Sales & Persuasion Collocations

Article excerpt · target grammar marked

Apple's 1997 campaign triggered a cultural shift. Cialdini's principles drive purchasing decisions by targeting emotion. Nike's marketing budget exceeds its research spend. Natura positions belonging as its core offer — the moisturiser is incidental.

Grammar Reference · Sales & Persuasion Collocations

Verb + noun

Verb-noun pairs that are fixed in professional English. You close a deal, not 'do' or 'finish' one — the verb choice signals fluency.

Adj + noun collocation

Fixed adjective-noun pairings carry precise meaning. A landmark decision is one that sets a precedent; 'famous decision' is weaker and less idiomatic.

Prepositional fixed

Phrases like at its core and at arm's length are fixed — the preposition cannot be swapped without loss of meaning.

Common error

The campaign made cultural dominance. ✗ → The campaign achieved cultural dominance. ✓ — achieve/build/gain collocate with dominance.

01Exercise 1 — Form · Write the Correct Form

Sales & Persuasion Collocations

1.The new campaign a significant cultural shift across three continents.

2.Cialdini's research showed that social proof purchasing decisions more reliably than price.

3.After six months of negotiation, the sales director finally the deal.

4.A limited-edition label a sense of urgency that standard packaging never achieves.

5.The brand's revenue that of its nearest competitor by nearly four billion dollars.

6.Natura community and sustainability as its primary sales proposition.

02Exercise 2 — Transform

rewrite with the new structure

1.Nike makes a promise about identity when it sells a shoe.

2.The campaign established brand identity as more important than product features.

3.Cialdini identified six principles that drive purchasing decisions.

4.Natura positions belonging as its core offer, not the product itself.

03Exercise 3 — About You

in your notebook

Personalise: complete five sentences about yourself using the target grammar.

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