Monroe’s Motivated Sequence.
It’s a five-step process to move customers, employees, or just about anyone to do
what you want them to do. The steps are:
- Attention: Do something to get your audience’s attention.
- Problem: Present a problem.
- Solution: Show how your product solves the problem.
- Visualization: Help the audience imagine how much better life will be with the product.
- Action: Tell them exactly how to purchase the product.
It’s really just basic selling, right?
Unfortunately, when you’re creating a sign or a banner, it’s not always easy to use all five steps. Your banner would fill up a street!
So how do you motivate customers using limited space and words?
You pick the right words!
Certain words will help customers down the path of Monroe’s Sequence, even if you can’t use all the steps. So keep using the power words you’ve always used – sale, free, etc. – but try working in these five words to move customers toward a sale.
Attention – You
There’s no better way to get someone’s attention than to say their name, right? While you can’t list the name of every customer that passes by, the word “YOU” has a powerful effect in drawing us in. Email campaigns using the word “you” have a 10% higher open rate, and the same effect will work with you signs and banners.
Ryanbrandingbyair/Wikimedia Commons
Attention is the entire purpose of this sign, and the word “YOU” is featured prominently.
Problem – Avoid
Writing for Huffington Post, Danny Wong points out the effectiveness of the word “AVOID”:
“To be an effective salesperson, you need to focus on selling opportunities that help your customer better achieve their goals and, at the same time, provide insurance or protection against potential losses.
Loss aversion is a basic principle in economics and decision theory that encourages us to act in ways that allow us to maintain what we have and prioritizes that over acquiring more things. But smart sales representatives make it a point to call out ways their solutions help customers gain something AND avoid future losses.”
Telling your customers what to AVOID can lead them directly to your product!
Solution – Easy
People don’t just want their problems solved; they want them solved easily! Using the word “EASY” points a customer toward a solution.
According to CrazyEgg’s Ritika Puri, “Consumers and decision makers want products that make their lives easier. They don’t want the hassle of something complicated. If your product or service has the potential to make a task easier, then advertise that selling point – people will be happy to drop what they’re doing and listen to what you have to say.”
Visualize – Imagine
Getting your customers to imagine using your product or service is half the sale. Take a look at this image:
https://pxhere.com/en/photo/631156
How many times have you seen a commercial for an SUV with an image like this one? We all know most SUVs are driven to and from home and work or school, but we love thinking of ourselves in the wilderness!
Using the word “IMAGINE” can, quite simply, prompt your customers to imagine something. What do you want them to imagine about your product?
Action – Now
Telling our customers to “ACT NOW!” is as old as selling. But there are other ways to use the word “NOW” that prompt customers.
Dethistoricaler at English Wikipedia
“Now Available” and all its cousins are nothing new, but they are extremely effective. Using the word “NOW” has a powerful psychological effect!
Come on, little bee! It’s time for YOU to AVOID negative thinking! It’s EASY when you IMAGINE big sales coming your way NOW!
Remember, the professionals at BannerBuzz are here to help you create ad banners that shine!
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