There’s one single word that is the most engaging for your prospects. This word first showed up way back in the 1980s in conjunction with direct mail campaigns. Now that email has become glutted, this old approach is now making a comeback.
First, let’s conjure up a business as the poster child for getting this right: a new gym. Let’s call it ABC Gym. The typical direct mail campaign for ABC Gym would have showcased its facilities, equipment and services. If you were on their direct mail list, you’d likely receive a marketing piece that talked about their large, carpeted locker rooms, their array of weight machines and free weights, their treadmills and ellipticals, their range of fitness classes, their on-site certified trainers, and so on.
Some people would respond to this approach and visit the gym to see for themselves. Some might even join. But if ABC Gym added one word to its approach, it would double the response rate. That word: “You.”
Using “you” puts the focus right where it needs to be: on the prospect’s own needs. It’s an incredibly effective example of tapping into how we think – and how our brains function – to optimize prospect engagement. Here’s how it works:
Reaches the Prospect’s Imagination
It doesn’t leave much to the imagination, or inspire the imagination for that matter, to be told to come look at a new gym. But ABC Gym decided to not just say the usual in their direct mail piece, as in: “Come check us out: we have great facilities and all this equipment and great trainers!” Instead, they wrote, “Imagine if you could have the body of your dreams. You can. Come check out our new gym.”
Presents a Better Value Position Statement
ABC Gym talked directly to the prospect and addressed their imagination literally – by using the word imagine. Right away, the prospect is reminded of their own desire, not what the gym has to offer, and can focus on the fact that this might indeed be a way to fulfill that desire. It’s a great way to present the gym’s value position statement, making it clear that this gym has a unique ability to solve a problem because they understand how people feel. Instead of referring to the services, facilities, and equipment just like every other gym, this approach enables the prospect to immediately imagine the outcome of using them.
Appeals to the Amygdala
Here’s where brain science comes in. The amygdala, which sits at the base of the brain and is connected to the spinal cord, is home of that primal flight-for-fight instinct. It’s the first part of our brain to receive information and makes an instantaneous decision as to our safety. How does that relate to using “you”? “You” to the prospect means that they are the focus, and they need to pay attention to what’s being said until they can figure out if they are safe or not.
And consider this example: you’ve just gotten out of knee surgery and in lots of pain. The surgeon walks in and asks, “How are we doing today?” But the doctor is not experiencing the debilitating pain in your knee. They haven’t earned the right to use “we.” It’s not only confusing, it’s a bit alarming. If the surgeon asks, “How are you doing?” that’s a whole different story. It’s the same in any kind of sales material of conversation. Back to the gym: talking only about what “we” have in the gym doesn’t speak to the prospect at all. But talking about how “you” can use the gym to reach your goals does.
It’s Time to Undo the Hardwiring
Whether it’s a direct mail piece of a sales pitch, switching from “I” or “we” to “you” will be tremendously effective. But that’s one of the most difficult transitions you’ll make as a salesperson. The simple reason for this is that you have been hardwired to think about you. We tend to look at the world and view it from our own point of view, and it’s only natural to extend that into conversations and outreach.
To make the shift to “you,” first become aware of your use of “I” in a conversation or message. Then, when you know it’s about to show up, immediately change it to using “you.” Soon you’ll be undoing that hardwiring – and on your way to truly engaging more prospects.
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