Volunteers Not Victims: No Need to Use Manipulative Sales Tactics
One of the principles that I live by is "Chasing people, money and experiences is not required. Create alignment between yourself and your desires and you will actually attract everything you desire."
Therefore, there is no need to use manipulative sales tactics to get people to invest in your products, services, and programs. While you might be able to make a quick sale, if the sales tactics you are using aren’t ethical then it can really hurt your business in the long term. Quiet as it is kept, your name and reputation are the most important business assets you own. It takes seconds to destroy someone's trust in you. People will never buy from you again once they realize that your intent was to betray, violate, lie, steal, deceive, mislead, misdirect, cheat, and manipulate. In addition to the public shame and humiliation of being “found out”, you may also face various legal consequences, including, but not limited to fines and jail time.
What Are Manipulative Sales Tactics?
There are many different ways people try and manipulate us into buying things we don't really want or need. Here are the top thirteen:
Tactic # One - The Scarcity Tactic
This tactic is based on creating a sense of urgency and fear of missing out. It's often used to convince people into taking immediate action by saying that they can only have access if they act now, otherwise it will be gone forever (even though this isn't true). For example, "I'm going away tomorrow so I need you to buy right now or else you won’t get in." Or “This offer expires today! Don’t wait any longer!" For clarity, it is perfectly okay to use scarcity when you truly have a limited number of seats, products, coaching sessions, tickets, etc. What is important is whether you are using scarcity to manipulate or inform.
Tactic # Two – Being Vague In Your Promotion
Sometimes in an effort to create “mystery”, marketers end up with a vague, ambiguous sales pitch. My best advice is to write and speak with clarity, brevity and authority. If telling the truth doesn't attract your ideal client, then leave the approach alone.
Tactic # Three – Using Emotional Manipulation
Have you noticed that many offers are overpriced pieces of junk that feed off of people’s fears of being unseen, unheard, unlovable, alone, poor, taken advantage of, and so on? You are witnessing emotional manipulation in action. By creating strong emotions in people like fear and desperation, people are much more likely to buy things without doing their homework first!
Tactic # Four – Deceiving People About Your Product or Service
Many years ago I paid $5k to learn how to make money as a professional speaker. After 5 days of learning how to sell from the stage, I was told it would be another $25k to learn how to (a) set up my speaking business; (b) design my speaker kit and (c) get hired as a speaker. That experience taught me to read the deliverables closely. These experiences are what spin many people into buyer’s remorse. Don’t allow this to happen to you.
Tactic # Five – Using The Scarcity of Time
Some entrepreneurs try and convince you to take immediate action by making things seem scarce or limited in time. If you don't act quickly then you will miss out on something special which often isn’t true! In fact there are plenty more opportunities coming down the line. You’ll find this out if you notice that these same people have sales every weekend or every month.
You are out of integrity if a person says “No, I cannot commit due to lack of time. attention, or money,” and you keep trying to convince them otherwise.
Tactic # Six – Faking Authority
People who want to use the scarcity tactic often pretend they are an authority on whatever product or service they're trying to sell us (even though this isn’t true). It is amazing how many people take a weekend class, get a certificate and then run around claiming expertise. Mastery is cultivated over time. Stop the madness.
Tactic # Seven – Using Fake Testimonials
Have you ever seen a product review or testimonial online and thought: "Wow! This person seems really happy with the results they got!" Or… “I wish I had this service when I was struggling with (insert problem here)." But then later find out it was fake? Some companies might actually pay someone a few dollars just for writing something positive about their product while others will ask friends and family members to write false reviews in order make them look more reputable. It’s crazy how often happens because it's so easy to spot if you look closely enough. My recommendation is to actually contact the people and ask different questions to determine whether or not working with the person or investing in the offer is of benefit to you.
Tactic # Eight – Using Emotional Language
This is probably the most popular tactic of all and yet it’s also the one that causes many people to fall for manipulation tactics when reading sales pages or looking through information online (even though they know better). The problem with using emotional language on a website is not only does it make things less credible but can often force us into making quick decisions without thinking things through properly. In fact, this has happened to me more times than I care to admit… usually after browsing Facebook! If we aren't careful then websites like these will sell us anything regardless of whether or not it's actually helpful in any way. So how do we protect ourselves from falling for this one? The answer is simple: slow down and don’t be in a rush to make any big decisions.
