Buying with the heart, justifying with the mind

It’s no secret that people buy based on emotion and then justify with facts and logic. Regardless of what you sell—whether it is products, services or advice—people buy based on feelings.  No matter how much we think people are rational beings who occasionally act emotionally, the reality is, they are emotional beings who occasionally act rationally.

Buying decisions are always the result of a change in the customer’s emotional state. While information helps to change that emotional state, it’s the emotion that’s important, not the information. Never underestimate the importance and power of emotions in selling—feelings are the fuel that drives people to buy.

Logic makes people think. Emotions make people act. Put another way, logic makes people say, “I need to think about it.” Emotion makes people say, “Let’s get started.” It’s up to you to take them over the bridge from logic to emotion.

Are prospects and sales disappearing before your eyes?  You know they type. The sale you thought was guaranteed to close but slipped through your fingers at the last second. Or found yourself working diligently on a promising opportunity when suddenly, with no explanation, the sale spins into a downward spiral?

You’re certain you have successfully connected, communicated and engaged the customer. You clarified everything your prospect needs to know about your service or product, and they have a sufficient budget. You tell yourself it’s in the bag and start high-fiving your colleagues.

Then out of nowhere you hear something like this?

“We’re very impressed and will give it some thought!”

“Your presentation was great.  We’ll keep you in the loop.”

“What you say makes a lot of sense. Let me run it by the others”

“We need to think about it and I’ll get back to you.”

Why? You were most likely attempting to move, motivate and inspire someone to buy from you using logic not emotion.  Logic only gets people to think not act.

You may have the greatest products, services or solutions in the world. You may make every rational argument to demonstrate why it makes sense for someone to do business with you, but if you don’t appeal to your prospects on an emotional level, you’re just another person trying to sell them something.

You are missing a big part of what is driving their buying decision. Emotion! Emotion trumps logic, every time.

Some people will argue this point to death because they’re uncomfortable with the notion that in order to sell, they have to address people’s emotions. Like it or not, that’s the way it is. It’s reality.  Arguing with reality prevents people from earning a great living.

You may be thinking, “Emotions, I don’t do emotions.” “Feelings, yuk, I stopped feeling in the 70’s.” “That’s just too touchy feely for me.”  When I hear someone say they are uncomfortable with feeling and emotions I know what they are really saying is “I’m not comfortable with my own feelings and emotions, I sure as heck don’t want to deal with someone else’s.” With love and compassion, I say, get over it. Selling is not about you and how you feel. It is about how your prospects feel.

Buying and selling operate on the emotional level. Feelings trigger people to buy. Feelings trigger people say yes. Feelings trigger people take action. People are motivated and influenced to buy, or not to buy, through their feelings and emotions, just like you.  That is why the old school, agenda driven, manipulative sales conversations of the 70’s and 80’s no longer work. They are outdated and counter-productive. Today smart and savvy consumers are sick and tired of being on the receiving end of those types of conversations.

The quickest way to close more sales, grow your business and significantly increase your bottom line is to purposefully embark on the journey from logic to emotion.

If you keep hearing, “I need to think about it” and “We’re going to think it over,” it’s a sign that you are masterful in the wrong part of the sales process. You’ve mastered the art of keeping your prospects stuck in their head and thinking logically. How is that working for you?