You hear it from us all the time…

If you want to engage and influence, connect emotionally and then justify logically.

That’s still true.

But there’s a Force more powerful than logic or emotion…

And it’s you.

Same as it Ever Was

First, what do we know about effective persuasion?

• We can now scan and record human brain activity in controlled tests, and the results continue to verify decades-old social psychology studies on persuasion.
• Those same social psychology studies confirmed the effectiveness of centuries-old persuasion techniques practiced by sales people, savvy politicians, and smart parents.
• And those very techniques originate with the observations of the ancient Greeks and Romans over 2,000 years ago, who developed the art of rhetoric to effectively persuade the masses of the day.

It’s a cliché, but the more things change, the more they stay the same. In other words, technology, media, and cultural context are dramatically different and ever evolving, but human beings respond fundamentally the same way we always have.

And when it comes to persuasion, people respond to a person’s perceived character way more than logic. Strong character can even defeat an eloquent emotional appeal in many persuasion duels.

So let’s take a closer look.

The Origin of the Force

The ancient art of rhetoric is based on three compelling components:

• Logos is an appeal to pure logic and reason.
• Pathos is an appeal to the desires, fears, passions, and other emotions of the audience.
• Ethos is an appeal to the authority, honesty, and credibility of the person speaking or writing.

Of the three, Aristotle said ethos may well be the most effective means of persuasion a person possesses. And while general reputation certainly comes into play, Aristotle further said that ethos is best demonstrated through the tone and style of the messages you deliver.

That’s right – the content of your character is determined by the character of your content. Here are three powerful ways to strengthen the force of your ethos.

The Force is Strong in Those Who…

1. Show Some Decorum

Ethos is driven first and foremost by virtue, with a twist. Rather than an inherent trait, virtue is perceived by the audience when they believe you share and uphold the same values they do. You connect with them when you satisfy their expectations.

The ancient Romans called this meeting of audience expectations decorum. It’s not necessarily about being prim and proper – after all, the best person to persuade a gang of drunken bikers to sleep it off is likely one of their own, not the local schoolmarm.

In short, you can’t lead a tribe that thinks you don’t belong – and it’s totally up to them to decide if you fit in. So if the idea of changing to meet the expectations of an audience doesn’t sit well with you, you’ll have to attract an audience that naturally fits with who you already are.

Luckily, that’s what the Internet is famous for.

2. Have Han Solo Authority

There’s no doubt that Han Solo is a pragmatic bad ass. Whether you’re raiding the spice mines of Kessel, rescuing a rebel princess, or seeking just-in-time help at a murderous moon-sized space station, Solo is the likable, talented, practical pro for the job.

In terms of ethos, you want to display similar practical wisdom to increase your persuasive mojo. Be the likeable street-smart authority whose content helps get things done, not an aloof academic expert looking down from the lectern.

You don’t have to be perfect (Solo sure isn’t). In fact, letting your flaws flow increases your authenticity and strengthens the bond with those you’re trying to reach. When it comes down to it, all that matters is you know your stuff and deliver.

A Wookie sidekick is nice, but optional.

3. Exhibit Jedi Leadership

The final key element of an ethos that persuades is the goodwill and receptivity cultivated between you and the audience. This is usually best accomplished when people feel you are acting out of selfless leadership, without a vested interest or ulterior motive.

“Wait a minute Brian,” you’re saying about now. “I do have a vested interest. I want to sell stuff and build my business!” Okay, I hear you (and these voices in my head are freaking me out a bit).

That’s where we come back once again to valuable free content. Even while naturally promoting you and your business, great content with independent value is nonetheless a selfless gift to the world. As long as you’re transparent (and unapologetic) about the reason you’re providing the content, you’re exhibiting effective leadership that entitles you to pull Jedi mind tricks at will.

Put the audience first and you’ll get what you want in return. Everyone wins.

Jedi Mind Tricks Without Going to the Dark Side

A strong perceived ethos is powerful stuff, which is why many have faked congruent character for fun and profit over the centuries. Church, state, and aristocracy have all seen healthy amounts of character manipulation thanks to the persuasive power of ethos.

Social media seems ripe for similar shenanigans. But great content can’t be faked, and a worldwide reach means you can be you and attract like-minded people who think you rock just the way you are. So there’s no need to go to the dark side of the Force to fit in.

