How to Make the Big Bucks: Keep it emotional

 In my personal life, I’m a logical dude.  I don’t get frazzled easily, I always play the Devils Advocate (which pisses my wife off to no end) and I really try to see both sides of the story. 

In my business life I am the same. I’m a strategist and planner.  I’m a big communicator and try to keep the work environment fun and stimulating. 

But when I am marketing, I realize that the big kicker, the place you find all your profit margins, is in selling to peoples emotion.

A few examples please… 

Purchases made on logic:

These are things we NEED. Because of that, and the psychological tension brought about by the resentment of needing them (that really is a big reason believe it or not) we bring these items down to commodity level. We will always search for the cheapest one.

• Gas
• Staple groceries: Break, milk, eggs, etc.
• Utilities 

Purchases made on emotion:

These are thing your buy because you NEED, but more importantly, WANT them. There are always cheaper versions available, but because these items speak to your self esteem, sense of pampering yourself, or some psychological trigger, you will spend much much more to find the right one that fits you. 

• Clothes
• Cars
• Luxury Items

 

What the difference mean in terms of profits? 

One word: Huge.  As you can imagine, all need based items eventually fall towards minimum profit levels required to stay in business. There are certain exceptions where resources are finite (like gasoline and oil) that prices will artificially inflate, but as a norm, staple items can never demand a premium in a balanced market. 

Emotional items however have the capability to actually increase in price if you can find the right triggers. For example, why does a Prada purse cost $2000 when you can get one at Wal-Mart for $5 bucks? Why does a Red Corvette sell for 10% more than a brown one?  And why the f’ do I buy a grande double no-fat mocha-frappuccino for $9 bucks when all I need is caffeine? Emotional response.

 

How to use emotions in your marketing? 

The trick to this one is to find something your buyer needs, and convert it to a want. And that is where you will make the highest margins.  For example I need a new laptop.  As such, I know the bare minimum specification I need to get the work done.   I am now looking for the cheapest one I can find to meet those specifications. 

Now suppose Dell does a good job of playing on my emotional triggers to convince me that I WANT one that is shiny blue, that I have to have one with built in 3g, and how I would be stupid to get a full size laptop when a mini would be sooooo much easier to carry around. 

Those are wants now, and they demand a premium.

Another example: IM “guru” courses. 

All of the big guys sell courses on marketing, SEO, CPA, traffic, whatever.  But if you stop to think about it, you can take a class that covers more material at your local community college, or by a book at Amazon with the same content for a fraction of the price. 

What these guys are really selling is hope. 

There is a reason that these guys play up the Rock Start persona by driving Ferraris and living on the beach.  Because that’s what YOU want to be doing. They are playing on your emotional want to be just like them.  Kern is probably the undisputed master at using psychology to drive sales.  He presents himself as this slacker who just stumbled upon a few ways to make bazillions of dollars, but he is an obscenely brilliant guy who works as hard or harder than everybody else. HE is the reason he is a rockstar, not what he is selling in the course. 

Kern knows psychology so well that he actually even embeds subtle stuff into his videos which you would never pick up on.  For example, if you pay attention to his videos, you will notice that they almost always progress over the course of a video to end up at a beach or giant house as his final destination.  A psychological trigger for the journey you want to take yourself.  He also portrays himself as an “aww shucks” not-so-bright average guy, when in reality, it could not be further from the truth.  

But it sells like crazy. Because most of the people who buy are those not-so-bright guys.  They see this person they can relate to, driving a Ferarri and living on the beach, and they think they can do it too.  Sadly, 99.99% can’t and never could.  But that don’t stop them from shelling out $2000 for a one month course for a shot at the dream.  They are paying for the hope, not the content.

 

Using emotion yourself 

I have no idea what you sell. But next time you are building a marketing campaign, try using emotional triggers.  If you are a new IM product developer, don’t sell the course or eBook, sell the lifestyle that they want to have as a result of learning the stuff of the course.  If you are selling perfume, don’t sell the smell, sell the attention of the husband or boyfried that they want. If you are selling your blog, don’t sell the content you are publishing, think about your audience, and sell whatever feeling they are looking for. 

And finally – If you are selling erection pills, please stop emailing me. I’m good.
 

That’s it for today. Be cool.

JJ

Just in case you haven’t seen in.  The infamous “Leave Britney Alone” video.

And the equally funny, Leave Chris Crocker Alone video