Want short-cuts for turning happy clients into avid fans who refer colleagues to you? Read Robert Middleton's blog, then read the InfoGuru Marketing Manual. In practical, pithy language, he puts into practice some of the persuasion methods described in Robert Cialdini's classic book, Influence, and reinforced in his new book, with Noah J. Goldstein and Steve J. Martin, Yes!: 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive.
People Like People Who Are Like Them
For example, today he describes a non-hardsell way to attract warmed-up prospects through how you relate to your current clients. It's The Law of Relatedness, an extension of Social Proof. If your clients tell colleagues about why they like your service, they are especially credible if the situation they describe (problem or opportunity) is one that their colleagues also face. In short, they can relate to the situation and are drawn to the solution you provided. Writes Middleton, "The more connection we feel to someone, to their story, their situation, to their problem, the more relatedness, the more effective the persuasion." On his blog read an elaboration of his five tips to growing your business by evoking Law of Relatedness:
1. Make sure your testimonials are directly related to the concerns of your prospects.
2. When you write articles, either for publication in your eZine or newsletter, include case studies that prove your point.
3. Have your clients interviewed and recorded. Use that recording as an "audio testimonial" to post on your web site or to forward to a potential client.
4. If you do an introductory event or teleclass, invite successful clients or customers to be at the event or on the call with you.
5. When you post testimonials or case studies on your web site, include pictures of your clients.
He asked readers for examples of how they put this law into practice and I responded with a method I use when speaking on SmartPartnering at conferences. See my idea in his comments section at the end of his post. Joe Hage at biznik has some great ideas on how to use Cialdini's methods to make your seminar or other event a success. Also see Helping People Decide to Change.
