Invisible Influence: The Power to Persuade Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere

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Imagined Ownership

People value what they have and want more of it. Then when they want to sell it, they want a lot more than they paid for it. It had gone up in value.

It’s no secret that people place big prices on things they are going to sell. Similarly we all tend to value ourselves more than others value us.

In a retail store it’s pretty easy to get someone to pick up something, feel attachment, and have them walk out of the store a happy owner of the product.

It’s more difficult in other settings.

Direct marketers “guarantee” results and use tactics such as “90 days same-as-cash” and risk-free guarantees that are all designed to allow ownership, to allow us the chance to experience the value and realize that it is beyond the cost of the money to get it.

How can you induce imagined ownership?

Create a frame (a word picture in their mind) that you (or your product, service, or idea) are something that they already possess so that it becomes the status quo in their thinking.

“Once our lawn service is yours, we help you eliminate all that crabgrass, the crabgrass all your old services said they would get rid of but couldn’t even keep under control!”

In order to implement this technique the other person must sense or perceive ownership of a decision, item, idea, or service.

You can also spend a little time with someone describing with them what it would be like for them to have, use, own, and benefit from the product or service, and very briefly what it would be like for them ...