Freed from the tyranny of geography, the Internet allows us to avoid being character chameleons and be authentic instead. Smart online marketers realize they don’t need a tiny niche topic to lead a tribe, because they themselves are the niche.

Never forget it’s all about them. But it’s you who has the appeal.

About the Author: Brian Clark is founder of Copyblogger and co-founder of Thesis and Scribe. Get more from Brian on Twitter.

Earlier this month Amazon.com cut ties with Colorado-based affiliate marketers in response to Colorado’s new state law regarding sales tax.

Amazon is still in a pending legal challenge with New York, and has already dropped their affiliates in both Rhode Island and North Carolina after similar state tax laws were passed.

The Affiliate Tax gained the nickname “Amazon Tax” due to their aggressive response to the issue. At the moment, pending the outcome in New York, they immediately “fire” affiliates in any state that passes the Affiliate Tax. However, Colorado’s new state tax law is different…

In Colorado, the situation is different. The state’s new law doesn’t link paying the tax to the presence of affiliates; instead, it requires out-of-state retailers to help enforce collection of the 2.9 percent state tax that online consumers in Colorado are technically supposed to pay already, though few know about it or do it.

Each year, retailers would have to tell their customers what taxable items they bought and that they need to pay the tax to Colorado. Retailers also would have to turn over those documents to the state to help enforce the law.

Backers of the law say that Amazon still will have to comply, whether it has affiliates in Colorado or not. So why did Amazon fire the affiliates? To make a point in a larger battle over online sales taxes, and to deter other states from adopting Colorado’s approach, they believe. source

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We discussed the issue on this week’s episode of the IMTW Podcast. Paul Colligan asked me what I would do if I were an affiliate marketer based in Colorado…

3 Ways To Survive The Affiliate Tax Issue

1. Replace Merchants
2. Change Revenue Model
3. Flip Affiliate Site

There are 3 strategic actions that you can take if the Affiliate Tax gets passed in your state. Above I have prioritized them in the order that I would approach the issue personally. Selling a profitable affiliate site is always my last option.

If you have a profitable affiliate site with decent traffic & revenue, back up that entire site as-is before making any changes. Including your stats for the last 12-18 months.

Next I would do my research and aim to replace the merchants who dropped their affiliate program in my state. This is most likely going to include Amazon.com and Overstock.com for sure, with any number of merchants following suit.

Many merchants already have a physical presence across the states. Examples include Wal-Mart, PetSmart, and others that have retail locations.

You may find comparable merchants to work with as an affiliate, but you may choose to improve or change your revenue model as well. Ideas include:

• Test Google Adsense
• Sell Advertising to other affiliates not affected by the change
• Sell Advertising directly to the merchants you were working with

I would start with the merchants who closed their affiliate program, and go directly to them with your stats to negotiate a direct advertising deal.

If you don’t get a positive response there, approach other affiliate marketers in states that are not yet affected. You can negotiate advertising rates and funnel your targeted traffic to those affiliate sites.

And of course, you can always fall back on Google Adsense as an indirect way of earning money on the click-through’s to both merchants and affiliates.

The final option would simply be to sell the affiliate site while it’s hot – while your traffic & revenue stats are current. You can list websites for sale on Flippa.com for a quick turnaround, and sell your site to an affiliate in another (unaffected) state.

This is of course the reason I suggested you keep a backup of your affiliate site prior to making any changes or testing new options. You’ll want to take it back to it’s original state for the sale, so that the new site owner can simply swap out your affiliate links for their own and continue to operate the profitable site from there.

I hope this gives you creative ideas for dealing with Affiliate Tax issues, whether you are in an affected state or find yourself at some point in the near future.

Best,

I’ve often said there are 3 good ways to choose a niche for an online business. But today I want to give you another idea – a 4th way that just may get you past your niche-discovery hurdle for good…

The most popular advice is to “do what you love”, or go with a niche you are passionate about. This most likely includes a hobby or lifestyle choice.

This is a great idea because you are already knowledgeable and experienced on the topic. You’re also less likely to get bored with it than niches where you don’t have a personal interest.

