We keep throwing money at funnels and ads. But the real leverage sits between a buyer’s ears. After watching Adam Erhart break down ten simple triggers, I’m convinced: psychology wins more deals than any tactic. And yes, that should change how you market by Monday.
My view is simple. If you ignore how people actually decide, you will keep losing to those who don’t. This isn’t trickery. It’s clarity. Use it right and your offer feels obvious, even premium.
The Core Idea Adam Gets Right
Erhart nails the point from the start:
“It’s not funnels. It’s not ads. It’s psychology.”
I agree. These triggers shape how people think before you pitch. And when you match your offer to how the brain works, you sell more with less push.
Show The Work, Raise The Value
Michael Norton’s “hard effect” is brutal on lazy messaging. Make things sound too easy and buyers assume the result is easy, too. That kills value.
“When they see the work, they believe the value.”
Walk people through the process. Research. Strategy. Testing. The story of effort lifts price tolerance. Think handcrafted table vs. factory copy. Same look, different worth.
Win Before You Speak
Robert Cialdini’s research shows priming matters. Achievement images lifted yes rates by about 60% in one study. Your pre-call assets shape the outcome before the call begins. Send a case study. Use a short questionnaire. Even site imagery warms the brain.
Stack Small Yeses
Commitment and consistency work like gravity. A tiny yes now pulls a bigger yes later. Ask for micro-steps: a brief audit, a two-minute form, or even “Does that make sense?” on the call. People want to be consistent with themselves.
Price With Context, Not Fear
Dan Ariely’s decoy effect still wins. Add a clearly worse third option and your ideal plan becomes the obvious pick. He showed 84% chose the premium plan once a decoy sat beside it. Don’t slash price. Shape the choice.
Make Them Feel Ownership Early
Daniel Kahneman’s work on the endowment effect is gold: people want about twice as much to give up an item as they’d pay to get it. Trials, samples, and interactive diagnostics create that “it’s mine” feeling. By the time you pitch, walking away feels like loss.
Trim The Bloat
The “less is better” effect hits home for coaches and consultants. A bloated offer signals desperation. A focused offer signals confidence. Cut to the pieces that drive most of the result. Then raise the price. Overflow a small container.
Be Human, Not Hollow
The prattfall effect works if you’re already credible. Share a small, real mistake. It makes you more likable and more believable. Perfection creates distance. Distance kills trust.
Make Doing Nothing Feel Expensive
Omission bias stops deals. People fear being wrong more than they fear slow decay. Flip it. Put a price on waiting: “Skip this and you leave $2,000 a month on the table.” Now staying put hurts.
Design The Peak And The End
Your buyer won’t remember every touch. They remember the high point and how it ended.
“Design for the peak and design for the end.”
Create a moment where it clicks. Land your handoff with style. A strong close shapes the whole memory.
What I Recommend You Do This Week
Pick a few moves and ship them fast. Here’s where I’d start.
- Add a pre-call primer: one case study and three focused questions.
- Restructure pricing with a decoy to favor your best plan.
- Cut extras from your offer until it feels tight and premium.
Once those are live, layer on momentum plays.
- Build a simple diagnostic that returns instant, tailored insights.
- Script three micro-commitments for each sales call.
- Rewrite your close to deliver a clear peak and a clean end.
But Isn’t This Manipulation?
Only if your offer doesn’t help. Erhart warned against that, and I share the line. Lead with empathy. These tools amplify a good solution. They cannot fix a bad one.
My Final Take
As someone who’s sold books, software, and crypto education for years, I’ve learned this the hard way: the brain buys first, the buyer explains later. Stop pushing harder. Start making it easier to say yes without regret.
Choose two triggers today. Implement this week, not “someday.” Prime the meeting. Show the work. Make inaction expensive. Then watch one client become ten—without shouting, without spam, and without gimmicks.
Your move. Make it chess, not checkers.
