This Easy Psych Hack Could Increase Your Sales by 22%

Summary

Brain Driven Brands - Episode Summary: "This Easy Psych Hack Could Increase Your Sales by 22%"

Release Date: January 16, 2025
Host: Sarah Levinger

In this insightful episode of Brain Driven Brands, host Sarah Levinger delves into a powerful neuromarketing tactic that has the potential to boost e-commerce sales by 22%. Through engaging dialogue and practical examples, Sarah and her guest, Nate Legos, explore the psychology behind consumer behavior and how strategic presentation of product costs can significantly influence purchasing decisions.

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1. Introduction to the Psych Hack

The episode kicks off with a light-hearted exchange between Sarah and Nate, setting a relaxed tone before transitioning into the core topic. Sarah introduces the main focus:

"This visual psych hack could increase your sales by up to 22%."
[02:02]

She emphasizes that this isn't just a "hack" but a strategic psychology tactic essential for modern e-commerce brands.

2. Understanding the Psych Hack: Displaying Product Costs

Sarah explains the crux of the psych hack: displaying the costs involved in creating a product alongside the product itself. This transparent approach can enhance perceived value and justify pricing, thereby driving higher sales.

"If you explain and display the cost of making your product next to the product itself, you can increase sales by 22% or higher."
[04:21]

3. Practical Application and Examples

Nate expresses enthusiasm about implementing this strategy:

"Oh my gosh, I can't wait to run one of these ads."
[04:43]

They discuss a study involving the 115 Wallet, which saw a 22% increase in sales when an infographic detailing production costs was used. Sarah speculates on the nature of these costs, wondering whether the study included hard costs like materials or also intangible costs like time and development.

"The study abstract at least doesn't say how they broke down the costs."
[06:23]

4. Expanding Beyond Monetary Costs: Time and Opportunity

Sarah and Nate agree that showcasing not just the financial but also the time and opportunity costs can add depth to the perceived value. Nate shares a compelling narrative about their Century Whiskey Watch, highlighting the extensive process involved:

"This watch is 100 plus years old. The century whiskey watch."
[12:02]

By detailing the journey from an oak tree's growth to the aging of whiskey in barrels, they illustrate how long-term investments contribute to the final product's value.

5. Leveraging Emotional Storytelling

The conversation shifts to the importance of emotional storytelling in marketing. Sarah draws parallels to De Beers' "A Diamond is Forever" campaign, emphasizing how conveying the legacy and effort behind a product can resonate deeply with consumers.

"The purchase of this needs to be a little painful for her so she can show how much I value you."
[10:52]

Nate adds that such storytelling not only highlights the product's worth but also aligns with the customer's values and lifestyle.

6. Implementation Strategies for Brands

Nate outlines actionable steps for brands looking to adopt this psych hack:

• Detail All Costs: Include labor, time, and opportunity costs alongside product images.
• Highlight Unique Elements: Showcase aspects like reclaimed materials or specialized craftsmanship.
• Create Comprehensive Narratives: Explain the extensive process and the people involved in creating the product.

"Everyone can make your process. You can position it as costly and lengthy and thorough."
[12:34]

Sarah underscores the importance of aligning these narratives with the brand's identity and customer expectations to maximize impact.

7. Broader Implications on Marketing and Customer Perception

The hosts discuss how this tactic can transform customer perceptions, making them more appreciative of the product's value. By understanding and communicating the intricate details behind product creation, brands can foster a deeper connection with their audience.

"You're selling something that has ingredients that needed to grow first... how much effort went into creating this."
[07:04]

8. Personal Insights and Future Applications

Nate shares his excitement about incorporating these strategies into Original Grain's marketing efforts, reflecting on the potential for increased sales and stronger customer loyalty.

"We're building a new LP right now. I'm adding this to it."
[19:26]

Sarah encourages brands to engage their marketing teams in developing these narratives, suggesting that a collaborative approach can yield more authentic and compelling stories.