The second suggestion is to choose a niche where you have professional experience or expertise. Another great approach, except that most people are already burned out on their chosen profession, or still doing it as a day job, and can’t get excited about spending their nights and weekends at it as well…

The third way to select a niche, and one that I recommend a lot, is to choose something you’d like to start doing. A new hobby or lifestyle, or something you’d like to collect or get into.

Since you are just getting started at it yourself, you actually are your target market. This puts you in an ideal position, and gives you insight and empathy with your market – you can easily connect with them on their level.

You’re in research phase, finding resources and discovering what works and what doesn’t – or the best way to do this or that. Sharing all of that information becomes your “content”. And it’s very easy to generate since you’re already actively collecting information on the topic.

Of those top 3 ways to choose a niche, the last one would be my favorite. I have often started a new online business based on new personal interests. I find that it makes work fun, and that fresh enthusiasm for a topic will take you a long way.

With all 3 of these viable niche-selection methods, you are limited to choosing from what you already know or feel comfortable with…

4: What would you do if there were no limits?

Life is full of limits: physical, financial, situations & circumstances, you name it. Often we’ll dream big only to remind ourselves of all the reasons those dreams can never become a reality.

But just for a moment, let’s imagine that there are no limits. Maybe you’ve always dreamed of spending your winters in New Zealand, owning a pair of Jimmy Choo shoes, going on an Alaskan Cruise, or backpacking across Europe.

This is what they mean when they say “think outside the box”.

They are talking about your box.

Your box is your current frame of reference. It includes your personal experience, things you’ve experienced by association, and all of the elements you draw from to make choices and decisions.

Your box is not the same as mine, or anyone else. It’s also not real. We are all drawing from a unique combination of circumstances and experiences. So it’s basically just perception. And perception is not reality.

Let’s do a quick exercise…

Step outside of your frame of reference for a second, and consider everything that the world has to offer. What appeals to you most?

Dismiss any negative thoughts that appear, and allow yourself to just imagine your ideal life. How would you spend your time? How would you spend money if you had an unlimited amount at your disposal? Jot down everything that comes to mind.

(don’t think or hesitate, just jot it down)

Your next step is keyword and market research. Find out if there is interest in that niche, and whether it is a buying market.

This exercise will open up a lot of new options for you, new niches you may not have considered before. And just imagine getting to wake up every day to work on something you can really get excited about!

You may just be amazed at the things that present themselves along the way when you start thinking and working outside of your current frame of reference. Things that were once outside your reach may quickly become real possibilities – and even options.

We’ll go back to the example of New Zealand vacations. You may be a single mother that lives in a small town in Tennessee. You have a work schedule, your children have a school schedule, and New Zealand is just a fantasy place in your mind that you realize you’ll probably only ever see on tv or on the internet…

You do this exercise, your market research, and you start an online business around New Zealand Travel and Vacations (over 57,000 combined searches each month). You see that it’s sort of competitive, hesitate for a second, and then decide to just go for it. This is what you want, and you’re willing to put in the work to grow this business into an online authority.

And you do.

Now you’re in a position to take that trip to New Zealand, and it’s no longer a personal expense. It’s a tax deductible business trip. You meet people, take photos and videos, blog about your experiences. And before you know it, you’re getting VIP invites from airlines, hotels, restaurants etc that would love to be reviewed and featured on your popular travel & vacation website…

See how that works?

Dream big. Choose your niche… and make it happen!

Best,

Buying online is a consumer’s paradise, right?

One can compare competing offers ‘til the heart’s content, all with simple clicks of a mouse.

Well, it’s not that great if you happen to sell online.

And what if I told you it’s not really that great for consumers, either?

Sound crazy? Read on.

Preface: Start with a killer product or service

This should go without saying in our age of global competition and reduced barriers to entry. But so often merchants are looking for a magic bullet to widely distribute something that the market simply finds inferior.

The problem is, there are plenty of people out there with exceptional products and services who are losing out to others with lesser offerings and higher prices.

What’s going on with that?

Superior marketing and sales techniques, that’s what. Here are 3 ways to level the playing field (or even tip the scales in your favor).

1. Eliminate competition with artful positioning

Wouldn’t selling online be wonderful without competition? Well, it’s possible, if only to the extent that a certain type of person considers you the absolute only option. Yes, it’s our friend positioning again, and we’ll keep talking about it because it’s so vital to success.

