Neuromarketing
Neuromarketing
«Most decisions are made by emotions that are much less rational than we believe.» With Neuromarketing you can considerably improve your marketing and sales results.
The 5 Areas With the following 5 areas, each of which gives you valuable insight into the science of Neuromarketing, we show how you can find the path to the «buy buttons» in your customer’s brain. Our services include research, coaching, creative services and training programs. !
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The 3 Brains The 6 Stimuli The 4 Steps The 6 Message Blocks The 7 Message Boosters
gecon swiss
management consulting
2013-06-07
1 | 11
Neuromarketing
1. The 3 Brains In the last decade, incredible progress has been made in understanding the human brain. Some of the learning can be applied to how consumers make buying decisions. How are decisions made in the human brain? To answer this question we must first look at the physiological structure of the brain. In addition to the Right Brain and Left Brain, the brain is organized in three parts, which act as separate organs with different cellular structures and different functions.
On the way to the development of the human brain, mankind went through several phases. First there was the brain stem and a cerebellum, which constitute the inner and most primitive parts of our brain. The brain stem especially is the part of the brain that overseas such functions as reproduction, self-preservation, circulation of the blood, breathing, sleeping, and the contractions of muscles in response to external stimulation. It sits on top of the spinal column at the base of the skull and is called the Reptilian Brain, so named because all vertebrates from reptiles to mammals have one, and functions in principle still like the brain of a crocodile. This is the part of our brain that ultimately controls actions and decisions. Research in neurosciences demonstrates that although the three brains communicate with each other, each one has a specialized function: !
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The Forebrain – or New Brain – consists of cerebrum and diencephalon, is responsible for the thinking and is thus also called Cognitive Brain. It processes rational data and shares its deductions with the other two brains. The Middle Brain – also called Limbic Brain or Feeling Brain – is especially responsible for the feelings. It processes emotions, intuition and gut feelings and also share its findings with the other two brains. The Reptilian Brain – Rhomb encephalon – consists of stem and a cerebellum and is responsible, besides the physical basic functions and the self-preservation, also for aggression and decisions and is therefore also called Decision Brain. It takes input from the other two brains but it controls the final decision making process.
Once you know that the true decision-maker is the Reptilian Brain, your entire marketing and sales strategy should apply completely different communication principles in order to be impactful.
gecon swiss
management consulting
2013-06-07
2 | 11
Neuromarketing
2. The 6 Stimuli The most primitive part of our human brain is referred to as the Reptilian Brain. Although it controls the most complex of life sustaining functions such as breathing, heart rate, etc., it is remarkably simple in terms of what types of stimuli trigger its attention. There is a simple language that you can use to stimulate the Reptilian Brain and it consists of the following 6 stimuli.
Egocentric The Reptilian Brain is a very egocentric entity and general considerations about others do not reach it. Think of the Reptilian Brain as the centre of ME. Do not assume that it has any patience or empathy for anything that does not immediately concern its survival and well-being.
Contrast Before/after, with/without, slow/fast, all allow the Reptilian Brain to decide. Contrast is a safe decision engine. It allows the Reptilian Brain to make quick and safe decisions. Without contrast, the Reptilian Brain enters a state of confusion, which ultimately results in delaying decisions.
Tangible Numbers work for the «thinking» Forebrain, but the Reptilian Brain won’t decide based on numbers alone. The Reptilian Brain is constantly scanning for what is familiar and friendly, what can be recognized quickly, what is tangible and immutable. The Reptilian Brain cannot process concepts like «flexible solution», «integrated approach», or «scalable architecture» without efforts and doubts.