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Notable Quotes

• Sarah Levinger [04:21]: "If you explain and display the cost of making your product next to the product itself, you can increase sales by 22% or higher."

• Nate Legos [04:43]: "Oh my gosh, I can't wait to run one of these ads."

• Sarah Levinger [10:52]: "The purchase of this needs to be a little painful for her so she can show how much I value you."

• Nate Legos [12:34]: "Everyone can make your process. You can position it as costly and lengthy and thorough."

---

Conclusion

This episode of Brain Driven Brands provides a compelling look into how transparency and detailed storytelling can elevate a brand's marketing strategy. By showcasing the comprehensive costs behind product creation, brands can not only justify their pricing but also build a stronger emotional connection with their customers, ultimately driving substantial sales growth.

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For more insights and actionable neuromarketing tactics, tune into future episodes of Brain Driven Brands and explore the full range of strategies to enhance your e-commerce success.

Transcript

[A]

Are you taking a picture of the snow?

[B]

I'm gonna show you.

[A]

You are so Southern.

[B]

All right, all right. Welcome back to Brain driven brands.

[A]

Sarah's 3, 2, 1.

[B]

Sarah hates just blue collar Southern rednecks. Very elitist. We haven't had snow in three years.

[A]

Oh, God, that is legit, though.

[B]

Three years is a long time at my new house.

[A]

Is it beautiful?

[B]

No, not yet, but it's gonna.

[A]

I thought you were gonna be like, I was gonna take a picture, but then you were all me.

[B]

Yeah, but you don't get to. To see now. I know. I'm very excited because I wanted to accumulate. I want to go do some pods outside.

[A]

How are you? How's your 2025 looking?

[B]

Yeah, it's been good. Got a new pair of cowboy boots and a couple new cowboy hats on the way, so.

[A]

Okay, Stetson, I'm excited.

[B]

This is the year I become a real farmer and cowboys.

[A]

Oh, yeah.

[B]

But I guess, like, work has been good, too. We're selling a bunch of watches.

[A]

How much is a bunch?

[B]

We're up like 200 on the year or something.

[A]

Oh, my God.

[B]

It doesn't. It doesn't matter. It's fine. It's so early. It doesn't matter.

[A]

Subtle flex.

[B]

We also. A year. It also. It's not fair because last January we were sold out of everything like that.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So, like, beating year over years. Not great. We're behind forecast, if you want to know that.

[A]

Jeez, dude. Okay, so OG's doing well. That's exciting. You are doing well. You're getting a new cowboy hat, new cowboy boots. That's exciting. Yeah. I feel like this year is going to be a good year. I got a lot of really cool that I'm doing, and I'm terrified on the daily because, you know, Sarah, I just say yes and I'm like, let's figure it out. Let's use you 100. Okay, I have something for you. Today we're hopping back on our usual. What would you call it? Like, study train.

[B]

Sure. Okay. Yeah. Yeah, that's better.

[A]

Yeah, what I was gonna say, but yes. I have another study quiz for. What's your name? Nate.

[B]

Today. Oh, we haven't done quizzes in a while. Quiz. First quiz of the new year.

[A]

First quiz of the year.

[B]

I hope I have a better batting average than I did last year on these because last year I was not good at these.

[A]

I mean, the toughest part about them is it could literally be anything. I don't. I also don't give you good hints at all.

[B]

So questions are not leading.

[A]

I have a hard time.

[B]

You guys think I have shown notes for this podcast. By the way, you're dreaming. Okay.

[A]

He doesn't even get access to the show notes quiz. Okay. All right. So this one particular psych hack. I hate using the word hacks. Psychology tactic. It's what we call it in the biz. Could increase Your sales by 22%. 22%. This psych hack, very simple. A visual psych hack. I'll get. I'll add that in there so you have at least a little bit more information. This visual psych hack could increase your sales by up to 22%. Skills, focused tactic.

[B]

Okay, can you give me three guesses per quiz this year?

[A]

Yes. Okay, I'll do that.

[B]

All right. Does it have something to do with the strikethrough pricing?

[A]

No, no. Think global. Wider than just, like, teeny ones. This is a bigger visual entity.

[B]

Is it about the perspective, like, how you shoot the product?

[A]

Oh, that's actually really good. I would love to see a study on that, but no.

[B]

All right.

[A]

I want to give you a hint.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Guess one more time, and then I'll give you a better hint.

[B]

Okay. Is it about what's around the product or what's not around the product? Like a white space kind of thing?

[A]

Yes, yes. Ish. It has something to do with what's next to the product.

[B]

Oh, okay. Huh.

[A]

Huh. It's. This is fascinating. Like, I'm like, what is it?

[B]

As simple as, like, just adding a call to action button next to it.

[A]

That's a good guess, but no.

[B]

All right, what is it?

[A]

I need to give you better hints this year. Okay. So psych. Psych tactic. That could increase your sales by up to 22%.

[B]

For the record, every guess was a good one. You should go test all those.

[A]

It was actually. And they're all very psychology focused because you pay attention to Sarah and you listen to me. If you. If you explain and display the cost of making your product next to the product itself. Oh, you can increase sales by 22% or higher. So picture of the product and to the left of it, here's all the costs that went into making it.

[B]

Oh, my gosh, I can't wait to run one of these ads, because for us.

[A]

All right, so please run it.

[B]

Okay. All right, so let me go off on this because I'm very excited. We obviously all need a margin on our products, but I would look at this and just say, like, don't just talk about the hard cost. Talk about the time Cost and the opportunity cost. Like, I could put this picture of a watch up there and be. This oak tree had to grow for 30 years.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Cut down and built into a barrel of whiskey. And then it had to age for eight more years. 40 years went into building this watch.

[A]

This is like the dead emoji for me. I'm like, dead. That's so good.

[B]

Oh, that's the ad.

[A]

That's the ad. That's the ad. So explain and display your costs next to your product. They did a study on this 115 wallet. So this is interesting because it's kind of similar. It's similar to your industry that. Where they put basically an infographic. Right. So the infographic was made to kind of like, I don't know, like, display the cost in a pretty way. And sales were 22% higher on 11518 wallet just by displaying what went into making the actual product.

[B]

And were they just listing, like, their cogs, like, their hard cost to, like, build it?

[A]

Oh, that's a good question. Let me look. I can open up the study right now.

[B]

What I wonder is, like, if you're shooting for 80 gross margins, it's like, well, are you gonna tell people that your wallet cost you 20 bucks to make and they sold it for 100?

[A]

Maybe don't do it if it's not like. But again, okay, to your point, you can use, like, a psychological value.

[B]

Yeah. Like, other things that aren't monetary.

[A]

Time cost. Right. Or possibly also development cost. How long did it take us. It took us five years to develop the idea that went into making this. I think this is massively beneficial. This. The. The study abstract at least doesn't say how, like, how they broke down the costs. But I'm going to assume that it was probably very cog focused. Now, lots of different ways. I think that you could probably take this just because, again, you can do it off of price, you can do it off of value, you could do it off of time. Yours is interesting, though, because you actually have. What's the word? Ingredients. Right? Like.

[B]

Yeah. Yep. You have ingredients that need to grow.

[A]

And the ingredients that grow.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And this. That's a fascinating one for me because I didn't even think of that. And I'm like, how many other products are there out there that have ingredients in them that had to grow first? I'm thinking specifically, like, skincare.

[B]

Right.

[A]

Because skincare does a lot of, like, aloe vera, like, all kinds of different things that are involved in it. Jojoba oil, like, those type of Things. How long does it take you to manufacture that? If you have a long lead time for any ingredient that's valuable to your customer in your product, please, dear God, tell us how long it took to put that into your product. Because according to this study, you, you, you could increase sales by quite a lot just by showing us that.

