Busy Signal Psychology

Craig Clemens shares insights about effective marketing tactics, particularly focusing on how creating the perception of scarcity and high demand can dramatically increase sales.

• The "busy signal" technique revolutionized infomercial marketing:

  • Originally, infomercials used "operators are standing by" as their call to action
  • A female copywriter changed it to "please call now, if you get a busy signal please call again"
  • This simple change transformed the entire infomercial industry

• The psychology behind why this works:

  • Creates a mental image of phones "flying in the room" with everyone trying to place orders
  • Generates perception of high demand rather than desperation
  • When customers finally get through, they feel relieved and special
  • Makes people believe they're lucky to get the product at all

• Real-world application example:

  • Shaan Puri used a similar approach for his product launch
  • Instead of discounting, they sent an "unstyled" founder email apologizing in advance for limited availability
  • The message implied the product would sell out quickly and many customers would be disappointed
  • Result: Their normal sales of 800 units jumped to 2,800 units

• The counterintuitive approach:

  • Instead of saying "come get it," they said "you're probably not going to get it"
  • This reversal psychology created urgency and FOMO (fear of missing out)
  • Craig called this "embedded marketing" - a psychological trigger that works subconsciously

• The effectiveness comes from:

  • Creating artificial scarcity
  • Triggering competitive instincts
  • Making the product seem more valuable through perceived demand
  • Giving customers a sense of accomplishment when they "succeed" in purchasing