Chocolate is irresistible. But so are puppies, sports cars, tropical getaways, and (of course) George Clooney.

Carolyn Strauss showed images of all these and more and then asked attendees at her ASI Show Chicago keynote to reveal which one enticed them the most. The sales and persuasion expert – who carved out a nearly two-decade career at the Home Shopping Network, moving over $160 million in merchandise – then asked if any table all agreed on the same thing. Not a hand went up.

Carolyn Strauss

Her point? Irresistible is personal, and it’s up to you to hone your offerings and messaging to what resonates with your target audience. But there’s still a universal truth. “The number one thing that makes something irresistible is the energy and emotion behind it,” said Strauss. That creates a feeling, a memory that clients will long remember – and keeps them coming back.

In “‘I Want That’: 5 Ways to Make You and Your Company Irresistible,” the keynote that took place on Wednesday, July 24, before the ASI Chicago show floor opened, Strauss detailed the five “Fs” that will make your company stand apart and have customers falling in love with you. They are:

1. Fundamentals

There are crucial questions about you and your business that Strauss said you need to be clear about. What do you do? Who do you do it for? Why should clients care? Be clear about what your product does and be consistent in your pricing. Present yourself in a clear and defined manner. Said Strauss: “[Identify] who you are as a company and, as an organization, that you are the people that potential clients can trust.”

2. Future-Pacing

This is the practice of “taking someone into a future where they can imagine being better than they are now,” said Strauss. The key word that sets the scene? “Imagine.” Another? “Picture this.” These phrases help your client visualize their own success and where your products and services fit in. “If you use it smartly and get your clients to imagine how their customer is going to feel,” said Strauss, “you win.”

ASI Show Chicago keynoter Carolyn Strauss joins ASI Media Editor-in-Chief C.J. Mittica to discuss why fun is an essential quality in making your business irresistible, and what she learned about sales from moving over $160 million in merchandise at the Home Shopping Network.

3. FOMO

Strauss sold merchandise on the Home Shopping Network for 18 years, and she showed clips demonstrating how the TV channel created fear of missing out (FOMO), including a segment where she urged viewers to act now and buy a specific garment because “there’s only 500 of these on the planet.”

“The Home Shopping Network is brilliant at it,” said Strauss about creating FOMO.

Through pricing promotions, closeouts, and limited-run availability, distributors can create the same urgency. Strauss added that a similar principle can apply to your creativity, perhaps by telling clients you only have a select number of consultations available this month. “You can actually create FOMO around your brilliance and your creativity,” she said.

4. Feedback

This is a crucial way to interact with clients, but Strauss presented it with a twist. “It’s not a survey,” she said, “it’s a love note.” Tell clients, “We love doing business with you. Thank you. How did you like what we did, and what would you like us to do next?” This primes the next sale and deepens the feelings of irresistibility.

5. Fun

Perhaps the most crucial element, Strauss said that fun is irresistible “because it creates a memory of something you want to do again and again.” Make it about the customer by sending samples with their logo on it. Emphasize the wonder and joy that this industry brings. “You’re in the toy business,” she said. “It creates connection, it creates fun, and it creates joy. That’s what you guys are all about.”

Strauss added a bonus “F” (follow-up), and ended the session by presenting the idea of Meliorism, a concept she learned upon her trip to South Africa and an idea that lies in between pessimism and optimism. It’s the belief that we can contribute to positive change and improve the world through acts of love, creativity, and compassion. “It’s the understanding that what you provide to your community, team members, clients, and the world,” she said, “is the belief that by playing with you, being with you, and working with you, we can all make the world a better place.”