[B]

That's so interesting. All right, so a couple rapid fire things on this. If you have shitty margins, do this immediately. Like you might as well use it to your advantage.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Like show people that like, hey, a lot goes into this. And then like I would even put, I, I would make the whole thing add up to the total thing it costs.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

And make what? And like include labor in there and include like paying our American based wages and like, and, and then put your profit in there as like supporting a family business. Like put it in there. Like I think dude did that. And then if your margins are great and you don't want your customers to know that. I would lean into like the time cost, the labor.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Because for, for us, like this is actually the first time I'm thinking about this. But like this oak tree had to be planted before I was born because I'm very young. I'm 28. But like the wood in my watch was planted before I was born. But by the time it became a whiskey barrel, I wasn't even of the legal drinking age yet.

[A]

Yes. So true.

[B]

I'm only 28. And then, and, and that's before we ever even got it. Then it ages whiskey for eight years.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Then we get the barrel, then we start our work on it of planing it and cutting it.

[A]

And it takes a long time. Yeah.

[B]

And that's not including the movement of the watch, the steel of the watch. Like that is one aspect of it. That's crazy. And then I think if you show people all that and then you say, by the way, it's $400 now, that price is so much less than what someone would think.

[A]

So much less. You guys. I can't even believe we missed this. I can't believe we missed this for you guys.

[B]

We're building a new LP right now. I'm adding this to it.

[A]

Yes, please do. Okay. Because you don't, you don't know what you have. You have De Beers level value. So what De Beers did with all of their like diamonds are forever shit, they were basically equating the relationship need inside their customers. Right. We have a need to signify that our relationship that we are currently starting is going to last forever. So I need to have something that's a little bit painful for me to buy, to show her the level of commitment I have. That's why they chose the. The actual message of A Diamond is Forever. Original grain has that kind of energy of A Diamond is Forever because you have a similar customer type who wants. It's like the. The purchase of this needs to be a little painful for her so she can show. I went above and beyond. Great lengths were taken to get you something that shows you how much I value you as a person, which is her husband or boyfriend, whoever. And the only way that you can show that is by displaying how long it took to actually make the wood. Yeah, that went into it. Ah, I can't. I can't. It's so much fun. I can't even.

[B]

This is, I think, also such a unique positioning thing because it's something that the giants in the industry can't do.

[A]

So true.

[B]

Because, like, if Apple or Samsung or Nike were going to do this at some point, they would have to be like, and then our child slaves assemble it for 4 cents on a dollar. No, but like, assuming your D2C brand is using real dicey Jesus supply chains. No, but like.

[A]

Yeah, I mean, yeah. Depending on where your product comes from, sometimes you're not going to be able to use material as.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Or even labor costs. Right. So in that particular case, especially if you're selling something, for instance, like supplements. Right, Supplements. At this point, it's pretty easy to make those powders. There's lots of different manufacturers that make them. And as far as I know, the process of making it, actually manufacturing it is pretty short. Right. If that's the case, go to the actual. Like we said before the idea. How long did it take you to actually formulate this powder before it went to manufacturing? Dyson did this. So they have this on the website where they said that like the guy that invented Dyson did like 5,600 some iterations of the vacuum before it got to the current version.

[B]

That guy still owns the company outright.

[A]

He does, yeah.

[B]

Fucking crazy.

[A]

It must be just making hand over fist. But the guy spent five straight years making as many different versions of his vacuum as he could just to come up with one that was like, this is an actual, like innovative thing in the industry. So lots of different ways that you could actually use this. Psych hack. I think you guys should run.

[B]

I just chat GPT it while you were talking. Oak trees typically need to grow for 70 to 100 years before they're able to be Cut down to make whiskey barrels.

[A]

That's so long.

[B]

This watch is 100 plus years old.

[A]

It's a century old watch.

[B]

The century whiskey watch. I'm changing all of our products.

[A]

This is why we do this. Because, like, oh, get ready, get ready.

[B]

No, but I think, like, everyone has that to some degree.

