We all make our decisions emotionally. All of us. It’s the way we are wired. Think of it this way…
Our brain is virtually broken into two different halves:
One is responsible for of our conscious thoughts, our ability to reason, language, logic, analysis. This part of our brain is one dimensional and only capable of one thought at a time.
The other brain houses our unconscious mind, our involuntary functions (breathing, heartbeat, etc.), our feelings, our emotions and… our decision making. All decisions we make are emotionally based. Yes, even the CEO’s of Fortune-sized companies make decisions emotionally and then back it up with data, logic and analysis.
To prove it, patients that have had a stroke or bacterial infection affecting this part of the brain, lose their ability to make decisions.
In one study I was recently reading there was a man who had a stroke, scientists found that it took him two hours in the morning to decide which one of two breakfast cereals he was going to eat. During the two hours, he studied intensely the contents, nutritional information and health benefits of each cereal before he finally made the decision – and this was just breakfast cereal.
Customers are people too. Customers make their decisions based on emotions. Even a price-based decision is emotionally based. Organizations that ‘get it’, learn to make emotional connections with their customers so that their initial purchase decision is easier and an ongoing relationship is built.
Think of all the restaurants that you returned to over the period of one year. I bet that you have three to four favorites that you go back to repeatedly. Why? It is an emotional connection that you have. It might be with the staff, the environment or even because you shared a special moment.
Teach your customer-facing team members that the way to win against the competition and build lasting, profitable relationships with customers is to create a relationship with them that connects deeply and emotionally.
Robert Murray is a Vancouver, BC based Business Strategy Consultant, partner at Incrementa Consulting Inc., #1 Best Selling Author, and International Keynote Speaker. For further advice, insight and inspiration on how to unlock your inner leader, follow Robert on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.
Tags: Customer, Customer Satisfaction, Customer Service, It's Already Inside, Robert Murray, Robert S. Murray
