NeuroMarketing: 7 Secrets To Unlocking Your Customer's Brain And Igniting Profits And Sales
NeuroMarketing: 7 Secrets To Unlocking Your Customer's Brain And Igniting Profits And Sales
* Why even the highest priced or lowest quality products sometimes outsell their competitors’?
* Why and how your prospects buy the products or services they do, even if their choices seem irrational or impractical?
* Why some brands have a devoted cult-like following while others have zero loyalty?
A new field called NeuroMarketing – combining neuroscience, marketing and technology – has generated a buzz across every industry and every business sector. Let’s look at how the latest findings can help you convert more prospects to customers and create life-long loyalty and raving fans.
NEURO-MARKETING: IS IT THE KEY TO UNLOCKING YOUR CUSTOMER’S BRAIN?
In traditional marketing, we are told … “follow the proven formula of compelling headlines, benefits, satisfaction guarantee and a call to action, and your sales will skyrocket.” Yet, even top marketers can attest that successful campaigns are a “hit or miss” proposition to find those that generate big sales.
Until now …
Neuroscience and behavioral sciences – such as NLP (NeuroLinguistic Programming) – are all saying the same thing:
“Our unconscious mind – not our conscious mind -- drives how we respond to ads, brands and products and, ultimately, drives all our buying decisions. Customers don’t really know why they buy what they buy, which is why traditional market research fall short.”
Let’s take a look at the underlying reason why … the architecture of our brain.
WILL THE REAL DECISION MAKER (In Your Brain) PLEASE STAND UP?
According to neuroscientists, there are 3 main parts to the brain, each functioning as a brain unto itself. These “three brains” - nestled inside one another – are as follows.
* The “Human” (“New,” or outer-most) Brain: Most evolved part of the brain known as the cortex. Responsible for logic, learning, language, conscious thoughts and our personalities.
* The “Mammalian” (Middle) Brain: Also known as the limbic system. Deals with our emotions, moods, memory and hormones.
* The “Reptilian” (Old) Brain: Also known as the R Complex controls our basic survival functions, such as hunger, breathing, flight-or-fight reactions and staying out of harm’s way.
While neuromarketing is still a young field with many unanswered questions, one finding is clear.
"The reptilian, or 'old,' brain drives your customers’ buying decisions."
According to Erik du Plessis in The Advertising Mind, the “old” brain rules all rapid decision-making. Market researcher and Chairman, Archetype Discoveries Worldwide, Clotaire Rapaille said in a PBS interview -- “The Persuaders” – that …
“The reptilian always wins. I don’t care what you tell me intellectually. Why? Because the reptilian always wins.”
To strengthen your brand, loyalty and sales, you must understand your customers’ “reptilian hot buttons.” A “cortex” message – such as “Buy my product because it is 20% cheaper” – doesn’t buy customer loyalty. It all comes down to who triggers the first reptilian reaction. That’s why Coke, after all these years, continues to dominate the market.
THE “REPTILIAN BRAIN” AND PROFITS:
7 Critical Insights You Must Know About How and Why Your Customer Buys
Our “old” brain often overrides our voice of logic and drives all buying decisions for reasons beyond our conscious awareness. To influence your customer’s buying decisions, you must learn how the “old” brain operates and speak its “language.” Below are 7 key insights about the old brain that can add to your bottomline.
1. The old brain is driven by emotions.
Our old brain operates on autopilot – ie., a stimulus response mechanism. Emotions are automatic responses to sensory stimuli. The smell of coffee, the sound of the ocean, the view of a setting sun … all trigger an unconscious emotional response.
Emotions play a similar critical role in our buying decisions. Business Pundit (www.businesspundit.com) reminds us that “in an oversupplied economy, customer feelings drive purchase decisions and profitability. Your new imperative is to assess and appeal to your customer’s feelings. Welcome to The Feelings Economy.”
Key lesson: The more senses you trigger and associate with your products/services, the more you will appeal to your customers’ emotions and influence their buying behavior.
