The Power of Persuasion: The importance of harnessing choice

Force.

It is an unpopular word. Nobody likes to feel they are being forced to do something against their will.

Choice.

This single word is the most powerful idea behind free enterprise because people prefer to choose for themselves one brand over another, one product above the other. This means customers are extremely powerful.

You can't drive decisions, but you can influence them. Carefully. Strategically. This is the power that marketers have.

The question is, how do we harness that power so that a customer chooses your offer over your competitor’s? It begins with having a value proposition that is clearly articulated, compelling and unique.

In the following brief excerpt from a session on value proposition, Flint McGlaughlin, managing director of MECLABS, talks to his students about the global power of CHOICE and how it applies to commercial marketing.

“Now the intercourse between individuals and between social groups takes one of these two forms: force or persuasion. Commerce is the great example of intercourse by way of persuasion.”

— PLATO

If you’d like to learn how to craft a persuasive value proposition or just discover how to better communicate the value of your brand/offer to prospective customers, you can download our free Value Proposition toolbox.

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