We Have 3 Brains: How you can use them to get more email replies ??

Not-so-Breaking News: the human attention span is trending toward zero.

Whether in school or in a youtube video, we’ve all heard how technology has all-but-eliminated our ability to pay attention. Still with me? (just kidding). You might have noticed this trend in your recent, COVID-induced Netflix binges: shows beginning with a shocking event, only to say “2 weeks earlier” after the opening credits. What is that? And why should it matter to salespeople?

For years, our friends in marketing have worked with neuroscientists to ‘hack the system’ of our mental radar. Aptly named “Neuromarketing”, the field has successfully mapped out where consumers apply their attention and how they make decisions. These insights have revolutionized the way we market, advertise and even design web pages.

But what about salespeople? BDR’s, SDR’s, Account Executives? Are these lessons transferable to us? Can neuroscientists help you get more email responses?

Absolutely. 

In this article, you’ll learn:

"6 Neuromarketing Hacks and How to Use Them in Your Sales Emails"

 We have 3 Brains:

Okay, not really, but our brain does have three distinct layers:

1. The New Brain: Thinks. (The Sophisticated One)
2. The Middle Brain: Feels.
3. The Old Brain: Survives. (and ..turns out.. decides!) 

Neuroscientists have demonstrated that the 500 million year-old ‘Old Brain’ releases all of our decisions. Despite being the brute, the simpleton, the one we share with reptiles, it is the gatekeeper to that coveted “yes”. So how do we hack it?

Turns out, the Old Brain can be triggered by only 6 stimuli:

1. Self-Centred: “What’s in it for me?”

The Old Brain is the organ of survival. As such, it’s extremely selfish.

When writing your emails, remember that you’re speaking to a highly selfish organ. Talk about them. Prove you understand their problems. They don’t care about you or your company, so avoid using language that is about you. Instead, show them how they can benefit from speaking with you. In fact, do an audit of your email before you send it: how many times did you use “I” or “we”?

2. Contrast: The Old Brain is triggered by change.

Designed to make quick decisions, the Old Brain was helpful in keeping our ancestors safe (i.e. that change on the horizon = a lion stalking my tribe). This is why you see way too many “before/after” images on fitness ads. Contrasts like, before/after, risky/safe, with/without are extremely influential.

In your emails, are you painting a clear picture of the before/after? The with/without of your product or service? If your technology yields some particular result, highlight this impact in a before/after format. You can do this visually (See #5 Visuals) for maximum effect, OR with text. If you prefer text, use a simple 2-bullet list:

Example: 

• Before Product: Bounce Rate, 67%
• After Product:  Bounce Rate, 31%

The key here is to keep the message (and the contrast) very simple. Why?

3. Tangible: The Old Brain has no time for complex thought.

As the survival organ, the Old Brain only scans for tangible input that can yield quick decisions. Those who spent too much time thinking, didn’t last in the evolutionary race (just ask Hamlet).

In other words, ditch the sales talk! In the Old Brain, simple terms like “more money” are preferred to “maximizing ROI”. Too often, we’re tempted to use sophisticated language and rationalize with our prospect’s ‘New Brain’. But remember, the Old Brain (the one you share with your iguana) makes the decisions. Dumb it down!

4. First and Last:

The Old Brain is designed to keep you alive in a dangerous world. Naturally, where there’s change, there may also be danger, so the Old Brain is hyper-sensitive to changes in state. As such, it will become more alert at the beginning and end of an interaction.

In your sales outreach, this particular trait offers dual insights. (Who doesn’t love a 2-for-1!)

First, start and end your emails strong. The first and last sentences of your email will catch your prospect at maximum alertness. It will also be the bulk of what they remember. Make it count. If you're tempted to start with a fluffy, icebreaker sentence, don't. Spoiler Alert: no one likes the "hope this finds you well" line anyway. Instead, do you have a strong Contrast? A Tangible benefit to share? Start and end with those for maximum impact.

Second, create beginnings and ends. I never recommend a long email (always better to call) but sometimes they are inevitable. If you find yourself forced to send a long email, remember the Old Brain. Break your email up into distinct sections, each with distinct characteristics. In doing so, you create beginnings and ends that trigger the Old Brain back into focus.

Example: If you're using a before/after Contrast image (see #2), put it in the middle of the email. By dividing the copy with visuals, you force the Old Brain to perceive a “new beginning” and re-activate.

Speaking of visuals..

5. Visuals: The optical nerve is 25 times faster that the auditory nerve and is connected directly to the Old Brain.

Did I mention our attention span gets worse every day? In the battle to keep your prospect’s focus, every millisecond counts. When it comes to the Old Brain, nothing stimulates faster than visuals. Here's a really cool factoid about visuals that you can tell your friends:

When you see a snake, the Old Brain takes only 2 milliseconds before it orders you to back away. Meanwhile, your New Brain will take 500 milliseconds to even recognize that it's actually a snake. You will have moved without even knowing what you had seen!

We know your emails are opened from a smartphone, alongside 50 other emails, while your prospect orders Starbucks. So, delivering an instant impact can be the difference between a reply and radio-silence. Make that difference with relevant, high-value visuals that make it faster and easier for the prospect to digest your message.

Example: How many words would it take to describe “Square” to a prospect? The image below does it in an instant.

6. Emotion: The Old Brain is primitive. It's triggered by emotion, not logic.

The Old Brain absorbs information from the rest of the brain through a filtering system known as the reticular system. Essentially, you need an emotional catalyst to pass through this filter.

This brings us full-circle back to Netflix. Why do they show you the climax in the first minute of the episode? Well, filmmakers know they have an increasingly short window in which to convince you to keep watching. In minutes, seconds even, they must trigger the emotionally-receptive Old Brain and prompt you to put down the remote. A slow-building intro just won't cut it. Want to see for yourself? Hop onto Netflix and put on the pilot for "Breaking Bad".

Your emails should employ the same philosophy. Use emotive language, early. Consider what your prospect cares about most (be it themselves, their employees, their community, their pains, a particular value) and attach strong emotive messaging to these items. Note: In writing, this can be a delicate endeavour; you want to invoke emotion without sounding “cheesy”. The second the prospect disconnects from the emotion you've portrayed, you risk appearing insincere. A much easier approach: Visuals (see #5). Whether it’s images, GIF’s or even emojis (??), visual stimuli can invoke emotion far better than words, and often with less risk.

Example: You want me to care about saving wildlife? Show me a cute lion cub that I can feel for:

By applying these six principles to your outreach, you're ensuring that your message is received and processed by your prospect. Though reason, rapport and your product's value will ultimately close the deal, courting the old-brain-gatekeeper is a critical first step.

The bigger lesson, perhaps, is that salespeople can benefit greatly from dabbling in neuromarketing and other marketing-based research. After all, our prospects, and certainly their brains, are very much the same. Though our two fields engage in a friendly rivalry of "who's more important" (just ask @corporate.bro), learning and leveraging marketing research will only make you a more complete salesperson.

Personally, I've recently enrolled in the CXL 'Digital Psychology' Mini-degree to do just that. Over the next 12 weeks, I will be sharing weekly articles on similar subjects. I hope they're helpful!

In the meantime, happy selling ????