2. The old brain “decides” on the basis of the gain vs. pain tradeoff.
The two basic drivers of all behavior and decisions are: to seek pleasure and avoid pain. According to Kevin Hogan, author, The Science of Influence, “most people react to the fear of loss and the threat of pain in a much more profound way than they do for gain.”
Consumers focus more on not getting hurt over the need to feel great when making decisions. “They overemphasize the importance of pain by about 2.5:1 in decision making.” How to overcome your customer’s “distorted” gain vs. pain trade-off?
Key lesson: Marketing guru, Seth Godin illustrates through his Joy/Cash Curve that high value purchases often trigger increasing amounts of buying pain. His solution: add more joy and pleasure to the buying process, such as he did in his work with Lexus. According to Godin, when you make buying pleasurable, you actually reset the customer’s “value meter.” How are you adding more joy to your buying process?
3. The old brain is highly influenced by beginnings and endings.
Research confirms that the beginning and ending of an event or experience alters our perception of the entire experience. Our initial impression becomes the “filter” for how we perceive what is to follow. The most recent experience leaves a final impression with greater weight.
Key lesson: In marketing, for your message to be accepted, it is critical to leave a strong first impression – like a compelling story, a big smile, etc. Also, if a customer has a pleasant or unpleasant experience with your product or company, that most recent experience will influence future purchases more than all other experiences combined. What impression are you leaving with your prospects in the first few seconds or words? How has your last customer contact enhanced or jeopardized repeat sales?
4. The old brain is visually oriented and responds rapidly to images.
From the moment we are born, we are able to see shadows and associate meaning to them. In communications, we are told that 65% of our how our message is received is through our physiology (or visual cues). Study after study has shown that someone’s first impression of you is based on your physical appearance.
In each instance, it is our old brain rapidly responding to visual cues, not words. Words are the realm of the “new” brain and are secondary in the buying process.
Key learning: Enhance and deliver your core marketing message visually – eg., the design of your product, images in an ad, external packaging, etc. Where can you visually strengthen your brand and emotional connection with customers?
5. The old brain perceives the “pain of buying” in relative, not absolute, terms.
Neuroscience tells us that the “pain” in the old brain is most activated with price. Not in absolute terms but rather in relative terms – such as fairness vs. unfairness, or alternative uses of dollars. Therefore, how you present or frame your prices could be driving customers away. How can you minimize activating the pain trigger with your price?
Key lesson: From various posts by Roger Dooley (Neurosciencemarketing.com), key strategies include:
* Emphasize “sales” prices (which does not activate pain in the old brain)
* Utilize “package” pricing over pricing of individual components (the latter shows greater “pain activity in the old brain)
* Series of small “bite-size’ investments in place of one large investment (Netflix)
6. The old brain understands only what is tangible, physical and concrete.
According to Patrick Renvoise, author, Neuromarketing: Is There A “Buy Button” In The Brain?, the old brain is constantly scanning for what is familiar and tangible. It does not understand numbers or abstract terms, like “integrated approach” or “comprehensive solution.”
Key lesson: To speak to the old brain, you must use tangible “benefits” -- ie., what a customer will see, feel, hear, taste or smell as a result. Eg., a promise of“greater happiness” is gibberish to the old brain. Instead, tell your prospect how he/she will wake up every morning with a smile. Or use metaphors (such as referring to your service as the “Cadillac” offering) to make your benefits more tangible.
7. The old brain’s control over buying decisions varies from culture to culture.
According to market researcher, Clotaire Rapaille, some cultures are very reptilian, such as the American culture. Americans want instant gratification. They have a bias for action. Other cultures – such as the French and German -- are more cortex, control-oriented. Their bias is thinking over doing.
Key lesson: Adapt your marketing communications to each culture and what part of their brain drives buying decisions. Use emotional appeal with Americans; use logic with European cultures.
While neuromarketing is still in its infancy, it has the potential to revolutionize the way we market our products/services. The most important point is to use it for the right reasons. That is, as a way to better understand your customers and ultimately to better serve them. When used in this way, it can have a dramatic impact on your bottomline.