[A]

Yes. Yeah.

[B]

Like, everyone can make your process. You can position it as costly and lengthy and thorough. And I think that's what people want to see. And I think this gets more true the, the higher your AOV gets.

[A]

Yep.

[B]

But like, yeah, this is such a unique angle to be like, hey, weird. I'm not. I'm not even trying to sell you this thing right now. I'm just trying to show you how much went into it.

[A]

Yes. How much work we did to actually produce it. And we value that intensely. Yeah.

[B]

It is like our biggest objection is. Is price. Because everyone's biggest objection is price. Always. And like, it's one of those things where, like, when you really start to do the math, like, cool. An oak tree had to grow for a hundred years.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Then it had to be cut down, taken to a cooperage, made into a barrel. A distillery had to buy it, put their whiskey in it, age it for four to 20 years, and then we get it. It's a miracle that we can sell this for 300 bucks. So now like, what used to be a steep cost is now like, how are you guys doing that?

[A]

Yes.

[B]

For only 300 bucks.

[A]

Well, and for. For people in your particular demographic who value legacy. Legacy is huge. For the blue collar, kind of like family oriented people, which again, my entire family was like very blue collar kind of work ethic type people. Very family oriented. So I remember, like my parents talking about that a lot where it was like, who are you going to become? Right. Like, focus heavily on that particular side of yourself. Legacy was huge. So if you. I'm gonna be podcasting. I made my parents proud. So this interesting idea, because you can also talk about how many people's. How many people's lives were involved in this because somebody.

[B]

Dozens generations.

[A]

Plant. Yeah. Generations of people were involved in making this one watch. Not just like planting the tree or like the lumber yard and the people who had to actually move all of that wood.

[B]

Like the truck driver who brought it there, his family.

[A]

Like all. I mean, there's. So the distillery. All the families that run that distillery, like, so many people were involved in making this watch for your significant other.

[B]

Well, and then do you. So do you know where we could go even crazier this. First of all, if you want to buy a watch, go to Original Shameless Plug.

[A]

How much legacy do you want?

[B]

If you're in the mood right now, do you know what direction we could go with this? That's crazy.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

And we'll. We'll have to be delicate about it, but we have a line of watches made from reclaimed military ammo crates.

[A]

Oh.

[B]

And it's like, people died.

[A]

Like, there's people there.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Like, that's a lot of history.

[B]

That's a real thing. That again, same thing with the trees that had to grow.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

But then this had to be shipped overseas.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And which used and saved the lives of people who are putting their lives on the line for us.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And damn.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

There's a lot. There's a lot you can do with the stories of the humans that actually went involved in it. And this is something I truly believe the entire marketing team needs to think about this and be involved in that process of, like, let's go show you the trees. Like, let's go take the whole team out and show you currently planted oak trees and say, in a hundred years, then it will be able to be a watch. Look at how much time it's going to take for us to get more of what we're actually producing. Think about that while you're doing your marketing, because that is going to change just drastically how you guys view the customer and what we're actually providing to them. This is like a very interesting segue. I had a customer a couple days ago that I was doing a strategy call with, and their guys are solidly into this legacy idea. They do, like, fitness apparel. And it's interesting because they kept saying, well, can you give us any, like, tools for our strategy, like, our team, so that we can get into the mindset, Right. Of, like, how do we get into the mindset of creating these, like, very emotional stories? And I said, well, the easiest way for you to do that is to listen to the music that causes you to feel the emotion that that customer is feeling currently. So I told them, best thing you can do because you guys are into legacy. But they also love to just eat. Right. They're in the gym because they love how hard it is. I told them to go, like, download the soundtrack for the Hercules album. Like, you remember the Disney Hercules Y. There's one track on there that's like, I could go the distance. I don't care how far. Like, I listen to that in the gym all the time. I am on my way. I can Go the distance I don't care how far Somehow I'll be strong Cuz it gets your. Okay. You laugh, but, like, your body.

