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Can You Implant Ideas In Your Customers’ Minds?

Have you watched “Inception” (you know, the movie about a dream within a dream and shooting and Leonardo DiCaprio)?

 

If you have, then you probably have an idea what it means to “implant” an idea into a host – and it involves a lot of espionage, planning, and a big chance of going into limbo where you will live alone for 50 years.

 

We know, we know: “it’s all movie magic, that’s never really going to happen.”

 

But the main question still stands: is there a way to implant ideas into other people’s minds?

 

We believe there is. And if you continue reading below, we’ll try and walk you through on how it can be done in a realistic way.

 

“Talk Around the Idea, Never Directly About the Idea”

 

Movie magic aside, this is a very similar method of “implanting an idea” that they used in the movie: the host (or customer) will have to realize the idea themselves, but you can subtly guide them towards your desired conclusion.

 

 

This may sound like it’s a load of bull, but it’s backed up by psychology. This method, though, requires a lot of patience and creative ways to present an idea without being too obvious. If your moves become too obvious, your customer will bring their guard up and you can expect your message won’t get through to them.

 

For example, if you’re trying to get your customers to buy your cosmetic products, don’t talk about your products directly. Talk about the benefits of cosmetics, how it helps them, and the distinct selling point of your product without directly mentioning your product.

 

You’re essentially feeding them the information you want them to know, but not forcing them to buy your product because you want them to realize that they want to buy it themselves. It’s a hard and long process to get it, but if you manage to do it right you’ll have a loyal customer in no time.

 

Reverse Psychology

Reverse psychology is a popular antic in movies and cartoons. You’d hear it being thrown around as a way to convince the antagonist to do something by telling them not to do it.

 

 

But does it really work in the real world?

 

Psychology says it does, but it’s not as fast or as easy as the movies make it out to be. For this to work, the host must be worked up or tensed, with emotions running high rather than thinking rationally.

 

Humans are naturally curious beings, and will often try to do things that they are told not to do just to satisfy their curiosity. So when the situation is just right and you suggest something like “don’t buy our product” to your customers, you are subliminally suggesting them to try it because they would be curious.

 

Word of caution, though: this requires the right mix of emotion, you might just hurt your brand by misusing this technique.

 

Undersell To Your Customers

This method is perhaps one that many salespeople are aware of. It’s a move where you undersell products to your customers that you feel would prefer to buy cheap.

 

 

This is difficult since you have to properly profile the customer (or your market demographic) and see if their mindset is “the cheaper the better” – failing to profile the customer properly could mean you bumped out on an opportunity to sell big.

 

With that said, use this method at your own risk.

 

If you’re customer/s are those who prefer more affordable items, selling them high-price items would just turn them off, which is worse than making a sale. So once you’ve identified that your customers are looking for lower-priced items, sell them lower-priced items.

 

But before you close the deal, interject an idea like “you might need more of this in the future, so buying the bigger version could be more beneficial”. By doing this, you give them a second option and something to think about. If you play your cards right, you’ll be able to sell them at a higher price. It’s a win-win for both!

 

Successfully instilling an idea into your customers or viewers mind is a marketer’s ultimate dream. But it’s no easy task and it requires patience, skill, and creativity to accomplish. It may not be as dramatic as in “Inception” but if you can use these skills properly, you’re bound to see customers coming for your brand.

 

Just like in the movie, doing these methods on a wide scale approach like digital marketing requires having a team with specific skills, so getting an SEO team on board for your marketing strategy of implanting ideas will be a bad idea (very, very bad).

 

Word of caution, though: implanting ideas into your customers’ mind creates expectations, so make sure your brand can always deliver.