Avoid Bad Sales Practices With Psychological Email Techniques

People are subconsciously predisposed to certain words, phrases, and patterns.

Understanding customer behavior and the psychology of sales is key to any business’ success. You can improve sales and email efforts by employing simple psychological principles and science-based selling.

Science-based selling is a selling method backed up by research and employed by the leading professionals. Follow these eight psychological principles and email techniques to improve your sales and avoid poor sales practices.

1. Personalization

Personalization is a powerful tool in email marketing. Research suggests that emails with personalized subject lines have a higher open rate of 26% than those without. The psychological trick is compelling exclusively and personally to your clients, making them feel important and significant.

People generally like to feel special, so make sure you target your customers and use their names in emails – and here’s a tip: spell their name correctly! Use segmentation to better target your audience and create more personalized emails. It's even easier to personalize if you use personalization software. Be personal, but keep it automated.  

2. Repetition and consistency

If you repeat your idea (image, word, phrase, or symbol) consistently over time, your customers will subconsciously memorize your message. Repetition works because of the way of brain functions. Frequent repetition of information strengthens synaptic connections in our brain, having us memorize information better.

Plus, repetition convinces customers and builds trust by creating familiar patterns. Use friendly repetition to create familiarity and improve your email sales. Repeat information to help your customers remember what you want them to remember.

3. The foot-in-the-door technique

The foot-at-the-door technique is based on the idea of making requests that are gradually more demanding. Have your customers agree to smaller requests first. If they agree to conduct minor actions, they are more likely to agree to the larger requests.

This technique works because of the established relationship with your customers when they agree to conduct the small initial action. Psychologists explain that this idea lies in the idea that complying with minor requests seems a lot easier than refusing them. By agreeing, people simply avoid unwanted confrontations.

The most common application of this technique is used in remarketing products to visitors who have previously browsed a website. Ask a small request first, such as subscribing to your newsletter. If users agree to your request, lead them on further with smaller requests to more significant actions, all the way up to making a purchase.

4. Storytelling

People’s desire to hear stories reflects the basic human need to understand patterns of life. Stories make us feel an experience without actually experiencing it. When we hear an interesting story, our attention shifts, we memorize more, and become more emotional. An experiment conducted back in 2006 demonstrated that adding a unique narrative to products’ descriptions increased their cost by 3,960%, which is an astronomical increase.

One great way to employ storytelling into your email marketing strategy is by using names and people to narrate your story. Another working method is telling a story that shows your personal experience. Make sure to put out a story that will resonate with your readers’ thoughts on this point of the sales funnel.

5. Simple solutions

The simple solutions technique is based on the idea of persuading customers by offering them easy solutions to more complex problems. People don’t like facing problems because they usually come along with anxiety. When you propose a simple solution, you offer relief even though it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re actually solving the issue.

When crafting your email, emphasize that your solution is easy, quick, and beneficial. For example, suggest that you have already done the hard work for your users; now all they need to do is click a button.

6. Social proof

Since testimonials are not strong or obvious sales pitches, they can be used to build your product’s credibility. The sales message is more convincing when someone but your sales representative conveys it. Social proof works because people tend to repeat behaviors when they see that someone trustworthy enjoys a product.

Another powerful way of building trust is by using famous people in your marketing strategy. It’s very common for marketers to use celebrities in order to grab the audience’s attention and influence opinions and behavior. Use testimonials, reviews, and user ratings in your email marketing to influence buyer behavior.

7. Bribery

This technique was founded on the notion of persuading by offering ‘bribes’ to the customers. Offering a little something extra in your emails has great potential to grow sales and get more clients. For example, you can offer different coupons, extra savings, and discounts in your promotional emails.

Send out emails with an invitation to check out your free content. For instance, you can share your blog posts, infographics, and tutorials. It’s crucial to have your blog names chosen by name generators to make the most out of your content. Alternatively, offering and implementing customer loyalty rewards and programs via email is a great way to keep your customers from leaving. 

8. Group dynamics

Build a sense of community and solidarity via email. Humans are social beings by nature, and we are greatly influenced by what other people think and do. Show how ordinary people bond together over shared experiences or values. The group dynamics principle allows relationship building and deepening.

Your message can be informative, entertaining, or educational, depending on your audience's needs. When crafting your email, use powerful words (like we, us, our, and so on) to build a sense of togetherness.

Summing up

Learning and understanding the psychology of customer behavior can take some time and effort, but it’s definitely worth it. Using psychological techniques is almost like finding a cheat code for your email marketing.

Personalize your content and add recipients’ names into the subject line and the letter itself. Repeat your ideas in your emails at a healthy rate. Have your customers agree to minor requests first and then gradually increase the value of your requests. Tell your brand and product’s story. Offer simple solutions to the problems your customers might have. Use social proof, peer pressure, and a sense of community to build and expand trust.

Finally, remember to spoil your customers with a little something extra! Never stop improving your email strategies, and employ science in your marketing efforts for better results. 

As a salesperson, you might not consider emails as important as cold calling, but having top-notch email marketing techniques can help you generate and close more deals.