Applying an Ancient Sales and Copywriting Technique

A man in his mid-thirties approaches his host at a party. The man’s hands unconsciously spin his hat nervously between his fingers as he looks to the floor and says, “Don Patron, I come to you to ask a favor. I have a problem.”

The host pauses, slowly scratching imaginary beard-stubble itch on his neck and then looking the man directly in the eyes replies, “I will help you with this problem. And because I help you with this problem, one day you will owe me a favor in return.”

Sound familiar?

What about this. There’s a story about a philosophy professor in a North Carolina University who gave his very serious students a one-word question final exam worth ¾ of their grade.

When the professor said, “Begin” all the students quickly opened their 5x8 blue folded test books, read the question and began writing furiously.

The essay exam was scheduled to last 1 ½ hours and most students used every minute, filling every page in the book. Several students even asked for a second book to continue their essay.

Except for two students.

These two young men opened the test book and looked at the question. These two young me thought about the question for a moment, wrote their answers, closed their books, handed in their tests and left to have a beer. For these two students the entire exam lasted about 1 ½ minutes.

When the teacher posted the exam scores there were 27 C’s, one B+, and one A+.

The exam question was “Why?”

The student who answered: “Why Not?” got the B+.

The Student who wrote: “Because.” got the A+.

But North Carolina isn’t the only place where “Because” gets you an A+.

A group of researchers in England wanted to observe the reaction and response of people in a queue to someone cutting in line. They chose a bank, a post office and a motor vehicles office.

The baseline test they chose was to have someone just walk in and cut in line. Not unexpectedly, people already in the queue were upset and had choice words for the line-cutter.

The next test was to have these line jumpers simply ask, “May I cut in?”

The response was less angry, but there was still a skewing towards, “No.”

The last test was to have the line-jumping rule breakers add a short statement… a reason: “May I cut in? I need to pick up my children from school.” Or, “May I cut in? I am double parked.”

To the researchers’ amazement nearly a vast majority of people graciously permitted the line jumper to enter the line. Graciously… With responses like, “Of course” and “Sure”.

So the researchers felt compelled to add one very final test.

They modified the reason to be consistent and more general in order to test whether the success was due to the reason given, or that fact that there was just a reason given.

The line jumpers were instructed to simply say, “May I cut in? I am running late.”

And it worked, with the difference in response from the people already standing queue being negligible.

The researchers were forced to conclude the following:

1) Having a reason, any reason, generally incurs compliance;

2) People appear to be hard-wired to more readily accept a request no matter how outrageous or insignificant when a reason is given; and

3) “Because” may be the most powerful word in the world.

I understand if this doesn’t sound like a revolutionary idea. After all, some very clever people have been using this technique for a very long time. You likely use “because” or some form of it in your copywriting, sales presentations and donation requests.

If you are using it and are not seeing the results you think you should, you need to take a look at how you are using this technique in the context of your presentations and copywriting.

If you are not using this technique at all, you need to start.

Let me explain by using a 3,500 year-old untraditional sales and copywriting source example to show how a “because” statement strengthens your sales presentations and copywriting.

This past week in the Jewish calendar weekly reading of the Old Testament were the chapters of “B’har” (“On Mount”) and “B’Hukkotai” (“My Laws”) ending the book of “Vayikra” (“Leviticus”).

The “Etz Hayim” (“Tree of Life”) Old Testament and Commentary published by the Jewish Publication Society translates Chapter 25, verse 2 as follows:

“[…] when you enter the land that I assign to you, the land shall observe a Sabbath of the Lord.”

The Hebrew for the word translated as “When” is “Ki”.  The New Bantam-Megiddo Hebrew and English Dictionary, copyright 1975, says “Ki” means “because”.

Since there is a little liberty taken translating from the Hebrew to the English to help convey the meaning, let’s try it this way:  “Because you enter into the land that I give you, the land, too, shall rest as a Sabbath to the Lord.”

Does this sound more reasonable? A slight change in wording and complete faith is not absolutely required because now there is a reason and a link. The Israelites have already been told they will observe a day of rest because God rested on the seventh day. Therefore, it is not all that unreasonable that the land should rest, too.

As you go through your day writing copy for letters, e-mails, brochures, postcards, and ads; and as you go through your day reading the copy in the letters, e-mails, brochures, postcards, web pages and ads that cross your desk…

Remember that not every reason needs to include the word “because”. The absence of the word “because” does not mean there is not a reason. It may be worded a bit differently and cleverly- but there will be a reason.

Follow this guideline as you write your presentation or your copy to get want you want a bit more easily more often than not:

1) Understand and write down your reason(s) for wanting something;

2) Understand and write down your target audiences’ reason(s) for wanting something;

3) Identify and use the “because” link between 1) and 2).

To get started, as you go through your day today make a conscious effort to see how many openly stated or implied reasons or “becauses” you can identify and think about how to apply them to help you generate more leads and grow your business.

Be the Hero,
Mark
_________________________________________

Mark H Daniels and My Sales Hero, L.L.C. is a B2B and B2C Sales Strategist, Copywriter, Author and Speaker specializing in drawing out your unique selling proposition, refining messages, stories, and presentations, and helping you present your company and product in a way that has prospects and customers thanking you and making decisions in your favor.

Reach Mark at mark@mysaleshero.net or call 732-417-0680.