So, we were in Paris makin’ our way around town. And, by far, the best way to get around is their subway.
Paris actually has quite a nice subway system.
But, we were tourists. And as such, we didn’t exactly have the whole subway system memorized. We were those people looking at the subway map, looking at signs and figuring out our way around.
We had finally (we thought) found the right train. And we were coming down the stairs and… the train was already there. And it was about to leave.
We heard the buzzer sound that indicated the doors were about to close. This train was about to leave!
And instinctually, we began to run for the doors. We didn’t want to miss out!
But, I had my doubts and I said let’s wait a minute. Sure enough, it was the wrong train and we were glad we didn’t get onboard.
But, point is…
We saw the train about to take off and… instinctually, we felt a need to run for it. Even though it ended up being the wrong train.
As we were walking toward the proper train, I said to my wife…
“That’s a basic lesson of marketing for you right there. People will instinctually rush to beat the deadline. Deadlines work.”
The simple deadline is one of the most basic forms of marketing there is… but it works every time. It works because it forces a decision. Yes or No is always better than a “someday maybe”. Indecision breeds apathy.
Deadlines work because we don’t want to miss out. Of course, the deadline only matters if what it is being applied to is something we want. But, we wanted that train! We thought it was the right train! And, even though we had doubts, we felt compelled to beat the buzzer and slip into that train before the doors closed and the train zipped away.
It’s the power of the deadline.
Any offer you make, give it a deadline of some kind. Give people a reason to make a decision now rather than later. If you want a breakdown and comparison of some of the top countdown timers you can use, check out this blog post.
It doesn’t always have to be a specific date/time countdown, though. There are numerous ways you can inject urgency into an offer. I cover all of that in the Academy course: Offers That Convert.
– David