NeuroMarketing 7 Secrets To Unlocking Your Customers Brain And Igniting Profits And Sales - To learn more about this author, visit Denise Corcoran's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
Have you ever wondered ….
* Why even the highest priced or lowest quality products sometimes outsell their competitors’?
* Why and how your prospects buy the products or services they do, even if their choices seem irrational or impractical?
* Why some brands have a devoted cult-like following while others have zero loyalty?
A new field called NeuroMarketing – combining neuroscience, marketing and technology – has generated a buzz across every industry and every business sector. Let’s look at how the latest findings can help you convert more prospects to customers and create life-long loyalty and raving fans.
NEURO-MARKETING: IS IT THE KEY TO UNLOCKING YOUR CUSTOMER’S BRAIN?
In traditional marketing, we are told … “follow the proven formula of compelling headlines, benefits, satisfaction guarantee and a call to action, and your sales will skyrocket.” Yet, even top marketers can attest that successful campaigns are a “hit or miss” proposition to find those that generate big sales.
Until now …
Neuroscience and behavioral sciences – such as NLP (NeuroLinguistic Programming) – are all saying the same thing:
“Our unconscious mind – not our conscious mind -- drives how we respond to ads, brands and products and, ultimately, drives all our buying decisions. Customers don’t really know why they buy what they buy, which is why traditional market research fall short.”
Let’s take a look at the underlying reason why … the architecture of our brain.
WILL THE REAL DECISION MAKER (In Your Brain) PLEASE STAND UP?
According to neuroscientists, there are 3 main parts to the brain, each functioning as a brain unto itself. These “three brains” - nestled inside one another – are as follows.
* The “Human” (“New,” or outer-most) Brain: Most evolved part of the brain known as the cortex. Responsible for logic, learning, language, conscious thoughts and our personalities.
* The “Mammalian” (Middle) Brain: Also known as the limbic system. Deals with our emotions, moods, memory and hormones.
* The “Reptilian” (Old) Brain: Also known as the R Complex controls our basic survival functions, such as hunger, breathing, flight-or-fight reactions and staying out of harm’s way.
While neuromarketing is still a young field with many unanswered questions, one finding is clear.
"The reptilian, or 'old,' brain drives your customers’ buying decisions."
According to Erik du Plessis in The Advertising Mind, the “old” brain rules all rapid decision-making. Market researcher and Chairman, Archetype Discoveries Worldwide, Clotaire Rapaille said in a PBS interview -- “The Persuaders” – that …
“The reptilian always wins. I don’t care what you tell me intellectually. Why? Because the reptilian always wins.”
To strengthen your brand, loyalty and sales, you must understand your customers’ “reptilian hot buttons.” A “cortex” message – such as “Buy my product because it is 20% cheaper” – doesn’t buy customer loyalty. It all comes down to who triggers the first reptilian reaction. That’s why Coke, after all these years, continues to dominate the market.
THE “REPTILIAN BRAIN” AND PROFITS:
7 Critical Insights You Must Know About How and Why Your Customer Buys
Our “old” brain often overrides our voice of logic and drives all buying decisions for reasons beyond our conscious awareness. To influence your customer’s buying decisions, you must learn how the “old” brain operates and speak its “language.” Below are 7 key insights about the old brain that can add to your bottomline.
1. The old brain is driven by emotions.
Our old brain operates on autopilot – ie., a stimulus response mechanism. Emotions are automatic responses to sensory stimuli. The smell of coffee, the sound of the ocean, the view of a setting sun … all trigger an unconscious emotional response.
Emotions play a similar critical role in our buying decisions. Business Pundit (www.businesspundit.com) reminds us that “in an oversupplied economy, customer feelings drive purchase decisions and profitability. Your new imperative is to assess and appeal to your customer’s feelings. Welcome to The Feelings Economy.”
Key lesson: The more senses you trigger and associate with your products/services, the more you will appeal to your customers’ emotions and influence their buying behavior.
