A Psychologist's Dirty Marketing Trick

Picture this: a potential customer walks into your store. They wander around, hesitate, touch a product, and leave without buying. Frustrating, right? But what if you could read their mind and figure out exactly why they didn’t pull the trigger?

No, this isn’t some black magic. It’s the theory of mind, a concept borrowed from psychology that can turn your marketing into a precision-guided missile.

What Is Theory of Mind?

Simply put, it’s the ability to step into someone else’s shoes and understand what they’re thinking, feeling, or wanting. Psychologists have studied it for decades, but the best marketers use it instinctively.

Here’s the catch: if you want to sell, you need to know exactly where your customer’s head is at. And spoiler—it’s probably not where you assume.

Getting Inside Your Customer’s Head

When you’re writing a sales page, an email, or even a social media post, are you sure you’re speaking to your customer in the way they need to hear it?

Let’s take an example. Imagine you’re selling a fitness program. If your customer is still doubting their ability to commit to any program, hitting them with bold claims of six-pack abs might scare them off.

What they’re looking for right now is a tiny step. A no-risk option. Proof that they can take one small action without failing.

That’s where theory of mind comes in. You tap into their thoughts, feel their fears, and speak to them in a way that aligns with their current mindset.

The Three Steps to Reading Your Customer’s Mind

1. Identify their current state.Where are they in their journey? Do they know they have a problem? Are they aware solutions exist? Or are they ready to buy but unsure who to trust?

   
   

2. Figure out their blockers.What’s holding them back? Fear of failure? Doubts about your product’s value? A lack of trust in you?

   
   

3. Guide them step by step.Don’t jump ahead. If they’re at step one, your goal isn’t to close the sale—it’s to gently move them toward step two.

   
   

Marketing Is Like Therapy

A great therapist doesn’t tell their patient what to do. They guide them to find the answers on their own, help them overcome obstacles, and build their confidence step by step.

Marketing works the same way. You’re not forcing the sale—you’re leading your customer. You become the person who understands their journey better than anyone else, and in return, they trust you.

A Quick Exercise to Test Your Theory of Mind

Look back at your most recent campaign. Imagine yourself as your ideal customer. How does it feel? Does your message speak directly to you? Or does it skip steps, lose you along the way, or leave you unconvinced?

You’d be shocked how many messages fail simply because they don’t align with where the customer is mentally at that exact moment.

The Key to Selling Without Selling

Mastering theory of mind means nailing the art of saying the right thing, at the right time, in the right way.

And it’s this simple: stop selling products. Start offering solutions that match your customer’s state of mind.

So, what is your customer really thinking right now? If you can answer that, you’ve already won.