Which buttons they push in your head

The feelings they play on to sell you a subscription

Lesson 4 of 6 · ~6 minutes

All the tricks from the earlier lessons play on the same feelings. Once you recognize a trick, it stops working. Here are the main ones.

  • Urgency: No time to think — so your emotions make the decision. “Discount expires in 09:59,” “Offer ends soon”
  • Scarcity: The fear of missing out on something that’s “running out.” “Only 3 spots left”
  • “Everyone’s doing it”: If everyone is buying it, it must be right. “Chosen by 2 million women,” “214 people today”
  • Authority: We trust a “doctor” or “scientists” without checking. “Dr. Marks, neuropsychologist,” “A Harvard study”
  • The “old” price: An inflated crossed-out price for comparison: next to it, the real price looks tiny. A crossed-out $6.43/day next to $0.14/day
  • “A shame to quit now”: It feels like a waste to give up on something you’ve already put time and effort into. 30 quiz questions, “your plan is ready”
  • Pain and shame: They take you back to an unpleasant moment and offer a way out. “She read it and never replied”
  • The dream: They show you the ideal version of yourself. “Your dream body,” “A size S by summer”
  • The gift: We feel awkward saying no after a “gift.” “Wheel of fortune: you won 75% off!”
  • Guilt-trip “no”: The “no” button is worded like an admission of weakness. “No, I don’t want to change”

Quiz

“Only 3 spots left at this price.” Which trick is it?

  • Authority
  • Scarcity
  • The “old” price
  • The dream

A digital app doesn’t have “spots.” The scarcity is made up.

Next to the $0.14/day price, $6.43/day is crossed out. Which trick is it?

  • The “old” price
  • “Everyone’s doing it”
  • Urgency
  • The gift

The high “old” price was invented for comparison: next to it, the real price looks tiny.

The decline button says: “No, I don’t need a healthy body.” Which trick is it?

  • Scarcity
  • “A shame to quit now”
  • Guilt-trip “no” button
  • Authority

You feel awkward tapping a button like that, so some people tap “yes” instead.

“You’ve already answered 27 of 30 questions! Almost there.” Which trick is it?

  • “A shame to quit now”
  • Scarcity
  • The dream
  • The “old” price

Reminding you of the time you’ve spent keeps you going all the way to the payment.

The “wheel of fortune” stopped on “75% off, just for you.” What’s true?

  • It’s a random win
  • The wheel is set up in advance to stop on that slice
  • The discount is for everyone, forever

The result of the “spin” is programmed in advance. It’s the “gift” trick plus urgency.

You paid $30 — and gave away $330

All apps, authors, publications and reviews in this course are made up. Any resemblance to real products is a coincidence. Only the tricks are real.