Rational versus emotional – inside the mind of your buyer

Summary: In B2B marketing, using emotion is actually rather rational.

Inside the mind of the buyer.

OBJECTION!

But this is ‘charity/consumer/whatever’ We’re in B2B. Please go away.

Emotion IS important

Because business people are still people. They just happen to be at work.

_Open this email! _Visit my website! _Download this whitepaper! _Follow me on Twitter!

(And even occasionally):

Buy something!

We’re in the business of persuasion.

So how’s that going?

www.earnest-agency.com

Too often we miss the mark Or we get it right, but don’t know why…

We’ve always made two big assumptions

No.1 That business people are rational

They have access to a vast amount of buyer research info which they use actively. They make informed decisions. They weigh up all the options in an objective way

The truth: people are really weird We are always lacking consideration time We are inherently lazy thinkers We are hugely subject to biases.

No.2 That it’s a SINGLE decision

With clear collaboration That’s logically thought through Based on business reasons

The truth:

A 9 month sales cycle is more like 100 ‘micro-yesses’ Each micro-yes is likely to be HIGHLY emotive

“The buyers pipeline requires a series of micro-yesses before

getting to that macro yes.”

Brandon Stamschrar, MECLABS

Proof: persuasion is predictably unpredictable

Vs

The science bit

Behavioural economics A blend of neuro-science and behavioural psychology NOT made up by science fiction writers or mentalists NOT a silver bullet*

(*always include a caveat…)

What does it give us?

A research-based framework for how we think What drives us. And ultimately, how we make decisions.

Underpinning everything we do – two systems of thinking


What did you think about this morning? What tasks & actions did you do? Were they the same?

A science-based framework for marketing

Source: D Kahneman. Thinking Fast and Slow

This is how our brains like to operate

Source: D Kahneman. Thinking Fast and Slow

Some scary stats


Because without it, things

like this would kill us.

Image: Unsplash.com <Thomas Lefebvre>

Why?

Back to persuasion

How do we make people say ‘yes’?

How do we become a ‘system 1 marketer’?

Cognitive ease Goal architecture Framing Biases

Cognitive ease

Simple, clear language Familiar Repetitive Human endorsement Smile / good mood

Complicated Change ‘One off’ ‘Lonely decision’ Intangible

Reduce (perceived) pain. Increase (perceived) gain.

COMPLEX

= COGNITIVE STRAIN

HARDER TO UNDERSTAND = PAINFUL =

HIGHER PERCEIVED

RISK =

Framing and our terrible ability to make decisions


84%

16%


16%

84%

Goal drivers

“To understand people one needs to understand what leads them to act as they do, and to understand what leads them to act as they do one needs to know their goals.”


Think of them like this…

EXPLICIT goals

IMPLICIT goals

Category specific

Driven by the organisation

Need to demonstrate you satisfy these goals to be ABLE to be considered

Buyer specific

Driven by the individual

Will differentiate your offer and RAISE consideration

Our response? ‘Issues-based marketing’.

(Sounds a good idea, actually flawed…)

Cut your costs!

Business agility!

Improve productivity!

Business transformation! Streamlined

efficiency!

Great ROI!

Fulfilling explicit goals is a hygiene factor not differentiating

Personal value trumps business value x 2

Earnest Goal Matrix: Goal Drivers in B2B

Progress

Stimulation

Recognition

Avoidance

Obligation

Control

PR

OM

OT

ION

P

RE

VE

NT

ION

I need to do this to get ahead

I need to do this to learn / because it looks interesting

I need to do this to look good

I need to avoid losing out / losing something

I need to do this because it’s expected of me

I need to do this to stay in control

Gain an advantage over others; Lead the field

Personal discovery; Learning experience;

Receive acclaim; advance career

Be secure; Prevent losses; Avoid threats

Need to comply; fulfill promises; Be true to my

word

Stay on top; Maintain status quo; Be empowered

Go-getter

Status seeker

Adventurer

Worrier

Controller

Box-ticker

Implicit goals Primary driver Motivations Persona


When it comes to asking the question:

Which of these service

providers will do the best job?

Buyers can end up asking:

Which of these sales people do I

like the best?

Which of these brands will my

boss have heard of?

Isn’t it easier to go with the guys

we’ve always used?

Image: Flickr <Creative Commons>

Biases

Authority

Reciprocity

Scarcity

Commitment

Liking

Social proof

Anchoring

Personal

Example 1: Xero

Example 2: Misys

“Marketing. It’s hardly rocket

science.”

“But it is neuro-science.”

“Hmm.”

Some further reading

Thinking fast and slow

D Kahnemann

Predictably Irrational

Dan Ariely

Decoded

Phil Barden


earnest-agency.com @earnestagency

Sign up to the next instalment:

[email protected] Subject line: Yes

Rational versus emotional – inside the mind of your buyer

Marketing

Transcript of Rational versus emotional – inside the mind of your buyer