2. The old brain “decides” on the basis of the gain vs. pain tradeoff.
The two basic drivers of all behavior and decisions are: to seek pleasure and avoid pain. According to Kevin Hogan, author, The Science of Influence, “most people react to the fear of loss and the threat of pain in a much more profound way than they do for gain.”
Consumers focus more on not getting hurt over the need to feel great when making decisions. “They overemphasize the importance of pain by about 2.5:1 in decision making.” How to overcome your customer’s “distorted” gain vs. pain trade-off?
Key lesson: Marketing guru, Seth Godin illustrates through his Joy/Cash Curve that high value purchases often trigger increasing amounts of buying pain. His solution: add more joy and pleasure to the buying process, such as he did in his work with Lexus. According to Godin, when you make buying pleasurable, you actually reset the customer’s “value meter.” How are you adding more joy to your buying process?
3. The old brain is highly influenced by beginnings and endings.
Research confirms that the beginning and ending of an event or experience alters our perception of the entire experience. Our initial impression becomes the “filter” for how we perceive what is to follow. The most recent experience leaves a final impression with greater weight.
Key lesson: In marketing, for your message to be accepted, it is critical to leave a strong first impression – like a compelling story, a big smile, etc. Also, if a customer has a pleasant or unpleasant experience with your product or company, that most recent experience will influence future purchases more than all other experiences combined. What impression are you leaving with your prospects in the first few seconds or words? How has your last customer contact enhanced or jeopardized repeat sales?
4. The old brain is visually oriented and responds rapidly to images.
From the moment we are born, we are able to see shadows and associate meaning to them. In communications, we are told that 65% of our how our message is received is through our physiology (or visual cues). Study after study has shown that someone’s first impression of you is based on your physical appearance.
In each instance, it is our old brain rapidly responding to visual cues, not words. Words are the realm of the “new” brain and are secondary in the buying process.
Key learning: Enhance and deliver your core marketing message visually – eg., the design of your product, images in an ad, external packaging, etc. Where can you visually strengthen your brand and emotional connection with customers?
5. The old brain perceives the “pain of buying” in relative, not absolute, terms.
Neuroscience tells us that the “pain” in the old brain is most activated with price. Not in absolute terms but rather in relative terms – such as fairness vs. unfairness, or alternative uses of dollars. Therefore, how you present or frame your prices could be driving customers away. How can you minimize activating the pain trigger with your price?
Key lesson: From various posts by Roger Dooley (Neurosciencemarketing.com), key strategies include:
* Emphasize “sales” prices (which does not activate pain in the old brain)
* Utilize “package” pricing over pricing of individual components (the latter shows greater “pain activity in the old brain)
* Series of small “bite-size’ investments in place of one large investment (Netflix)
6. The old brain understands only what is tangible, physical and concrete.
According to Patrick Renvoise, author, Neuromarketing: Is There A “Buy Button” In The Brain?, the old brain is constantly scanning for what is familiar and tangible. It does not understand numbers or abstract terms, like “integrated approach” or “comprehensive solution.”
Key lesson: To speak to the old brain, you must use tangible “benefits” -- ie., what a customer will see, feel, hear, taste or smell as a result. Eg., a promise of“greater happiness” is gibberish to the old brain. Instead, tell your prospect how he/she will wake up every morning with a smile. Or use metaphors (such as referring to your service as the “Cadillac” offering) to make your benefits more tangible.
7. The old brain’s control over buying decisions varies from culture to culture.
According to market researcher, Clotaire Rapaille, some cultures are very reptilian, such as the American culture. Americans want instant gratification. They have a bias for action. Other cultures – such as the French and German -- are more cortex, control-oriented. Their bias is thinking over doing.
Key lesson: Adapt your marketing communications to each culture and what part of their brain drives buying decisions. Use emotional appeal with Americans; use logic with European cultures.
