Relate to Four, Connect with Thousands
You can connect with thousands of visitors to your site by understanding only four modes of persuasion.
Communicating is connecting. If you’re communicating successfully, each of your readers will feel that you are writing directly to them.
I’m going to introduce you to a method of writing that will forge strong connections with your readers.
You will understand your readers when you understand the four “Modes of Persuasion.” Every visitor fits into one of four modes, and, as will see, each mode describes a different way of connecting. If you can master each of these modes, you can effectively draw anyone closer with your words.
The Four Modes of Persuasion
Each of your visitors will come in one of four modes: Competitive, Methodical, Humanist, or Spontaneous.
COMPETITIVE visitors are looking for information that will make them better, smarter or more cutting-edge. Use benefit statements and payoffs in your headings to draw them into your content.
METHODICALS like data and details. Include specifics and proof in your writing to connect with them.
HUMANISTS want information that supports their relationships. They will relate to your writing if you share the human element in your topic.
SPONTANEOUS visitors are the least patient. They need to know what’s in it for them and may not read your entire story. Provide short headings for them to scan so that they can get to the points that are important to them.
When you understand that every visitor consumes information differently, you can build empathy with more of your readers. In time, your content will appeal to a wider audience making your Web site more enjoyable and accessible.
You can learn more about these four Modes of Persuasion in the book Waiting for Your Cat to Bark? by Bryan and Jeffrey Eisenberg.
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Another great article, thanks Brian.
Here’s a typo:
“Use benefit statements and payoffs in your headings to draw then into your content.”
Thanks. It’s fixed.
There’s no doubt that successful communication leads to increase conversion. Great piece of article, Brian.
Thanks, Soji.
This was fun. One thing I have said is that in sales you should look at your four last customers in detail. Especially now for me because I am moving out of my software consulting role I’ve been in the last few years and moving more towards the SEO / PPC / Sales enablement role.
So I took my last four customers and broke down the role all four of these items played in the attraction and close of the deal. I think this information will inform my content rewrite I began in lesson 1.