Add Fervent Urgency to Your Offer and Increase Success
Let’s say this article had some critical info. But it was self-destructing in 10 seconds! What would you do? Skim it fast? Take a screenshot?
This is the pillar of persuasive writing called URGENCY. Urgency drives response rates and sales.
“In order to be a great marketer, you have to be focused and intense and look at scarcity, urgency, activity, and passion in the marketplace.” – Dave Ramsey, speaker, and radio host.
A giant swarm gathers outside a Venture department store. They’re pushing against the entrance. The glass doors are vibrating in and out from the crush.
This is not a zombie movie. It’s a cold, early morning in late November 1983.
“One of the guys went out from the back… to find out why everyone was there…and says, ’Oh my gosh. They’re here for the dolls.’” – Tina Eardley, Venture department store worker. (source: Pixel Dan’s YouTube video “Tales from the Cabbage Patch Riots of 1983”)
They open the doors early to keep the glass doors from shattering. People swarm in.
What “doll” could cause such behavior?
This “doll” was the Cabbage Patch Kid.
“They’re one of a kind. They’re Cabbage Patch Kids. You can give them all of your love.” -Commercial jingle for Cabbage Patch Kids.
Urgency is one of the pillars of persuasive writing and sales. What can the Cabbage Patch Kids craze teach us about urgency?
Urgency with scarcity fueled the huge success of the Cabbage Patch Kids.
Only 3 million Cabbage Patch Kids were available in 1983. The USA had about 33 million kids, and they all seemed to want one. That’s one Cabbage Patch doll for every 11 kids.
Making things scarcer, each Cabbage Patch was one of a kind with a unique stamp, features, first-and-middle-name combo, and birth certificate.
The second factor of urgency is a deadline. All these parents had the hard deadline of Christmas or Hanukkah.
The final urgency factor is a “Call To Action” or CTA. The Cabbage Patch marketing campaign asked kids and parents to give the dolls their love and a home. This was clear and emotional.
Take action now to boost your response rates. Put these 3 simple actions to work in your business:
Action #1: Scarcity. Put a limit on what you are offering. If it’s an info product, offer a limited bonus: only the first 30 orders include a coaching call.
Action #2: Deadline. Give them a limited amount of time before a special offer expires. Add a countdown clock to your emails, web pages, and more.
Action #3: Call to Action (CTA). We respond to a command. We’ve been conditioned only to respond when given a call to action. Lead them by showing them what to do next. Giving a clear call to action hugely increases response rates.
So here’s my CTA to you! Click this link to discover how much prosperity awaits with online marketing.
This is a guest post written by Charles Polanski. If you wish to be considered for a guest post then please contact me.