While neuromarketing is still in its infancy, it has the potential to revolutionize the way we market our products/services. The most important point is to use it for the right reasons. That is, as a way to better understand your customers and ultimately to better serve them. When used in this way, it can have a dramatic impact on your bottomline.
NeuroMarketing 7 Secrets To Unlocking Your Customers Brain And Igniting Profits And Sales - To learn more about this author, visit Denise Corcoran's Website.
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Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
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David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
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Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
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Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
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John BrennanJohn Brennan Ed.D. Dr. Brennan is President of Interpersonal Development, LLC, a training and development firm. Interpersonal Development has provided sales training and coaching to more than 3,000 sales reps from over 100 companies. A native of Australia, Dr. Brennan received his doctorate from the University of Rochester. His dissertation researched the effectiveness of Behavioral Modeling Technology in training people in interpersonal skills. While he has spent most of his career designing or delivering training, he was also a Vice-President of Sales of a training and development franchise with operations in 25 markets. Dr. Brennan has designed and delivered sales training in North America, Asia, Europe, Australia and the Middle East. He has been a guest speaker at numerous national and regional professional conferences. When Microsoft wanted Best Practices articles on sales for their web site, they called Dr. Brennan. The results are at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/FX011387391033.aspx His firm’s clients have included Volvo, The Prudential, Merrill Lynch, Eastman Kodak, Gannett, Equifax Europe, the Economist Group and countless small businesses. - Visit John Brennan's Website |
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Kim CastleWith nearly two decades in the advertising and design business, with clients like Domino's Pizza, General Motors, Direct TV, Pedigree, Wolfgang Puck, Higher Octave Music, Hollywood Celebrity Products, Disney, and Paramount, as well as thousands of entrepreneurs around the world define, structure, communicate, and position their business for greater profits, BrandU(R) co-creators Kim Castle and W. Vito Montone discovered that entrepreneurs could experience the same power that big brands command for a fraction of the cost with the world's only process-based results-drive Integral approach to business creation. BrandU(R) is helping entrepreneurs grow with the power of extreme clarity from idea...to brand...to market(TM) and helping one million entrepreneurs become successful and whole so that they can make a difference in the world. Are you one of them? If you want to experience clarity all the way to the bank(TM), get started now at http://www.brandu.com. - Visit Kim Castle's Website |
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George LudwigGeorge Ludwig is a recognized authority on sales strategy and peak performance psychology. An international speaker, trainer, and corporate consultant, he helps clients like Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Northwestern Mutual, CIGNA, and numerous others improve sales force effectiveness and performance. Though it's George's strategies and processes that help corporations increase productivity and performance, it's his tremendous energy and dynamism that spark the transformation. Again and again, clients remark on his amazing ability to unleash human capacity and inspire men and women to break out of their comfort zones. The result is a whole new type of salesperson. His customized presentations teach achievers to make stunning advances in their lives. From helping salespeople realize cherished dreams to helping corporations exponentially accelerate revenue streams, George Ludwig leaves audiences and individuals empowered, emboldened, and clamoring for more. George is the best-selling author of Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code and Wise Moves: 60 Quick Tips to Improve Your Position in Life & Business. - Visit George Ludwig's Website |
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Jay Kubassek(Jay's Full Bio: EvanCarmichael.com/jaykubassek) In five years, Canadian-born entrepreneur Jay Kubassek went from selling mufflers at a Midas franchise to revolutionizing Internet marketing with the 2004 launch of CarbonCopyPRO, a online marketing education company, now worth over $20 million with customers in over 160 countries.
As an independent film producer, his upstart film fund Aliquot Films is currently producing a films with Spike Lee and Abel Fererra (starring Ethan Hawke and Dennis Hopper.)
Jay's entrepreneurial spirit is irrepressible. He’s the owner of five companies, a professional speaker and trainer, international real estate developer/investor, extreme sport enthusiast and emerging philanthropist. Jay resides in NYC with his wife Jamie, son Milo and dog Cooper. Visit Jay's official website: www.JayKubassek.com - Visit Jay Kubassek's Website |
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