Marketing is a fascinating subject because sometimes the simplest changes have incredibly powerful effects.
Famous advertisers have spoken of changing one word to their ads and increasing response rates by double-digits.
Restaurants have learned that after a customer makes a reservation, if the hostess simply asks him to call if he can’t make it, he’s much likelier to show up, and on time.
By starting a customer on a loyalty program with his current purchase counting toward it, he’s much more likely to return and use it again. Start him with a bonus “stamp”–putting him even one step closer to a reward–and you improve his chances of participation even further.
There are a ton of these powerful little “hacks” out there, and I want to share five of the simplest and most effective ones I know with you here in this article. Regardless of your type of business, you can put these hacks to work quickly and easily.
1. Customers Want “Good” Service More Than They Want “Fast” Service
If you want to give customers a powerful reason to abandon your brand, provide them with rude, incompetent, or rushed service.
Studies have shown that competent, knowledgeable, and thorough services are most memorable in the minds of customers, and stimulate the most word of mouth.
Look to how you can optimize your customer’s experience by improving the quality of your service, not just the speed.
2. The Little Things Matter-A Lot
In one experiment I read about, researchers were able to increase waiters’ average tips by over 23% by making one tiny change: they had the waiters follow up with a second set of mints after bringing the customers their checks. One set of mints increased tips by 16%.
The takeaway here is how little things can matter a lot. Surprise gifts, upgrades, coupons, and even thank you emails or cards go a long way in creating that lovely “WOW” effect with your customers. Look at Zappos!
3. Nothing Sells Better Than Your Story
A well-told story is one of the most persuasive forms of writing or speaking.
A good story bypasses our critical filters, opening our minds to ideas and possibilities that we would otherwise discount. It transports us to another world and gives us the opportunity to view life through another set of eyes, and connect with others (whether fictional or real) on the deepest level.
So, what’s your business’ story? How did you come to start it, and why? What is your personal mission, and what does your business stand for? How are you helping others?
Turn your answers into a story, display it prominently, and you’ll immediately stand out from the crowd.
4. Customers Are Often Your Best Source of Innovation
Through a study of over 1,000 commercially successful innovations across 9 industries, MIT’s Eric von Hippel discovered that nearly 60% came from customers.
Constant innovation is a vital necessity for any business, and the easiest way to come up with feasible, valuable improvements and additions is turning to your customers. Ask them how they would improve what you currently offer, or what they would add, look for common responses, and voila, you’ve just compiled invaluable market research data.
5. Sell the Experience Over the Savings
Research from Stanford University revealed that people are more favorable toward brands they associate with “time well spent.” Memories of good times are more memorable than great savings.
There’s a reason why cheap beer companies promote having a good time, not saving money on beer (“It’s Miller Time!”). While savings certainly motivate purchases, selling the experience is a more powerful emotional driver, and results in more brand loyalty.
What kind of experience can you deliver to your customers? What will they do? Who will they do it with? How will they feel? Weave the answers into a compelling experience and feature it prominently in your advertising, and you’ll draw more people in.
What did you think of these marketing hacks? Have anything else to share? Let me know in the comments below!
Legion Featured Author
Mike Matthews
Mike Matthews is the founder of Legion as well as the author of several award-winning fitness books, including Bigger Leaner Stronger, Muscle for Life, and The Shredded Chef.
His simple and science-based approach to building muscle, losing fat, and getting healthy has sold over a million books and helped thousands of people build their best bodies ever, and his work has been featured in many popular outlets including Esquire, Men’s Health, Elle, Women’s Health, Muscle & Strength, and more, as well as on FOX and ABC.
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We just . . . wait for it . . . give you your money back. Holy moo cows. And that means you can say "yes" now and decide later.
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Many companies use shipping and handling fees to increase their profit margins, but here at Legion, we hate profits, so our shipping is free!
Okay, so we do dig on profits, but we also go in for happy customers, and free shipping works like gangbusters. So, if you live in the United States, your order ships free regardless of order size, if you live in the UK or Canada, your order ships free when it’s over $99, and if you live elsewhere, your order ships free when it’s over $199.
Also, if you don’t absolutely love our stuff for whatever reason, we don’t request you deliver it to a PO box in the Gobi Desert by carrier pigeon.
We just . . . wait for it . . . give you your money back. No returns. No forms. No nonsense. Holy moo cows.
That means you can say “yes” now and decide later. You really have nothing to lose.
Free Worldwide Shipping & Returns
Many companies use shipping and handling fees to increase their profit margins, but here at Legion, we hate profits, so our shipping is free!
Okay, so we do dig on profits, but we also go in for happy customers, and free shipping works like gangbusters. So, if you live in the UK or Canada, your order ships free when it’s over $99.
