You've heard that adage before, haven't you? It's akin to walking over to someone, standing beside them, making them feel very comfortable with you, and then gently, subtly, asking them to walk with you.
They'll go along with you quietly and in agreement almost every time.
Contrast that with standing far away from someone and shouting to them that they need to come stand where you're standing or else... Or else they're stupid, or else they're missing out, or else they're making a mistake, etc.
This is the point where most prospects dig their heels in and say, “Oh yeah? I don't think so!”
Can you blame them?
This is why you want to start where they are. What do they already think or know about your niche, about your product or service, or about you?
If prospects routinely believe your offer is too good to be true, lead with that. “I know what you're thinking... this is simply too good to be true. I thought the exact same thing myself, but then I discovered that...”
They might think this isn't the right solution to their particular problem. “You might feel that in your case, our product won't make the difference you need and want. I felt the exact same way when I had this problem, but what I found was this product not only ____ and ____, it also ___...”
You might start with the problem itself. Your prospect is in financial difficulty, so talk about what that feels like, how it affects them, how it makes life difficult, etc.
And here's an entirely different way to start where they are in their minds, and that's to begin with whatever it is that everyone is talking about right now.
For example, let's say you're sending out an email and the big story today is the revolution in another country, or new photos from space, or some crazy thing the government is doing. Whatever it is, the story is plastered all over the news. You can lead with that and gracefully tie it in with your marketing message.
Celebrities are fantastic for this. People love celebrities: Movie stars, rock stars, sports stars, etc. Start out talking about the latest celebrity news and tie it into what you want to say.
For some inexplicable reason, celebrity is frequently confused with credibility. Thus when you tie a celebrity in with your product, even when it's perfectly clear that they are not actually related in any way, it elevates the status of your product in the customers' eyes. Strange but true.
Using the news or celebrities necessitates creativity on your part. Make sure it's in good taste, and that it makes sense. Also, when possible, make it entertaining. In fact, always strive to be interesting and entertaining – your customers will love you for it.
One last thing – if you don't know what's going on in your prospect's minds, it's time to find out. Hit up social media to find out what's being talked about, or go to the forums to see what problems people are having. You'll discover enough in 15 minutes of research to craft a half dozen marketing messages that all begin with you entering the conversation in your prospect's head.