Why do people buy?
First, a slight detour into Middle Earth…
We’re huge J.R.R. Tolkien fans.
Lord of the Rings is freely spoken in our home.
When the films were made from the books, we eagerly anticipated each one.
Both the book and films contain great lessons, but one in particular really touched me.
For those who haven’t seen the movie (Why? Good night… it’s a fabulous story!), here’s the context:
An evil force called Sauron is trying to get back his power. Except he doesn’t have his body (he’s just this evil, flaming eye that sits on top of the Dark Tower). And all this evil spirit needs for complete world domination is a special, magical golden ring.
The “One Ring to Rule Them All”
A band of good men (and hobbits, dwarves, and elves) enter the ultimate fight between good and evil.
The “One Ring” has to be destroyed before evil Sauron gets a hold of it.
So two of the most unlikely characters find themselves tasked with this mission.
Frodo and Sam. The hobbits.
The journey to get rid of this ring permanently (which can only happen by throwing it inside a volcano where it will melt away in the lava), is very, very difficult.
Too much to go into, but you need to read the book or at least watch the films to appreciate it.
So back to Sam’s speech. It’s a doozy and you’ll be glad I set it up the way I did. (You Tolkien fans already know where I’m going but isn’t it fun to remember it again?)
“By Rights, We Shouldn’t Even Be Here…”
So Frodo is just plain worn out. He’s beginning to think this quest of theirs is going to fail.
He’s ready to throw in the towel. Call it a day and try to make it back alive to their cute little hobbit-holes. Except Sam wasn’t having it.
He gave one of the most inspirational speeches I’ve ever heard in a fantasy film… much less anywhere else. Here’s what he said:
Frodo: I can’t do this, Sam.
Sam: I know. It’s all wrong. By rights, we shouldn’t even be here. But we are. It’s like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger, they were. And sometimes you didn’t want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn’t. They kept going. Because they were holding on to something.
Frodo: What are we holding onto, Sam?
Sam: That there’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo… and it’s worth fighting for.
One of THE Biggest Reasons Your Prospect Buys…
Sam hit upon one of the strongest reasons people buy. It’s:
- The reason why there are so many books on how to find love for single women.
- Why there are so many coaching programs for “following your passion.”
- One of the more powerful (and under-emphasized) emotional triggers you can use in your own marketing.
Hope.
It’s also woven in the popular song, “Put A Ring On It,” too. You see, if a woman thinks the man she truly loves just might be a tad jealous when he sees someone else paying attention to her, it gives her hope.
Maybe… just maybe (if she’s willing), the relationship might have a chance after all.
If you look around, you can see industries built upon hope.
The entire beauty industry, for instance.
There’s even a skin cream product called “Hope In A Jar.”
Also, the weight loss industry is built upon hope. And the financial industry.
Really, whenever you’re positioning your product or service to a prospective buyer, they’re approaching it cautiously, but with hope.
Questions to Ask Yourself About Your Product and/or Service
Will your solution really solve their problem?
If your sales copy gives your prospect hope…
If you make a credible case for having hope…
…and IF your testimonials and/or proof elements are the kind your prospect can legitimately believe in…
Then the odds are in your favor that your prospect will happily fork over her money.
Hope keeps your prospective buyer going.
Makes it easier to stay positive and enthusiastic.
Honestly, because there is little to be hopeful about, your prospect is craving some brightness in her life all the more.
Single women continue to have hope.
And Sam knew that Frodo needed to regain a hopeful attitude if they were going to complete their mission.
Experiment with using hope as an emotional trigger for your copy. There’s a very good chance you’ll hook your buyer with it.
If you’d like to discuss in detail how this could work for your service or product, don’t just ‘hope’ I’ll know it.
Reach out.
I’ll positively respond.
Because when it comes to getting better results with your marketing, you don’t want to just throw anything at wall and hope something sticks.
Get the results you want with proven methods that work.
Simply contact me to learn more.
Spreading marketing hope wherever I go…
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