In this episode of Powerful Written Persuasion Techniques we’re going to touch on the concept of using micro-commitments. Why they work, and how we can use them to make our sales copy more impactful.

 
Let’s start with why they work…

When people make a commitment to an idea, or a belief, it becomes very difficult to change their minds without creating internal conflict or anxiety.

The name for this feeling of discomfort is called “Cognitive Dissonance”, and it can be an extremely powerful force in our lives.

Part of the reason it’s so powerful is because most of us like to think of ourselves as intelligent, rational beings. And few people want to admit when they’re wrong (even to themselves) about a committed belief.

In fact, when given the choice between defending a faulty belief, or admitting ignorance and changing our paradigm… Most people immediately get busy putting up their defense.

So how can we use this natural human condition to our advantage, when writing persuasive copy?
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Welcome back… In this next chapter of Powerful Written Persuasion Techniques we’re going to cover the concept of using pre-suppositions and pre-framing in our copy.

 
Over the years I’ve read dozens of books and articles about pre-suppositions, and the definition(s) of what they are. But the definition I’m using today is a little different from most that I’ve seen.
(Of course I’m leaving myself wide open to be criticized by English teachers and grammarians. But we’re talking about sales copy here. And academic rules don’t always apply in this theater)

So for the sake of this post, we’re going to combine pre-suppositions and pre-framing together.  And defined it as “casually implying a statement as a given fact, so we can bypass our readers critical skepticism and have our message more readily accepted.”

OK, I admit that definition is a mouthful. But rather than trying to break it down, I’d rather just show you what I’m talking about…

So if that works for you, let’s just dive right in. Shall we…
 
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OK, if you’ve read part 1 and part 2 of this series on Powerful Written Persuasion Techniques, then you already have a basic understanding of Appealing to a persons identity in your sales copy and Invoking Emotions in your sales copy.

This time we’re going to talk about showing your reader the consequences of not taking action.

Why is this technique so powerful?
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OK, in the last chapter we talked about the powerful written persuasion technique of appealing to your readers identity. And how connecting your offer to the personal story of your audience, can subtly turn your product or service into a part of their lives.

When we do it effectively we’re no longer selling, but we’re having our products welcomed into their lives without resistance.

This time we’re going to touch on another powerful persuasion technique…
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