Fun theory shows once again that human decision-making isn’t rational.
I always like to think that logic and rational thought rule when my prospects make a decision. But, time and again I’m proven wrong. That’s why you always hear us say in Power Messaging – “people decide on emotion and justify with facts.”
When I ran across this video it showed once again how emotional decision-making can be. You and I know that taking the stairs instead of an escalator will provide more exercise. And, we are fully aware that exercise is good for us. (There’s plenty of research and data to prove that.) So, it would be logical to assume that if we know what’s good for us, we’d always take the stairs instead of the escalator. But, we don’t.
Watch this less than 2-minute video to see an interesting social experiment on getting more people to take the stairs. It proves once again how we underestimate the power of emotions to impact a decision.
It’s the same when you go into a sales pitch with too much information. Too much data. Too many rational arguments. You leave wondering why your prospect has paralysis by analysis. It’s because you put her there. And, as a result, she can’t clearly see enough reason to change from the status quo.
In fact, recent research indicates that 40% of sales cycles end in no decision. Meaning your biggest competitive enemy is no longer an arch rival competitor, but prospects doing nothing. In truth, however, this could be your biggest opportunity. Taking market share from tough competitors is always difficult. Getting a prospect to make a decision vs. waiting may be your next big growth opportunity.
Loosen the status quo with emotion
Just like the stairs were transformed into a piano, you need to create some emotion and excitement in your sales message. If you want to loosen the status quo, you need a story that inspires your prospect to see the need for change. Think about the video. They were still stairs. Weren’t they? They were still healthier for you than taking the escalator. Right? The “product” called stairs and the benefits of using them didn’t change.
Only the brand new story and the experience created around the stairs changed. In fact, the stairs themselves became a giant prop to help sell the concept of stairs. It engaged people’s body and mind in the product called stairs. It made people want to try the stairs in a way that rationally explaining the benefits never did.
Where can you inject emotion?
You need a great story for your products and services. The greatest stories are facts, wrapped in emotion. For example, “the King died. The Queen died.” Those are the facts. But, when you add emotion saying, “the King died, and the Queen died of a broken heart,” then you have a story. You have a story that pulls people in, engages them and connects in a way that just the facts can’t.
We worked with a corporate, after-hours cleaning services company that offered a unique approach to cleaning. It was a multi-color, microfiber cloth system that eliminated 90% of bacteria compared to just 33% with traditional cotton cloths. You would think that fact would be enough to get prospects to bite. It wasn’t until the company added a mini-story (drama and props) about how the multi-color cloths helped make sure your cleaners weren’t using the same cloth to clean your bathrooms as they did to clean your office telephone that they really got people’s attention.
Don’t be afraid to make your sales messages connect emotionally with your customers. Help them see the need for change. Help them see change is coming fast. Help them see the impact of not dealing with the change vs. the impact of successfully adapting to the change. Creating enough emotional contrast between their current pain and the potential gain they can achieve by working with you. And, then make your solution critical to their survival.
Posted by Corporate Visions Inc. 
