From the course: Influencing Others

Unlock the full course today

Join today to access over 22,600 courses taught by industry experts or purchase this course individually.

Urgency and scarcity

Urgency and scarcity

From the course: Influencing Others

Start my 1-month free trial

Urgency and scarcity

“

- Establish urgency or scarcity. Opportunities with clear near-term limits are typically more motivating. For example Colleen Zodd wrote mega successful infomercials and shattered a sales record that stood for almost 20 years on the Home Shopping Channel. She added extra urgency by changing slightly but powerfully the standard infomercial tagline, "Operators are waiting; please call now." To this: "If operators are busy, please call again." The implication was lots of people will be calling and you don't want to miss the opportunity. When tested, that little change resulted in a huge increase in calls and sales. Here's what to do: First, make it clear that now is the time to act. Explain why they'll be too late if they wait. Second, it's not only about time. If applicable, explain why resources, the information your provide, or supplies are limited. Third, and finally, research shows that loss is the most powerful form of scarcity, so clarify what they will lose or miss if they fail…

Contents