Tactic # Nine – Using Subtle Jargon
This tactic is very similar to the previous point I mentioned (using emotional language) but it's also slightly different as well because it makes use of some subtle types of jargon too. Rather than just using words like "love" or "enjoy", people will often write about being “passionate”, “excited”… even going so far as saying things like they are on a personal , spiritual journey! Be aware of anyone who uses their personal mission, spiritual beliefs, religious beliefs and the like to sell their product. Think about it “What does what they believe have to do with helping you achieve a goal or solve a problem?”
Tactic # Ten – Using Fake Guarantees
The problem with people who use fake guarantees is that they are basically saying the only way for their customers to lose out and go bust while using their service or buying from them is if they do nothing! For example, when we were selling our own online courses (back in 2009) I remember seeing other people doing this all the time by offering some type of money-back guarantee which said something along these lines: "100% No Questions Asked Money Back Guarantee!"
My first thought was “why”? If you are providing a transformational experience and actually helping people to solve their problems and achieve their goals. then surely there would be no need for any refund at all?
And secondly, even if they did offer refunds, how would you know that the people who applied for it didn't just make up their story?
And thirdly, for those who sell services and invest huge amounts of time, energy, money and resources creating transformational experiences for people, there must be some level of accountability and responsibility. Far too many people want you to be more invested in their success than they are.
Offering a refund for a malfunctioning product is one thing, offering a refund once someone has provided a service is another.
For those with a service, I recommend telling them “Business is risky. Life offers no guarantees other than what you put into something, is what you will get out of it. I cannot guarantee you anything other than the fact that I will show up to support you to the best fo my ability. You must also show up, tell the truth, do the work, ask questions and conduct yourself with integrity.”
Tactic # Eleven – Using Over-Hyped Language and Phrases
Discernment is critical. If you pay close attention, you can literally see through puff and fluff, exaggerated sales claims and when people are blowing smoke. The bottom line is that “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.” Listen to your inner wisdom and don’t get pulled in with purses that proclaim that this product, service, or experience is "amazing", “incredible” or “astonishing." Sometimes these kinds of words are nothing more than a sales trick designed to bypass healthy skepticism.
Tactic # Twelve – Using False Logic
This tactic is one which has been used for many years (and probably will continue to do so) mainly because it’s quite effective at getting someone to think in a certain way. The problem with this technique is even though it might seem like “common sense”; if you pay close attention, you’ll see that it is nothing more than manipulation and gaslighting.
An example of false logic could be when someone gets super excited and says things like “don’t you love [insert product here]? I bet if you had that, then you would be so much happier and have everything you need!”
Think about it. Anything outside of yourself that has the power to make you happy, can also make you unhappy. Therefore that question is designed to make you question your own wisdom. The question “Who doesn't want to be happy?” goes against what makes most purchases happen in the first place—that is, buying things for functional reasons rather than emotional ones.
For example, people buy new cars not just because they are excited about having a new car but also because they know their old one won’t get them where they're going anymore or when there isn't enough space for all of their kids' gear.
They may speak very quickly and try to convince you with these kinds of statements before giving you time process your own thoughts and feelings.
Tactic # Thirteen – Saying You're One of The Few People Who Do This
Lastly, this tactic has been used by many marketers and salespeople over the years which makes sense because if you think about it… what do all humans crave? Well how about feeling special since we all know that’s something most people want. And when someone can offer them this (which is normally done in some type of way) then they will often buy into their product or service without thinking twice! So rather than just saying "I'm one of only a few who does this" I prefer to say things like: “We are proud to be different!"
The truth is there's absolutely no need to use manipulative sales tactics in order to close a sale with people because people want real value for money spent. When someone provides them with this value - whether it's through an investment of time (learning how marketing works), resources (books on the topic) or money (buying products/services online), most consumers jump at it without feeling forced into making the purchase decision right away. In other words, humans know what they're looking for and once provided with quality information about something related to their problem(s), they'll act on it. This is what you want to do when selling products and services online, too - provide real value for your consumers so that they know why they should invest their time or money in learning more about your product/service.
