People buy because they’re looking to fill an emotional void in their lives. All of us hide behind a social mask. We pretend to be surer of ourselves than we really are. We don’t want people to glimpse our doubts, fears, insecurities, and feelings of lack. So we shroud ourselves in symbols that express the identities we wish to portray.

No matter how affluent or satisfied people appear to be on the outside, they are always suffering from a sense of incompleteness at some level on the inside.

All copy should not be a bed of roses. You must identify the dominant emotional weaknesses within your target market and ever so gently bring those doubts, discomforts, and anxieties to the surface of your prospect’s awareness with your sales copy and your marketing.

No one will follow you until you can get them to reflect on themselves first, and become aware of their failings. Sometimes it’s necessary to draw their attention to their inadequacies briefly, even twist the knife a little, stirring feelings of tension, anxiety, and dissatisfaction with their circumstances and with themselves.

Everyone deep down is insecure at some level. Bring their fears and insecurities to the surface, then come to the rescue, and people will follow you. Make them feel the pain, and they will appreciate the solution.

To my knowledge, there’s no such thing as a perfectly satisfied person.

The quote is from daniellevis.com and yes, he’s one of those guru types that tries to sell expensive products. Hence the not hyperlinking to him. I didn’t want anyone to think I’m peddling his wares.

First off I wouldn’t sell an ebook. If I’m going to educate I’ll give it away. It was merely an example and I was creating an opportunity for the person I was answering their post to feel that pain of losing the money he did. And letting him feel how motivated he was by that.

Whether I’d pay for such a service (or ebook!)… to twist your idea back on itself, probably only consider it once/if I’d felt the pain of losing substantial money on FB — as the original poster did! I’d want something more than standard marketing guru crap, and (obviously) something more than simply the pleasure/pain distinction you talk about. Lots of creative examples, too. From there I’d wonder whether your insights apply to my niche…

…Actually, come to think of it, one could automate something that avoids all those problems…