Blog and News > sales > 135 Words to help you convert and close
135 Words to help you convert and close
The words “join us” and “sign up” appear in email campaigns all the time and have the same purpose generally i.e. give us your email address - but do they say the same thing?
Here we take a look at some of the power words and phrases that can reshape and put a completely new emphasis on how you go about communicating with your clients and prospects.
Can a single word change the way you feel about clicking on a button? I believe so. The difference between “joining us” and “signing up” is the difference between fellowship and enlisting. A word can change the mood, the motivation and the meaning.
You may be thinking, if a single word can make such a difference, what words should I be using both in written and verbal form to help me close?
If your sales team have a “script” with each sales person going off their own personalised script, including these powerful words into the conversation could work wonders.
Also, if your website is due a refresh, how many of these words could be replaced for a standard word in your current website’s wording?
He are a few examples along with some key words:
The 5 most persuasive words in the English language are:
- You
- Free
- Because
- Instantly
- New
You have seen these words countless times before and there is good reason why. For instance, immediate words like “instantly” trigger mid-brain activity and feed our need for quick gratification.
Where to try these words:
Calls-to-action, headlines, email subject lines, headings, opening sentences and paragraphs.
Top 20 influential words:
- Suddenly
- Now
- Announcing
- Introducing
- Improvement
- Amazing
- Sensational
- Remarkable
- Revolutionary
- Startling
- Miracle
- Magic
- Offer
- Quick
- Easy
- Wanted
- Challenge
- Compare
- Bargain
- Hurry
Where to try these:
Headlines, bullet points, subject lines
3 words to encourage community:
- Join
- Become a member
- Come along
These community phrases provide a sense of togetherness to the user. They feel like they are taking part in something larger than themselves.
Where to try these words:
Email signups, trial offers, in-app messaging
10 cause-and-effect words and phrases:
- Accordingly
- As a result
- Because
- Caused by
- Consequently
- Due to
- For this reason
- Since
- Therefore
- Thus
Cause-and-effect words make your claims sound objective and rational rather than biased and subjective.
Where to try these:
Closing paragraphs, transitions
12 phrases that imply exclusivity:
- Members only
- Login required
- Class full
- Membership now closed
- Ask for an invitation
- Apply to be one of our beta testers
- Exclusive offers
- Become an insider
- Be one of the few
- Get it before everybody else
- Be the first to hear about it
- Only available to subscribers
Exclusivity is like a club with membership restrictions. You want in because others are in. There is a bit of social pressure with exclusivity wording, and it helps drive decisions and actions for the user.
Where to try these:
Signup forms, links, calls-to-action, subheads
9 phrases that imply scarcity:
- Limited offer
- Supplies running out
- Get them while they last
- Sale ends soon
- Today only
- Only 10 available
- Only 3 left
- Only available here
- Double the offer in the next hour only
Fear of missing out (FOMO) is a common driver of action for marketers and advertisers. FOMO is essentially scarcity. By showing that an item or product is in limited supply, you hope to ratchet up demand.
Where to try these:
Headings, promo copy
28 words and phrases that make you feel safe:
- Anonymous
- Authentic
- Backed
- Best-selling
- Cancel Anytime
- Certified
- Endorsed
- Guaranteed
- Ironclad
- Lifetime
- Moneyback
- No Obligation
- No Questions Asked
- No Risk
- No Strings Attached
- Official
- Privacy
- Protected
- Proven
- Recession-proof
- Refund
- Research
- Results
- Secure
- Tested
- Try before You Buy
- Verify
- Unconditional
These safety words have an amazing effect on the person reading: They create trust.
Where to try these:
Payment forms, signup forms, testimonials
46 ubiquitous power words:
- Improve
- Trust
- Immediately
- Discover
- Profit
- Learn
- Know
- Understand
- Powerful
- Best
- Win
- Hot Special
- More
- Bonus
- Exclusive
- Extra
- You
- Free
- Health
- Guarantee
- New
- Proven
- Safety
- Money
- Now
- Today
- Results
- Protect
- Help
- Easy
- Amazing
- Latest
- Extraordinary
- How to
- Worst
- Ultimate
- Hot
- First
- Big
- Anniversary
- Premiere
- Basic
- Complete
- Save
- Plus!
- Create
In an old sales role (in my previous professional life), I had these words printed and posted on my cubicle wall for use in email subject lines and content (it even helped with my outbound calls). The list came from a study done on the best-selling magazine covers, and it was found that the words work equally well on magazines as they do in promo copy and in email subject lines.
Where to try these:
Email subject lines, headlines, calls-to-action
Create and share your own list
If you’re looking for inspiration, try keeping track of the words that get you to convert day to day. This can be hard to do unless you are constantly thinking of it so maybe look over previous material you have received/sent or past telephone call conversations you had and try to remember what it was that sold it to you (it is likely to sell to others). Take note of the words and phrases that grab your attention. Keep in mind why a headline stands out more than others. Notice which words grab you in a bullet list of benefits.
As you find new words you can build a list, then be sure to reference them so they are at hand when you need them. Once you’ve found the power words that help you convert, make sure you share them with both Marketing and Sales teams!
