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Persuasion

The psychology that moves people to act: social proof, story selling, open loops, and objection handling.

The psychology under the copy: why people say yes, and how to earn it without hype. Social proof, storytelling, open loops, objection handling, and risk reversal, each broken down into moves you can drop into any page. You'll learn to surface the real reason someone hesitates and answer it before it becomes a no.

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Latest persuasion guides

PersuasionDecoy pricing effect diagram showing three tiers where a decoy tier priced close to the target but with fewer features makes the target tier the obvious pick.

The Decoy Pricing Effect: The Third Option That Makes People Pick the One You Want

The decoy pricing effect uses a third option to make your target tier look obvious. Learn to size an asymmetric-dominance decoy, plus a prompt.
Don Lyons·Jul 31, 2026
PersuasionConcept diagram of the reciprocity principle in marketing showing free value flowing to a buyer then a return purchase

The Reciprocity Principle: How Giving First Makes People Buy

The reciprocity principle in marketing: why giving unexpected value first makes people buy, mapped to a free-to-paid funnel, plus a hook prompt.
Don Lyons·Jul 29, 2026
PersuasionLoss aversion in marketing concept diagram showing a gain-framed line and a loss-framed line on a value curve, with the loss side weighted roughly twice as heavy.

Loss Aversion in Marketing: Why “Don’t Lose This” Beats “Get This”

Loss aversion marketing, applied: why loss-framed CTAs beat gain copy, how free-trial endowment works, the overuse trap, and a prompt to reframe your copy.
Don Lyons·Jul 27, 2026
PersuasionConcept diagram showing the before-during-after testimonial arc turning a vague quote into a tight proof block

How to Write Testimonials That Convert (Even When Clients Give You a Vague One)

How to write testimonials that convert: the before-during-after arc, the questions that pull out specifics, and a prompt to tighten any rambling reply.
Don Lyons·Jul 22, 2026
PersuasionUrgency and scarcity in copywriting diagram sorting real deadlines, limited seats, and price steps on the honest side and fake countdown timers on the trust-torching side.

Urgency and Scarcity in Copywriting: How to Make Buyers Decide Now (Without Fake Timers)

Urgency and scarcity in copywriting that actually converts: real deadlines, limited seats, and price steps, with a copy-paste AI prompt and a hard line on fake timers.
Don Lyons·Jul 10, 2026
PersuasionStory selling copywriting diagram showing the five-beat structure: hero, wall, turning point, transformation, and takeaway that bridges to the offer.

Story Selling: Sell Without Pitching (+ AI Prompt)

Story selling lets you sell without pitching. Get the plug-and-play 5-beat story structure for emails and sales pages, plus an AI prompt to write it fast.
Don Lyons·Jun 27, 2026
PersuasionDiagram matching each type of social proof to the specific buyer doubt it answers, the core of social proof persuasion psychology.

Persuasion Psychology: How to Use Social Proof That Actually Converts

How to use social proof that converts: the types that matter, exactly where to place it, and the mistakes killing your sales page. Real examples plus a prompt.
Don Lyons·Jun 27, 2026
PersuasionOpen loops copywriting diagram showing a staircase of VSL sections where each section closes the loop above and opens a fresh one, while the core-promise loop stays open until the call to action.

Open Loops: Keep Readers Hooked (+ AI Prompt)

Open loops copywriting keeps readers moving from line to line. Learn how to plant and close curiosity gaps across emails and VSLs, plus a prompt that audits any draft.
Don Lyons·Jun 27, 2026
PersuasionObjection handling in copy trigger-point map showing where each customer objection fires on a sales page and the pre-emptive answer placed at that spot.

Objection Handling in Copy: Pre-empt Every No

Objection handling in copy, done right: mine real no's from reviews and DMs with AI, then answer each one inside your page before the reader thinks it. Prompt included.
Don Lyons·Jun 27, 2026