Mental Triggers – The Complete Guide

Mental triggers is an expression widely used by digital marketing professionals to describe a set of communication techniques whose main objective is to persuade the recipient of the message (whether in video, written or just audio) to take a desired action.

One of the expected effects of its use, for example, is increased sales.

However, using mental triggers to convince people is a double-edged sword. While it can (and probably will) be used for commercial purposes, there is an ethics to the strategies that should not be ignored.

After all, if you are going to trigger feelings, impulses and, often, the emotional memory of your audience, you need to do so sparingly. When poorly handled, a trigger can create invaluable barriers between the two parties, as well as an aversion from the audience to the product or service being sold. Both scenarios are bad, both for the seller and the buyer.

The book Mental Triggers – The Complete Guide with Proven Business and Communication Strategies for You to Apply, written by Gustavo Ferreira, deals with this responsibility that precedes strategy – a “detail” forgotten by many marketing professionals.

In this book, which teaches how to convince without being disrespectful, boosting your company’s sales, ethics is an indispensable accessory to impact strategies. The author takes us to classical Greek philosophy and brings us to the digital transformations of the 21st century so that we can fully understand the importance of human consideration in the application of sales techniques.

Below we present a summary of the main highlights of the book.

Ethos, Pathos e Logos

The book is divided into three main parts, named by the author as Ethos, Pathos and Logos. Before diving into the concept of mental triggers, sales techniques and interaction with the public, it is interesting to talk about what these three little words mean.

Yes, we are speaking Greek. But luckily for us, this Greek is very simple.

Ethos is the set of traits that form the character, identity and/or collective behavior. The term summarizes the customs of a people based on their values, ideas or beliefs.

Pathos, in Greek, means passion, affection and suffering – because, in a way, all of these are interconnected. We only pay attention to what makes us suffer, makes us fall in love or makes us develop affection for the object in question. In philosophy, the term embraces the quality of promoting actions that awaken feelings.

Logos, in turn, is related to the word, to discourse; it is what unites ethos and pathos for the promotion of ideas. For Aristotle, logos dealt with discourse based on well-founded arguments – whether in character, customs, affections or pain.

Bringing it into the context of the book, Gustavo Ferreira divides its content between Ethos – the set of specificities that form a powerful mental trigger –, Pathos – the reasons that lead to closer relationships between the two ends of consumption, such as commitment, anticipation, creativity and identification between pains and solutions – and Logos, the guise of the discourse well anchored in the sales precepts that will lead the consumer to believe that the choice for your product or service is the most empathetic and, at the same time, the most rational.

How can this be done?

According to Gustavo Ferreira, the first linking tool between ancient Greek and the current scenario is copywriting. 

What is copywriting?

Copywriting is a communication technique focused on persuasive speech, widely used for sales purposes – whether of products, services or ideas.

Thus, as Ferreira makes clear, copy is not a mental trigger, but a tool in which mental triggers (another speech tool) can be worked on.

If you want a more complete analysis of copywriting, we have an article about Paulo Maccedo’s book, and Gustavo himself says, in Gatilhos Mentais, that he has already written an entire work on the subject. What you need to know, according to the author, to follow the thread of the story, is that a good copy will convince based on three elements: authority, trust and affection. 

People buy from people who understand what they are talking about, trust their suggestions and identify, through affection or taste, with the stories told. Therefore, to use mental triggers well, calibrate these three pillars.

Main mental triggers and their practical examples

Something that the author promises, even in the introduction, is to show how to apply mental triggers in practice. This is because the first manifesto on the subject, written by Robert Cialdini, presents the main triggers, but does not necessarily teach how to use them.

These are specificity, authority, scarcity, social proof and urgency. All of these items, according to the author, make up the Ethos group.

All these elements, considered strategic mental triggers by 11 out of 10 marketing professionals, complement each other. 

To understand why, just imagine the following scenario (based on real events): in 2020, when the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies, from various segments, found it difficult to operate. 

In Brazil, three industries, going against the tide of the crisis, saw an increase in production: food, hygiene and cleaning products and pharmaceutical inputs.

