Use abstract language when convincing someone

Want to convince someone? Well, then opt for abstract rather than concrete language.

As per a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research, when consumers talk to each other about products, they generally respond more favourably to abstract language than concrete descriptions.

"In a series of experiments, we explored when and why consumers use abstract language in word-of-mouth messages, and how these differences in language use affect the receiver," write authors Gaby AC Schellekens, Peeter WJ Verlegh, and Ale Smidts (Erasmus University, The Netherlands).

In the course of their studies, the authors found that consumers who described a positive experience with a product used more abstract language when they had a positive opinion about the brand before they tried the product.

"When consumers were told that the product was a brand they did not like, they used more concrete language to describe a positive experience. Thus, consumers use different ways of describing the exact same experience, depending on whether they use a liked or disliked brand," the authors write.

For a disliked brand, favorable experiences are seen as exceptions, and concrete language helps consumers to frame the experience as a one-time event, the authors explain.