pros. Write down your three biggest objections. [music] For each, write one boring sentence that kills it without drama.
Now, we get to the bottom of the funnel. [music] This is where the sale happens. It's my favorite part. Your prospect wants what you're offering and they believe it could work for them. Now, what do they need to justify the decision? And your job [music] is to make them feel confident saying yes.
This confidence starts with number seven, which is choice framing. Let's say you're reading a sales pitch [music] for an agency that you're considering hiring. You get to the end of it. You're interested, but maybe now you're thinking, "Okay, so what do I actually do?" Then you read this line. You can keep guessing. Hire an agency or build this skill in [music] house. Three options, clear as day. Option one, keep guessing. Well, that's what you're doing now and it's not working. Option two, [music] hire an agency. Okay, got ready built expertise. Higher fees, but they're performance-based. Option three, build this skill in house. Oof, you have tried that and it is expensive, [music] unreliable, and pretty difficult to manage.
People do not want infinite [music] choices. They don't want all of the options. They want a clear path that feels [music] like the smart natural choice. When you close, you're not asking for a decision. You're really showing them the obvious path forward. [music] Three options work because the brain recognizes the pattern and trusts it. Two options might not feel right, might feel manipulative, and four options is just too many. It creates paralysis. [music] When you use three, the middle option feels safe. It's Goldilocks principle. [music] It's not extreme. It's easy to defend. So, when directing a prospect toward the sale, frame three clear options, positioning yours as the [music] safe middle ground. When they read it, it should feel like a decision they can defend to anyone.
Trigger number eight, transparent trade-offs. Imagine you just finished a software demo. You're interested. Then the salesperson says, "Your team may ship code twice as quickly [music] after a 10-week training period." And most companies would stop at ship code twice as quickly and hope you don't ask about the catch. But this company [music] told you the catch right up front. Training takes time. Results are not instant. And something interesting in doing this happens. Instead of feeling manipulated, you feel respected. They're being honest. They're treating you like an adult who can handle the truth. [music] One enterprise B2B company that I worked with used this approach and saw a 300 37% increase [music] in business because once people know the catch, they stop looking for it. They trust you. When they stop looking for hidden problems, they [music] start making better decisions.
When you're transparent with the tradeoffs, you're not weakening your offer. You're actually increasing trust. Here's the psychology of that. System one scans for danger. When you hide limitations, it assumes there's something you're not saying. But when you name them upfront, bottom of funnel, system one relaxes because transparency equals safety. And so does system two by explicitly stating what it costs in time, effort, trade-offs. You make your prospect [music] feel like they're making an informed decision rather than buying magic beans. Companies that hide trade-offs lose to companies that name them confidently. So list trade-offs [music] alongside benefits. State what you get and what you don't. Here's the formula for it. Result, but limitation or effort required. That simple. For example, finally finish writing your book, the result, but expect to work weekends. Or sleep through the night, but you'll need to put away your phone at 7:00 p.m. Use it once right before the close.
And last but not least, number nine. Big proof, small bite. Let's look at one more scenario. Two B2B [music] companies, same industry, both are trying to prove their product works. Okay, cool. The first company has its website just covered in logos, thousands of companies, dozens of testimonials, case studies from every industry, video compilation of happy customers. You'd [music] think this amount of proof would be so persuasive. But in reality, most people are just scrolling through all of it. And then they start thinking, why are they trying so hard? What are they maybe hiding?
Now, the second the second B2B company has maybe only one line with a few logos. And the line is this. Shopify's 5,000 person engineering team was onboarded in three months and now ships three times the code. That's it. One proof [music] point, but it's massive. 5,000 people on this team. 3 months, three times the code. Here's the thing. Overwhelming proof can create suspicion. But one really [music] perfect proof point for your audience creates better belief. When you prove your case, you're not building a mountain of evidence. You're finding the one boulder that just can't be moved.
Here is why it works this way. System one gets overwhelmed by just too much information. System two then wakes up suspicious when you pile on proof. Why are they trying so hard? But one big specific credible proof point. System one can accept it. [music] System two can evaluate it briefly and sign off. So write down all your proof. Great. Then cross out everything except the single most impressive relevant examples. Use them strategically. Everything else is just noise.
Now you know which psychological triggers sell through the funnel, but they won't work as well unless you master [music] the exact skills that make people listen, trust you, and say yes. So, click the next video and I will show you the communication skills the top 1% use [music] to gain power, respect, and leverage.