[B]

No, but I understand. Yeah. Yeah.

[A]

So this is what I'm saying for your team. Do the same thing. Get them into the mindset of, like, what we create is not just a watch.

[B]

No. Yeah.

[A]

Well, centuries to make this.

[B]

Yeah. And I think we do. We're getting better at it. So a new policy I implemented for 2025 is mandatory blood tests every Monday. And if you don't have enough Jack Daniels in your bloodstream, then you're fired.

[A]

I was like, where is this going?

[B]

No, but, like, Sarah's over here being.

[A]

Like, watch Disney movies. You're like, blood.

[B]

No, but seriously, like, we've been very focused on the music they listen to, what they drink, what they watch.

[A]

Like, yeah.

[B]

And now it's like, all right, cool. Like, we know our guys are listening to country and to rock, they're watching football, they're drinking whiskey, and it's like, all right. That tells you a lot about the emotions.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

That these guys feel, the mood they're in, how they might respond to macroeconomic and political events. Like, there's so much that you can learn from what these people are consuming.

[A]

100%. 100%. And it's interesting. I know we were segueing off of, like, the original psych hack, but at the end of the day, they're solidly invested in the products they choose to consume. Especially this generation. Like, your specific demographic are very careful about what they buy, and they only buy quality. That's the reason why they're Jack Daniels guys, they're Tacoma guys. Like, there's a reason why they're careful about what they purchase. So if you can display that in your marketing, so much more powerful and impactful.

[B]

So I'm so excited to do this. Let me issue an apology to the guys who work for me because I'm going to tell them they have to listen to this episode. And I can't imagine anything worse than a boss being like, listen to this podcast. But, like, I think we need to start thinking about this stuff.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Now, just an internal meeting for og.

[A]

But, like, think about it.

[B]

We know we have to convey value. And, like, I think our photography and videography is doing a great job of that because it looks good. But as much as we try to lean into telling the story of, like, everything that goes into it, I feel like we still don't touch on it enough.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And like, like, like, I'm literally Getting like, chills thinking like this. All right, this wood's a hundred years old.

[A]

That's a long time for that tree to grow. How much history has that tree seen? A lot. Not quite since then, but like, like of the. The American history is one tree.

[B]

Yeah. Like before income tax was the thing.

[A]

Gee, I mean, it's just bonkers to think about how much this watch has already seen.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

All right, I'm sold.

[B]

I'll buy a watch sponsored by Original Grain.

[A]

Okay. Where can people find you if they.

[B]

Want to follow [e-mail]? real cool thing. If you just put in your shipping info and your credit card info, we'll send you a watch.

[A]

What?

[B]

Look how cool that is.

[A]

That's shocking. That's amazing. Deal.

[B]

And I'm not going to give you a code. Pay full price. Support me.

[A]

No discount code for you. We gotta pay for more trees.

[B]

Follow me at Nate Legos Listen to Tactical and Practical podcast. It's a little bit more boring, but more tactical than this one. If that's your thing. Sarah has been on it. She's now been a guest.

[A]

I have.

[B]

Like her. You can start with that episode.

[A]

It's true. You can't.

[B]

If you're sick of her, start with any other one. She's not on it.

[A]

If you don't want to listen to me anymore, I apologize. Go. Go find another podcast. I don't know what to tell you. Follow me at Sarah Lavender. Everywhere you consume content these days, check out what we're doing at Tether Insights IO. We got all kinds of really interesting things happening. We're studying consumers, specifically on the identity, the emotions, the generations. We're trying really hard to bring easier insights to the brands and give you guys actionable tactics, practical tactics that you can use to grow your brand based on science. Hey, thanks for coming on the podcast. This is a good one.

[B]

Thanks for listening, people.

[A]

Thanks for listening. Share like subscribe and review.

[B]

The Brain Driven Brands podcast is part.

[A]

Of the Learn and Laugh series on.

[B]

The Quickfire Podcast Network.