The traditional approach to positioning involves offering a benefit your competition cannot or will not offer, thereby making your offer the only choice for those who value that benefit. It still works too – look at the insane level of customer service that Zappos offers, and you’ll understand why throngs of people wouldn’t dream of buying shoes elsewhere.

For small and micro-businesses, positioning (a/k/a your unique selling proposition) can be as simple as creating a unique bond with enough people to build a thriving business. Whether by creating a hybrid business at the intersection of disciplines, crafting a better metaphor that communicates what people need to hear, or creating an emotional bond and huge trust based on your own personality, modern online positioning has come down to connections that resonate authentically and generate loyalty.

Remember, it’s not about where you rank in a hierarchy against others. It’s about carving out your unique territory and owning it outright.

2. Confront your competitors proactively

Let’s face it, in some markets, positioning alone might not get it done. When you’re selling retail items such as consumer electronics or commodity goods, shoppers are more focused on overall value for the buck.

The most common merchant response to the threat of online comparison shopping is not very effective. “Hey, let’s pretend they’re not there!” is nice as wishful thinking, but let’s be realistic.

You’ll hear time and again that the initial objectives of copy in a call-to-action environment is to 1) attract attention; 2) express benefits; and 3) overcome objections. The fact that your prospect thinks you have legitimate competition is really just an objection to buying from you right now.

Instead of sticking your head in the ground, why not proactively address why your offer is better than the other guy’s? Don’t assume that your prospect “gets” that your offer is superior; “show” her it’s better by doing a head-to-head comparison with charts, checklists, or even an interactive apples-to-apples demonstration.

People examining your offer want you to be the solution to their desire or problem. It’s your job to eliminate the lingering doubt that exists in the form of objections, and like it or not, your competition is one of those objections.

3. Emotional benefits make everyone happy

We tell you over and over (and over) to focus first on benefits rather than features, because people decide to buy based on lightening-fast emotional responses, and justify that decision with logic. But what if it turned out that making purchase decisions via emotion (instead of by overly-rational research and price shopping) actually made us happier?

Recent psychological resaerch indicates just that. The study focused on using proven methods to impede logical decision-making, thereby forcing people to go with emotional, intuitive choices instead.

The results?

Those who used primarily emotion rather than primarily logic made more consistent choices. And consistency is one of the hallmarks of a “rational actor.” In other words, the “emotional” people made more “rational” choices than those who focused on rationality!

What does that mean? From the study:

For the consumers, contrary to lay perceptions, attending to one’s emotional responses may prove to be very valuable in understanding one’s preferences. It is possible consumers would be much happier with choices based more on their emotional reaction. For example, if one buys a house and relies on very cognitive attributes such as resale value, one may not be as happy actually living in it, as opposed to a person who attends to his or her emotional reaction to the house prior to purchasing it.

Jonah Lehrer, author of How We Decide, thinks that online price shopping might actually make us unhappy. He notes that the study speculates that the Internet leads consumers to engage in more rational deliberation, which in turn produces an outcome that contradicts our assumptions about the “online shopping paradise.”

Remember, when introduced to an emotional benefit in an offer, neurology shows that our brains react as if we were already experiencing the actual benefit. In essence, employing emotional benefits not only begins the customer satisfaction experience before the sale, this latest research indicates that initial satisfaction maintains after the sale.

Isn’t bonding with prospects and customers better for everyone?

It’s amazing how many of the initial assumptions sparked by the Internet continue to be dead wrong. E-commerce was supposed to benefit the consumer by providing limitless options, and yet the counterintuitive paradox of choice shows that too many options make us anxious and unhappy.

Instead, we now have an entire movement devoted to voluntary simple living. We don’t necessarily want more choice; we want something that does what we need it to do when we desire a solution.

In an ultra-competitive environment, a quality product or service is an indisputable market obligation (and I’d say an ethical obligation as well). But given how we actually operate as human beings in the face of overwhelming choice, isn’t a communication approach that bonds emotionally with our prospective customers also a market obligation? Perhaps even an ethical one?

What do you think? Let me know in the comments.

About the Author: Brian Clark is founder of Copyblogger and co-founder of DIY Themes, creator of the innovative Thesis Theme for WordPress. Get more from Brian on Twitter.