Why the restriction on international orders? Unfortunately, shipping abroad is very expensive, and if we didn’t require a minimum order size, we’d lose a lot of money. But! We're also hustling to improve our international logistics and will be passing our savings along to our international customers.
Also, if you don’t absolutely love our stuff for whatever reason, we don’t request you deliver it to a PO box in the Gobi Desert by carrier pigeon.
We just . . . wait for it . . . give you your money back. No returns. No forms. No nonsense. Holy moo cows.
That means you can say “yes” now and decide later. You really have nothing to lose.
Free Worldwide Shipping & Returns
Many companies use shipping and handling fees to increase their profit margins, but here at Legion, we hate profits, so our shipping is free!
Okay, so we do dig on profits, but we also go in for happy customers, and free shipping works like gangbusters. So, if you’re outside the USA, your order ships free when it’s over $199.
Why the restriction on international orders? Unfortunately, shipping abroad is very expensive, and if we didn’t require a minimum order size, we’d lose a lot of money. But! We're also hustling to improve our international logistics and will be passing our savings along to our international customers.
Also, if you don’t absolutely love our stuff for whatever reason, we don’t request you deliver it to a PO box in the Gobi Desert by carrier pigeon.
We just . . . wait for it . . . give you your money back. No returns. No forms. No nonsense. Holy moo cows.
That means you can say “yes” now and decide later. You really have nothing to lose.
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Many ingredients in supplements don’t have any scientifically validated benefits, and many ingredients that do are often underdosed to the point of irrelevance.
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That’s why all of our ingredients in all of our products come from plant and animal sources, including sweeteners, colors, and flavors.
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If you want to ensure the supplements you’re swallowing every day are safe and effective, you want products produced in the USA.
That’s why all of our supplements are made in America in NSF-certified and FDA-inspected facilities that operate in accordance with the Current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) regulations.
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That’s why we test every ingredient of every supplement we produce for heavy metals, microbes, allergens, and other contaminants and ensure they meet the strict purity standards set by the FDA.
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While artificial sweeteners may not be as dangerous as some people claim, studies suggest that regular consumption of these chemicals may indeed be harmful to our health.
That’s why all of our supplements are naturally sweetened and flavored and contain no artificial food dyes, fillers, or other unnecessary junk.
Science-Backed Ingredients
Many ingredients in supplements don’t have any scientifically validated benefits. That’s why we only use choice ingredients shown to be effective in peer-reviewed scientific studies.
No Chemical Junk
“Natural” doesn’t always mean “better,” but in many cases, natural ingredients are superior to artificial ones for various reasons, including purity, safety, and efficacy.
That’s why all of our ingredients in all of our products come from plant and animal sources, including sweeteners, colors, and flavors.
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Some popular pre-workouts are all-natural. Some contain the right mix of high-quality ingredients. Some provide clinically effective doses. But only Pulse checks each of these boxes.
Pulse doesn’t just “contain natural ingredients''—every ingredient is naturally sourced from plants and animals. Pulse contains no artificial or synthetic substances of any kind.
Every serving of Pulse contains 15.1 grams of active ingredients that have been shown to be safe and effective in peer-reviewed scientific research.
Every active ingredient in Pulse is backed by published scientific studies that show benefits in healthy humans.
Pulse contains no harsh stimulants that wind you up and burn you out. Instead, it contains a 1:1 ratio of caffeine and L-theanine, which produces a smooth energy rush and comfortable comedown.
We carefully examined 508 pages of scientific research to find out exactly what should and shouldn’t be in a pre-workout drink.
Every bottle of Pulse is guaranteed to provide exactly what the label claims and nothing else—no heavy metals, microbes, allergens, or other contaminants.
While these types of chemicals may not be as dangerous as some people claim, studies suggest that regular consumption of them may indeed be harmful to our health. And that’s why we don’t put any of them into our products.
Before you buy a sports supplement, you should know that it's clean, safe, and transparent. And that's exactly what Labdoor's third-party testing and certification means.
It's hard to know for sure, but this probably makes Pulse the most-popular all-natural pre-workout supplement in the world.
If you don’t absolutely love this product, just let us know, and we’ll give you a full refund on the spot. No forms or return necessary.
Analyzed for purity and potency in a state-of-the-art ISO 17025 accredited lab by Labdoor™, the gold standard of third-party lab testing.
Analyzed for purity and potency in a state-of-the-art ISO 17025 accredited lab, the gold standard of third-party lab testing.
This product doesn’t just “contain natural ingredients’’—every ingredient is naturally sourced from plants and animals. This product contains no artificial or synthetic substances of any kind.
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This allows them to not only review individual studies but also analyze the overall weight of the evidence on any and all topics related to diet, exercise, supplementation, and more.
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