Peacocks want it, monkeys, homo sapiens - everyone wants status.
It’s one of the most fundamental human desires after food and sex.
By tapping effectively into this desire, you make your product/service irresistible to the right people.
Principle: Everyone wants to feel important
Delta doesn’t even try to hide it. They literally call it “status.”
Even though it’s eerily similar to the seat without status, there is a key difference. It’s not the free unlimited orange juice, it’s the way other people look at you.
Or at least the way you think other people look at you. Really they’re looking for 28C and a slot in the overhead, but it feels like they’re subconsciously bowing.
And that - to the human brain - is like crack.
Tactics
Here are 3 ways you can use status to get more sales.
Price anchor. Got a $99 whiskey glass? You’re already playing the status game. What does the $299 glass look like? Put it on your website - the average status chaser will feel like he’s getting a deal at $99, and the person who needs more will increase your AOV.
Make status visible. The “limited edition” might seem trite, but it actually works. Give your customer something another person might ask about. A patch that says Founding run \ an attached coin that says #37 of 192 \ Members only access. It’s all manufactured scarcity, but people love to buy something other than the basic thing.
Create a tiny ladder. Create tiers and name them: User → Owner → Founder’s Circle | Visitor → Traveller → Local. You can use something like the Rivo Loyalty Shopify app to make people like they are part of the in group.
Everyone just wants to be special. Give them the tools to do that.
Habits
Take one day a week to assume the only thing your customer wants is not convenience, not comfort, not a cleaner gut or more money - it’s to feel superior.
How would your ad copy change? How would your landing page and emails sound?
The need to feel unique and special is powerfully deep. Try speaking to that need, and see what happens.
God speed,
Mike
Today’s inspiration: The 7 Human Hijacks