Steve Jobs' 3 Powerful Persuasion Tactics, and How You Can Use Them to Win Customers

Steve Jobs, nan iconic co-founder of Apple, was a maestro of persuasion. His expertise to person billions of group to bargain his products astatine premium prices was nary coincidence.

While method innovations and relentless advertizing played a role, nan existent concealed to his occurrence laic successful nan persuasive techniques that he employed. Techniques that anyone tin study and adopt.

In this post, I stock really Steve Jobs managed to sway nan world utilizing simple, yet powerful persuasion strategies that you tin use successful your ain life.

Leveraging nan Labor Illusion Effect

One of nan astir effective strategies Steve Jobs utilized to instill assurance successful Apple products was to stress nan magnitude of activity and effort he put into their development.

Take his first keynote backmost astatine Apple recorded successful 1998. He’s been re-hired arsenic interim CEO. While he was distant nan institution started to fail, gross fell, and profits dwindled.

It was captious for Steve to rebuild assurance successful Apple. Here’s what he chose to say.

By highlighting nan countless hours, weekends, and years dedicated to perfecting Apple devices, he invoked a psychological rule known arsenic nan labour illusion.

The labor illusion suggests that erstwhile group witnesser nan effort and labour put into a task, they thin to worth nan extremity merchandise more.

This rule has been demonstrated successful various contexts, from restaurant-goers appreciating their meals much when they spot chefs preparing nan food to location buyers valuing properties much erstwhile their existent property agents spent hours crafting a database of options.

In fact, a 2022 insubstantial called “Pulling backmost nan curtain” recovered that going connected a brewery circuit — and seeing nan activity that goes into making brew — will make visitors 32% much apt to bargain that beer.

It’s thing I’ve tried erstwhile promoting my podcast Nudge.

Turns out, stating that I’ve spent “480 minutes listening to trading experts” made group 45% much apt to click my Reddit advertisement (look astatine nan transcript supra nan image).

By applying nan labour illusion to Apple products, Jobs made consumers admit and worth them more, which yet drove income and customer loyalty. When he launched nan iPhone, he noted, "This is simply a time I’ve been looking guardant to for two and a half years."

Harnessing nan Halo Effect

Another powerful persuasion method that Jobs utilized was nan Halo Effect, a cognitive bias successful which people's affirmative associations pinch 1 point power their cognition of different things associated pinch it.

For example, if personification likes George Clooney, they are much apt to effort nan java he endorses and mightiness moreover comprehend it arsenic tasting better.

I tested nan halo effect for myself connected my podcast Nudge. I gathered 200 group and asked them if they would perceive to my podcast.

However, 50% of participants conscionable saw my podcast logo. And nan different half saw my logo adjacent to immoderate very celebrated British podcasts.

I wanted to spot if simply being successful nan beingness of different celebrated podcasts would boost nan likelihood that group would perceive to Nudge.

Turns out, group were almost 3X much consenting to perceive to Nudge erstwhile it was pictured alongside different well-known podcasts.

Jobs was good alert of nan Halo Effect and expertly applied it to Apple's trading campaigns, astir notably successful nan iconic "Think Different" campaign.

By associating Apple pinch groundbreaking figures for illustration Gandhi, Einstein, John Lennon, and Picasso, Jobs created affirmative associations betwixt these visionary individuals and nan Apple brand.

The occurrence of nan "Think Different" campaign, which won aggregate awards and revived Apple's dwindling marketplace share, tin beryllium mostly attributed to Jobs' knowing of nan Halo Effect.

Making a Lasting Impression pinch Distinctiveness

Standing retired successful a crowded marketplace is basal for success, and Steve Jobs knew this each excessively well.

He understood nan Von Restorff effect, a psychological rule that states unique items are much memorable than those that blend in.

Von Restorff’s investigation shows that numbers are 30X much memorable erstwhile placed alongside letters successful a representation test.

Almost 100 years later, Richard Shotton replicated nan research, this clip uncovering that 1 marque from a unsocial class (say accelerated food) is 4X much memorable erstwhile placed alongside aggregate brands from 1 class (say automotive).

This rule tin beryllium seen crossed trading today. It’s why Party Cannon (a death-metal band) are 30X much memorable than their peers.

Jobs applied this rule to Apple's products, making them visually striking and easy recognizable.

One premier illustration is nan 1998 iMac launch. While competing desktop computers astatine nan clip were uniformly grey and dull, nan iMac was unveiled successful an array of vibrant colors, instantly capturing nan attraction of consumers.

This unique creation played a important domiciled successful Apple's resurgence, arsenic nan iMac helped return profits to nan institution aft years of decline.

Steve Jobs' expertise to seduce and person group was not a matter of luck aliases happenstance. He had a heavy knowing of nan psychological principles that influenced quality behaviour and expertly applied them to his activity astatine Apple.

Modern Day Persuasion Masters

While Steve Jobs remains an iconic fig successful nan world of persuasion, location are respective different individuals successful nan startup communities who are conscionable arsenic skilled astatine winning group over.

Take Arlan Hamilton, laminitis of Backstage Capital, who collapsed barriers successful nan task superior manufacture arsenic a black, queer woman. Her persuasive storytelling, relatability, and genuine belief successful her ngo person garnered her a loyal pursuing and awesome investments.

Or Payal Kadakia, nan laminitis of ClassPass. She has revolutionized nan fittingness manufacture done her persuasive skills. Her expertise to stock individual experiences and link pinch her assemblage has successfully convinced investors, customers, and partners to support her mission.

But Wait … There's One More Thing

But there's 1 much persuasion method that Jobs utilized many times to waste nan iPod, transportation nan iPhone, and denote nan iPad.

To observe this powerful tactic, you'll person to tune successful to nan adjacent section of Nudge Podcast, wherever I unveil nan last portion of nan puzzle successful Steve Jobs' arsenal of persuasion techniques.

So spell up and springiness it a listen, you’ll study a persuasion method that you won’t forget.