Beginning and End The Reptilian Brain forgets most everything in the middle. This short attention span has huge implications on how to construct and deliver powerful messages. Placing the most important content at the beginning is a must, and repeating it at the end an imperative. Keep in mind that anything you say in the middle of your delivery will be mostly overlooked.
gecon swiss
management consulting
2013-06-07
3 | 11
Neuromarketing
Visual The Reptilian Brain is visual. Neuroscience demonstrates that when you see something that looks like a snake, your Reptilian Brain warns you instantly of danger so that you react even before the New Brain physically recognizes that it’s a snake. This implies that visual processing enters the Reptilian Brain first which can lead to very fast and effective connection to the true decisionmaker.
Emotions Although it is the Middle Brain, which is basically responsible for feelings and emotions, also the Reptilian Brain is strongly triggered by emotions. Neuroscience has clearly demonstrated that «emotional cocktails» create chemical reactions that directly impact the way we memorize and finally decide and act.
3. The 4 Steps The «4 Steps» are the core process of Neuromarketing. This simple 4-step process helps you navigate and influence your customer’s brain. By following these 4 Steps, you will create and deliver powerful messages that trigger affirmative decisions in record time.
1. Diagnose the PAIN The Reptilian Brain is, as said above, egocentric and only concerned about survival. It wants to avoid Pain and frustrations. It is not your product or service that the Reptilian Brain wants; it is what you can do to relieve its Pain. You must «dig» beyond the needs and wants of your customers to unveil their subconscious Pains.
No Pain – No Gain There are countless examples of products and services marketed without a sophisticated understanding of the specific Pains they are supposed to eliminate. Even with multi-million dollar advertising campaigns, they ultimately fail. Though we cannot reduce the complex and mystical paradigms underlying every human decision, buying patterns are more predictable than generally believed.
The Reptilian Brain is Egocentric Under the stress of making a purchasing decision, the egocentricity of the Reptilian Brain plays a central role in controlling the final decision. That’s why you need to quickly identify the Pain of your audience if you want to get immediate attention. But how?
gecon swiss
management consulting
2013-06-07
4 | 11
Neuromarketing
Answer the following 4 Questions: ! ! ! !
What is the source of the Pain? What is the intensity of the Pain? What are the worst consequences for not eliminating the Pain? Is the Pain acknowledged?
Source of the Pain Identifying the source of the Pain is like taking pulse at the right vein of a patient. It is the best way to assess the nature of the Pain and therefore a first step toward making sure your product or service is designed to bring effective relief.
Intensity of the Pain Learn to diagnose early in your selling process whether the Pain addressed by your solution is of high or low intensity and to detect the high intensity Pains and focus on them.
Worst Consequences Knowing the source of the Pain helps qualify the tension driving the intent to buy; knowing the intensity helps measure the meaning of the tension; identifying the consequences validates whether or not your customer has powerful and compelling reasons to cure the Pain.
Acknowledged Pain It is a critical part of the Selling Process to make the customer acknowledge his/her Pain. Think about the last time you went to see a doctor. Most likely, after answering questions related to your ailment, you were asked to confirm that the diagnostic made by the doctor was a correct assessment of the source of the Pain.
2. Differentiate Your CLAIMS The Reptilian Brain is activated by sharp contrast. Claims allow the Reptilian Brain to contrast your offers with those of your competitors. Without Claims, you look like your competitors and it is impossible for the Reptilian Brain to make a decision.
No Claim – No Fame If you are not selling something that is clearly unique, you are selling as much for your competitors as for yourself. You must highlight the uniqueness of your solutions to succeed. We believe that Claims solve limitations of existing inventions the same way your brand’s uniqueness should solve the pains of your clients.
gecon swiss
management consulting
2013-06-07
5 | 11
Neuromarketing
Discover Your Claims! ! ! !
List the 3 Top-Pains as uncovered during your diagnostic process. Describe which unique features your products or services offer to eliminate these Pains. Describe the resulting benefits and added values as experienced by your customers.
One Final Word Before you validate Claims, make sure you know your competitors and their products and services. And remember, ultimately it’s the customers who decide to which degree they see your Claims as credible and defendable features. So put the Claims in front of a good sample of customers before using them.