In addition to these, two productions had a historic high, according to a survey by IBGE carried out in April 2020: exercise bikes and… coffins.

See a brief explanation of the main mental triggers that you can (and the author recommends) using in your Digital Marketing strategy.

Specificity

Here we have the specificity : in addition to food, for obvious reasons, you also needed to stock up on personal hygiene items. We are not talking here merely about deodorants, aftershave cream, body moisturizer or cotton swabs. The demand is specifically for alcohol gel and soap. After all, these are the items that help us keep the virus of the year further away from our reality.

Disposable masks are becoming part of the pharmaceutical industry and the lives of Brazilians who previously considered them to be used only for medical purposes. The item quickly disappeared from the shelves, leading consumers to seek alternatives that led to the artisanal production of reusable masks.

Okay, we have specific needs now, but what do we do with all these things that, until now, we used very little, or that were not even useful to us?

Authority

The authority of people and companies that manufacture, use, or have in-depth knowledge of the pros and cons of these items was important in guiding consumers’ choices. 

Dermatologists were called in to understand whether excessive personal hand hygiene could cause skin diseases, allergies or dryness. 

Manufacturers of disposable masks, doctors and nurses initially took a stand on the use of this resource in asymptomatic patients, as the product began to be in short supply for healthcare professionals.

Veterinarians have given their opinion on what could or could not be used to clean the paws of domestic animals, as they do not catch this type of coronavirus, but can bring the virus into the home.

Each one, in their area of ​​knowledge, brought the indispensable authority to generate confidence for the end consumer’s decision-making. 

Now, reverse the factors in the scene: the bakery owner talking about putting alcohol gel on your dog’s paws, the pharmacist telling you to eat more chocolate cookies to increase your immunity, your “life guru” recommending over-the-counter medications. 

If you see a relationship of authority between these people and these proposals, with all due respect, you need to review your trust parameters. The example illustrates that authority is formed in contexts where the person sending the message has full knowledge of what they are talking about, often fueled by years of experience in the subject. 

This applies to any person or company, in any sector of activity.

Scarcity

Now let’s look at another mental trigger that had an effect during quarantine: scarcity . The word “isolation” makes people feel confined, that is, locked in their own environment. That’s why many people rush to the supermarket when they hear terms like “pandemic” or “truck drivers’ strike”: if you can’t go to the supermarket every day, it means that your supply is also likely to be compromised. So, the solution is to stock up.

In the case of the market, in 2020, this theory is not enough, since, around the world, the transportation of supplies and the opening of trade in essential products was not impacted. However, in the case of gyms, this rule did not apply.

So, those people who exercised every day at six in the morning and now had to stay home with no “discharge” forecast, saw the shortage approaching faster and faster. I don’t have a gym, I won’t be able to have a gym for a while, so I’m going to buy an exercise bike.

Under normal temperature and pressure conditions, the transformation of scarcity into a mental trigger can be seen in campaigns such as “it’s running out!” or “only until Saturday”, as well as “only for the first ten people who sign up”. 

When entrepreneurs and companies put an end to supply, they are demonstrating that opportunity is not eternal. Anything that is not eternal is scarce.

You only try to live your days well because you know that one day you will die; it is the galloping scarcity of time that moves you. If you lived forever, would you live with the same quality?

Urgency

In general, scarcity also triggers another mental trigger, which is urgency . We classify as urgent everything that can only be done now, and if it is not done now, it loses its effect completely. Attracting consumption based on the premise of urgency is one way to quickly deplete stocks.

As we said above, the coffin manufacturing industry saw a considerable increase in 2020, and not only in Brazil. This does not mean that, before March, fewer people died. What happened was that the interval between an individual’s death and their funeral was longer. 

In our culture, we can mourn our loved ones for up to two days after their death, depending on the cause. In the United States and some European countries, burial can take place a week after death. Other cultures cremate their dead without the need for a coffin, as they will be mourned only in urns, and so on.

In 2020, all that changed: to prevent the spread of the virus, which can survive for hours in dead bodies, cremation was banned in many countries, as were funerals, to avoid crowds. And while the thousands of symptomatic dead must be buried immediately, the coffin must be made available immediately. In another context, it loses its effect.

