We all like to believe that we buy stuff sensibly. We carefully consider all the options available. We weigh up the pros and cons of each available choice.

And the use of return on investment calculations isn’t the preserve of the B2B market – think of the last time you bought a car. I’m sure you considered running costs – fuel consumption, tax implications, service and maintenance charges.

So we’re all driven by logic and reasoning and as long as anyone trying to sell us something convinces us that theirs is the most cost effective choice or the choice that will last the longest or simply makes the most sense then they’re onto a winner.

Wrong.

In the centre of all of our brains is an area called the limbic system. This is where all our emotional experiences start. It’s where we experience love, happiness, joy. It’s also where we experience pain, hurt, anger.

And it is here that the vast majority of the buying decisions you make are made. The exact number is subject to some debate but it’s somewhere between 80% and 90%.

So our buying decisions aren’t based on logic at all but a simple desire to have something – that beautiful car, the stylish house, a new coat.

What then happens is we try to rationalise the desire we have for the new thing which is when we start using the neocortex – the part of the brain responsible for information processing among other things.

The car – 30mpg isn’t that bad and I don’t really do too many miles anyway so it won’t hurt that much.

The new coat – I haven’t got a blue one and it’ll go with loads of my other clothes so I’ll definitely get my money’s worth.

The new 60 inch TV – I’m only getting it so I can enjoy watching the sports in the house. Think of the money I’ll save by not going to the pub to watch the game.

If we made every buying decision using only logic and reasoning we would only buy things that we need.

Every car on the road would be the most fuel efficient one available.

Every coat would be designed for a specific purpose – rain protection, winter sports – with no consideration for aesthetics.

And in the age of online reviews the only products to sell would be those with faultless 5 star reviews.

Thankfully this is not the case.

What it means for anyone selling anything is that it is essential to understand what it is about your product that will trigger the necessary emotional reaction from your customers.

Of course this is much easier for retail, fashion and mass market consumer brands than it is for those in the B2B market but with a bit of careful thought you can find your product’s emotional trigger.

It may be the design of your product that seals the deal. Go the extra mile with the design of your product – think about form as well as function and you’ll increase your chance of success.

Don’t worry if you’re selling services – you can play this game too. We’re social animals – so use the currency that your personality represents. Be transparent and authentic and you’ll establish meaningful relationships with your customers that are very hard to break.

Stand for something – display your passion for what it is you do. People don’t buy what you do – they buy why you do it. By showing that you really care about delivering the best solution to their problem what you’re saying is ‘I won’t let you down’.

So let’s put the return on investment sheet to one side for the minute and get to work on nailing down the ways that you can make your customers feel more connected emotionally to your products or services.

This requires that you have an in-depth understanding of who your customers are and what their specific needs are. This has to go beyond their job title and their role in the procurement process as this alone just will not give you the insights you need.

You need to understand their daily frustrations – the pain points in their everyday existence that your product can help to overcome. Once you’ve done this you can craft your marketing messages to push these buttons.

If you’d like to read more about the part emotions plat in your decision making then I’ve included a few links below to some articles that I found interesting:

Decisions are emotional, not logical – the neuroscience behind decision making.

Delving into the logical and emotional sides of the human brain.

If you would like some help understanding the emotional triggers that will allow you to sell more effectively then get in touch: