One of the most effective ways to influence potential customers is by using what I call the "irrefutable argument." One of the goals of any promotion is to generate the response, "I'd be nuts not to do this," without actually spelling it out directly. One way to stimulate this response is by describing the consequences of not doing what you have offered as totally unacceptable to any rational being. You are basically:

1) "educating" them to all rational choices and their consequences; and

2) you are rubbing their noses in the situation. By that, I mean that you are confronting them with the choices and gently forcing them to choose. In particular, if you have a product/service that they really know they should act on but have resisted actually taking the step, you are best served by giving them a clear and comprehensive view of all options and their advantages and disadvantages. This forces them to think about it, and makes it more difficult to rationalize not doing what they know they should.

Example: Everybody wants a great view, but, you only have four choices - 1. You can leave the curtains open (and endure the glare, overheating and carpet fading) 2. You can close the curtains and only open them occasionally (and have "cave effect", with only occasional glare, overheating and carpet fading) 3. You can plant trees and wait for them to grow up to 20 feet in height. OR, 4. You can put solar shade on the outside of the windows, still get a great view, reduce solar glare, heat and fading by over 70%!

When people are confronted with the choices, and, when one choice is superior to the point of "I'd be nuts not to do this", you will get more response than, 'We offer solar shade, and it's great stuff." The number of responses is directly proportional to the level of un-acceptability of the consequences of not making the choice.

There is a common phrase, "Great marketing will make a disturbance," and this is why it's great! Along with creating a desire to act, it is also smart to encourage them to choose you. The goal for this response is the same as before, "I'd be nuts not to buy from this guy." If you don't, you will be generating lots of business for your competitor, and he is sure to appreciate the free advertising! Remember that you must elevate yourself high enough above the competition to get them mad. You need to "head'em up and move'em out" to your business, not the other guys. First, you sell Chrysler, then you sell Jones Chrysler. Educating them to the unacceptable consequences of the other choices is paramount to maximizing stimulus-response.