A less morbid example of urgency can be seen in the wedding products and services industry. When you set the date for your wedding, you can only book the catering service, the church, the priest and buy the wedding dress up until the specified date. It makes no sense to send out a commemorative slipper six months after the party, or to wait until the invitations are sent out a week before.

Likewise, it is unnecessary to contract everything today if you are going to get married in five years, since a lot will have changed by then. Therefore, the urgency of events dictates the order of strategies and the effect of actions.

The next time you come across – or run a – campaign that says “first batch with 50% off until the 1st”, or “only this month” or “free gifts for purchases made today”, you can know: you are using, or being attracted to, a mental trigger.

Social proof

Finally, social proof is what will show those who buy a product or service that the item in question is worth it, and that its cost-benefit is, in fact, interesting. After all, there’s no point in saying that you have authority, knowledge and solutions that only you can have: you need to show it.

In the post-digital world, social proof can be provided by customer testimonials on the website, reviews on the product or service page, sharing messages of satisfaction or gratitude for a problem solved, and so on.

We still don’t see social proof often in 2020 for hospitals, funeral homes, supermarkets, pharmacies, etc., because we are still in the process of unfolding history. This mental trigger may be seen later on, when establishments are highlighted for the promptness of their deliveries, or the security of their physical spaces, as well as the quality and speed of remote purchasing processes.

We do not know if there is a “new normal”, but the new consumption will involve social proof of physical integrity in the commercial environment. 

Today, the best example of social proof is the testimonial. In fact, even on Orkut this social proof was absolutely required. Remember when public “testimonials” were appreciated because they had the power to promote new friend requests?

That’s right: imagine the same thing for a company, only with people praising its products or services.

These mental triggers, prioritized by Robert Cialdini and illustrated in Gustavo Ferreira’s book, unfold the characteristics of Pathos: the trigger will only be strong if it generates empathy, trust, is suggested in a creative and non-invasive way and demonstrates commitment and responsibility.

After all, creating chaos to sell fear, with the urgency to acquire the solution now, and then announcing that, in reality, it will be available for the same price for five months, and it is not even that punctual, is not just a misuse of the mental triggers tool in the strategy: it is disrespectful.

Therefore, generating feelings, impressions and decision-making in people is a matter of honesty and ethics. Working these ideals into your strategy is an obligation, not a choice.

Trial and error: the need for testing

Finally, as Gustavo demonstrates in the Logos section, mental triggers are effective because they can work very well for certain groups of people. And, as we know, “groups” are not the same as “everyone”.

Therefore, wanting to create a mental trigger so broad that it interests everyone is an incredibly exhausting shortcut to failure.

So, keep in mind that just because a mental trigger worked for you doesn’t mean it will work for other people. In order to test the viability of each one, you need to gather the attributes of your persona into a strategy and relate them to the specific demands of this group of buyers.

Digital marketing is all about trial and error; but if you don’t know how to measure and track your attempts, you’ll only end up with errors. Whenever possible, it’s essential to conduct an A/B test, a focus group, a survey or an interview to understand how to best apply mental triggers in each context.

Remembering, of course, that you need to be careful that its use does not go to the side of aversion, which is “I’m not going to buy this promotion until Saturday because I know that this company always extends the deadline”, or “I don’t trust this channel, it doesn’t know what it’s talking about”. 

It all comes back to copywriting

The conclusion of Gustavo Ferreira’s book returns to the initial discussion, copywriting. Sales letters, problem-solving articles, e-books with excellent information and other content marketing resources are good persuasion tools – and will make sense in your strategy.

Practical proof of its effectiveness is this text: if you have read this far, it is because we have managed to convince you to spend considerable time on a book summary. We are not telling you lies, our examples prove that we are on top of the subject and, with luck, you will leave here confident that you are better informed about the use of mental triggers.

And, if we were enticing you to come back to the blog, or subscribe to our newsletter, you didn’t even notice… right?

Trial and error, my dear. And, in this way, you will realize, on your own, that successes will come – as long as you create, in the other person, honest and real feelings. 

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