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The Power of Heuristics

By October 8, 2019December 20th, 2019Blog, Podcasts

Heuristics are mental shortcuts that can be used to help people make a decision faster. In expert hands, heuristics can be tapped into and exploited to attract, convince and convert prospective clients. In this, our first episode of the Chartered Voices podcast, Pete Rosenwald focuses on how heuristics are used in the world of bespoke telemarketing, specifically social proof and familiarity bias. As Pete states, these heuristics are ones that, throughout his long career, he has naturally recognised and adopted as a lead generation strategy.

In Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, a classic study of the psychology of why people say ‘yes’, Robert Cialdini outlined six different shortcuts that he believed guided human behavior. In many ways, these can be considered the fundamental building blocks of the heuristics we cover in the podcast, so it would perhaps be useful to unpack each to see how they might translate into an approach to lead generation in the professional sector.

These shortcuts are:

Reciprocity

Give and give – not give and take. If you receive something for free, be that a small service, a spare ticket to an event or even a piece of advice, you are more likely to feel obliged to return the favour. You can convert your prospects by offering them something of value that they are not necessarily expecting. The surprise of this generosity often increases the chance of them committing to what you are selling.

Scarcity

Playing hard to get. When something is in short supply it is more attractive. Make your clients feel like they’re getting something rare: information or advice that isn’t well known or that relies on the expertise of the seller. If people think they are in competition with others to secure your product, even better.

Authority

Expertise sells. There is a reason I included a reference to Robert Cialdini in the opening of this blog, and there is a reason why the podcast on which this blog is based focuses on Pete Rosenwald and his many, many, many years of experience. Associating an authority with your product will make you product more attractive and give your prospective clients confidence in what you are offering.

Consistency and commitment

From acorns, oak trees grow. If you offer a small service, committing your client for a token amount, they are more likely to return for more. Your client committing to something from you, however small, often instils a feeling of obligation or loyalty within them; you become their go-to provider of services.

Liking

Match made in heaven. A prospective client is more likely to commit if they like the person they are negotiating with. The best way to create an initial bond with a prospective customer and to generate that crucial first meeting is through a bespoke, tailored telephone conversation. Chartered Developments excels at this. Our callers know how to connect with the recipients of their calls and, in short, know how to be liked by the professionals they are talking to.

Consensus

AKA FOMO – the fear of missing out. There’s nothing like seeing a crowd of shoppers outside an Apple Store, clamouring to get their hands on the latest iPhone to make you itch for the latest iPhone yourself. Framing your service or product as something that everyone wants, whether that be through holding an event or even simply putting your existing clients’ logos on your website, is an effective way of attracting even more clients.

Tapping into the emotions of your prospective clients is a powerful way to encourage them to act and these six shortcuts are building blocks that, when understood and used correctly, can help support a successful lead generation strategy. Get in touch for more about how Chartered Developments can help you intelligently develop your business.