Going on the premise that 90% of buying decisions are generated at the unseen emotional level and the remaining 10% from the logical perspective it would make more sense to focus your attention and skills training on how to tap into the emotional side of your customers. In addition, it would make even more sense to focus on your ability to transfer your positive emotions to your target customer.
There’s a super awesome TED talk by Simon Sinek How Great Leaders Inspire Action where he goes into some detail about how great leaders communicate to their colleagues & customers.
His simple formula flips the conventional marketing formula which normally begins with what your product is and how it works and why you should buy it onto it’s head. Simon’s unique insight shows how great leaders like Steve Jobs and Richard Branson inspire their people and their customers by communicating in a contrarian style which always begins with “Why” then “How” followed by “What.”
Traditional Messaging
VS
Inspirational Messaging
This diagram illustrates how successful leaders communicate their messages to their people and how this message gets translated into the market place. When you communicate from a place of “Why” then “How” and lastly “What” you end up with a marketing message that resonates rather than repulses your target audience.
Here’s an example of a marketing message using the “What – How – Why” messaging.
“We’ve got the best product in the world (What) which will help you solve all your current challenges (How) so you should buy it now while quantities last (Why).”
When you reverse this marketing message you end up with…
“We passionately believe in both magnifying and simplifying our customers lives (Why). We’ve worked tirelessly to create the easiest most effective widget to solve these challenges (How).Your dream life is within your grasp, so Be bold by Being one of the first to take advantage of this amazing offer (What). What are you waiting for?
Why and How focuses on the emotional “feeling” part of our limbic system. This part of our brain is responsible for trust, loyalty and emotions. It’s also responsible for all our decision making but has no capacity for language. Behaviour is driven from the limbic system which drives your gut feelings. While “What” captures our higher brain’s (neo-cortex). This part of the brain is responsible our rational and analytical thought including language.
Therefore, when we communicate from the inside out with our “Why” then “How” then “What,” we are communicating with people through the part of their brain that controls behaviour and then we allow their rational thought to take over from the tangible things we say and do.
To transform your company and your sales start practicing your communication style from the outside in and watch the transformation of your peoples behaviour. And by all means talk to your sales and marketing people about how they are communicating your company’s marketing messages to the world.
You’ll never sell the same again.
Dominic Kotarski – International Consultant | Author | Coach | Trainer | Speaker
Dominic Kotarski author of “The Making” – A Complete Sales Guide and Founder of Sales Success Academy
