When a potential customer says "yes" to your call, meeting request, or purchase of your good or service, it's a wonderful feeling. The sales industry depends heavily on "yesses," and we all want to see more of them.

Yet whether your prospect replies "yes" or "no" depends on more than just the merits of your offer. Subconscious triggers can frequently make a big difference in getting a "yes" and here I'll be discussing six proven psychological triggers that persuade people to say "YES".

1. Reciprocation:

According to the rule, people find it extremely difficult to be in debt to another person. It generates a "Yes" response to a request that, if not for the existing sense of indebtedness, would almost certainly be refused.

How you can use it?

The principle of giving before you take can be used by making your clients and prospects feel good about themselves, providing value, respecting their time, and giving them small gifts. They are more likely to reciprocate in the same way.

2. Commitment and Consistency:

This rule says our nearly obsessive desire to be and to appear consistent with what we have already done. Once we've made a decision, we'll face personal and interpersonal pressure to stick to our commitments.

Example:

According to a study, few people would place a wooden board on their front lawn to support Drive Safely. A nearby neighborhood, however, reported four times more homeowners willing to hang this billboard since they previously agreed to place a "drive safely" sticker.

How you can use it?

The "foot-in-the-door" (FITD) strategy functions by forging a bond between the one making the request and the one being asked. If a smaller request is approved, the person making the agreement feels compelled to continue approving larger requests as well. 

3. Social Proof:

A certain idea is judged to be better if more people follow it, and a certain behavior is judged more accurate if more people display it. Most people will look to the actions and behaviors of others to determine their own, especially when they are uncertain.

Example:

Customer reviews, user testimonials, celebrity endorsements, business credentials, website traffic, social media engagement, and an expert's stamp of approval are all examples of social proof that persuade us to make informed decisions.

How you can use it?

Gathering reliable user reviews, posting relevant and helpful content on social media accounts, getting industry insiders and influencers to recommend one's products, and displaying data and numbers, are all ways to leverage the power of social proof.