How to choose the right words and syntax
Help customers imagine the benefits they would receive from your product.
Customized responses are more persuasive.
Customers believe that marketers were unable to fill this space with additional benefits.
A chair seems softer when the words “chair” and “soft” are closer together.
Products inherit the associations of nearby words.
These actions feel like they're still happening.
Inject variety into your writing.
Concrete examples (e.g., leftovers) are more persuasive than broad examples (e.g., food).
Negative frames instill a mental image of the negative event.
You read by speaking internally. If something is hard to say aloud – Red leather, yellow leather – it will be hard to read.
Vague benefits are difficult to imagine.
Each word will strengthen activation for the related words.
1:58 PM feels sooner than 2:01 PM
A "more" percentage feels like an "of" percentage.
Create separate pages for each customer segment to address their specific needs.
Emojis are less persuasive when they replace the verbal message.
Raising a negative attribute slightly above zero provides a comparison point that makes it seem even smaller.
Connective words maintain the flow of mental imagery.
Start sentences by referencing the preceding object.
Rhetorical questions are persuasive because they generate an implicit response.
Depict a hypothetical scenario of the desired action.
Roles are more persuasive than actions because they describe permanent benefits with implicit social cues.
Customers feel less human, numbing them to service failures.
"Jan 1 - Jan 6" feels shorter than "Mon - Sat" because the time window is shorter in a monthly scale.
Active sentences position causes before effects. This sequence matches our real-world experience.