Emotions and their link to your brand

For some time now I have been reading many sales gurus thoughts on what sales are all about. Spin selling, Consultative selling being two of the most talked about ways to bring sales out of the dark ages. One thing that is not talked about enough, is the fact that people make buying decisions with the emotional side of their brains. Who they buy from and who they trust happens completely through emotions.

Here are three things that speak to that in my opinion;

Eliminate frustration

Frustration is not an emotion you want to have associated with your brand.

Let me quickly tell you a recent frustrating experience I had while trying to buy something online. I don’t want to call out the company, so I’ll leave their name out of this.

I wanted to buy a specific product that was not available in the store location, so had to order it online. The website was not intuitive and took me many times to search for the exact product I needed. Finally found it, but then had to enter my information three different times into their system because I did not have an account with the company. No guest order easy checkout. Finally got it ordered and the site said 5 days for delivery.

The order took almost 10 and I had to pick it up in store to save delivery costs. Got to the store and stood waiting while two clerks ignored me until I finally had to speak up and say something to get their attention. With a snarky look, like I was interfering with their day, I finally got my product. Which also took a while.

Needless to say, I was so frustrated that I have decided to never shop at this business again. I have also told everyone I know about my experience.

Don’t be like the company I had this awful experience with.

Make sure you have easy navigation on your website and a smooth checkout process. The less friction your customers experience as they go through the process, the less frustrated they will be. The world's biggest online companies all understand this and make sure all their employees do too.

Share your core values

Obviously, every company wants to make high profits. But that’s not the only reason why everyone is in business.

There are certain brands that have other missions that act as the driving force behind their goals. If this sounds like you, make sure you share these values and beliefs with your customers.

For example, are you affiliated with any charities?

These types of core values can stimulate emotions within customers and ultimately lead to more sales. Here’s an example;

Warby Parker sells glasses. But that’s not all they do. Through their buy a pair, give a pair program, they have been able to donate more than three million pairs of glasses to people all over the world.

Not everyone can afford glasses. So this company does their part by helping those who don’t have the resources or access to eye care professionals.

Similar story with Dove dish soap and their donation to World Wildlife Fund for every bottle bought. I, for one, buy Dove over all others because of this fact.

This type of story can definitely help drive sales because of the emotional attachment to a purchase.

If their customers know their purchases will help someone in need, they will be more likely to buy from your company.

Stimulate desires

What do people desire?

Sex. Food. Happiness. Sports cars, peace, wealth and beach vacations. Ok so maybe that's just me, but I am sure you can create your own list.

Incorporate these ideas into your marketing strategy. I’m not saying you need to tell people your product will help them get a new car. But you can still throw a fancy convertible into your ads to help grab someone’s attention.

Think about lotteries and what they show you or talk about in their adds - "Dream big!"

Nike, Apple, Victoria Secret, Amazon, Coke, McDonald's all play into this with everything they've got.

Think about the last time you saw an advertisement for food on television. The camera zooms in on a cheeseburger and shows juices pouring down the bun.

Everything looks perfect, and it’s supposed to make you hungry. Your mouth might even start watering. Why? Because they are stimulating your desires.

Now you’re craving a cheeseburger, so you go out and buy one.

That’s how emotions of desires lead to sales.