3. Demonstrate the GAIN The third step is about to demonstrate the Gain, because to decide, the sceptical Reptilian Brain must see tangible and fast evidence of the value of your offering. In order to decide in your favour, you must demonstrate that the benefits and value of your offering are greater than expenses and costs.
No Evidence – No Confidence If the Gain – benefits and values – is greater than expenses and costs , your customers would be foolish not to buy. But it doesn’t always work that way.
Why? Because the Reptilian Brain is sceptical. It needs concrete evidence before it can commit to a decision. This means that rather than «talking» about the value, you need to «prove» it. Selling to the Reptilian Brain is a Game of Gain and Added Value!
Buying Commitment rather than Buying Decision Most sales books focus on accelerating the buying decision instead of solidifying the commitment to buy. If you present a strong proof of Gain, you do not need to create an «artificial urgency». It will be built into your message. Why would your customer delay a buying decision if you have proven the Gain and added value they will get?
There are 3 different Categories of Gain: 1. The Financial Gain The Return On Investment (ROI) is maximized when the customer sees measurable return on hes purchase like saving money or increasing revenue or even boosting profit.
2. The Strategic Gain It consists of benefits and added values that are less measurable yet provide significant enhancements to your business such as increased quality, product diversification, shorter
gecon swiss
management consulting
2013-06-07
6 | 11
Neuromarketing
market cycles, access to new markets, etc. The Strategic Gain cannot always be translated into financial value.
3. The Personal Gain It is achieved when your customer’s employees experience peace of mind, more fun, sense of accomplishment, self-satisfaction, pride of ownership, improved chances for a promotion or a better compensation, etc.
4. Deliver to the REPTILIAN BRAIN The final step concerns how to deliver messages that go beyond words to grab the attention of your customer’s Reptilian Brain. You will discover and practice selling techniques that capture and grab attention early and create presentations that are filled with the visual stimuli and emotions that reach the Reptilian Brain.
No Contact – No Impact Being unique by differentiating your claims and proving your value by demonstrating the gain are vital steps in impacting your audience. But alone, they are not enough. The most solid and logical message, though it may be of interest to your prospect, will still not trigger a buying decision unless the Reptilian Brain understands. Delivering your message with maximum impact to influence the real decision maker, the Reptilian Brain, truly gives you the edge.
«The 6 Stimuli » The 6 stimuli, that particularly stimulate the Reptilian Brain, are absolutely to be considered creating the message. It is these stimuli that are finally creating the impact the Reptilian Brain needs to enter into a commitment to buy. («The 6 Stimuli» see page 2) The following «6 Message Blocks» and «7 Message Boosters» therefore always also refer and take into account «The 6 Stimuli». !
gecon swiss
management consulting
2013-06-07
7 | 11
Neuromarketing
4. The 6 Message Blocks In this section we show how to build a message with the upmost impact to the Reptilian Brain by using 6 simple Message Blocks. These Message Blocks are a powerful set of tools that can be used as a template for any delivery of your offering to customers such as powerpoint sales presentations, emails, brochures, leaflets, advertisements, spots, etc. Each Message Block engages one or more of «The 6 stimuli» that speak specifically to the Reptilian Brain.
Grabber Engaging Stimulus: Beginning and End For survival reasons, it is in the best interest of the Reptilian Brain to be most alert at the beginning and end of an interaction especially when change or an unknown factor could cause danger. It is therefore of utmost importance to Grab your customer’s attention early in the delivery of your message. We show proven methods to present your value upfront and trigger your customer’s interest in your presentation.
Claims: 1–2–3 Engaging Stimulus: Contrast In the delivery of any message, you want your customers to leave with a solid understanding of your unique Claims and how you are different from your competitors. To help your customers remember your Claims, they should be short and relevant. One way to test the relevance of your Claims is to see if they pass the TOP-Test: your Claims should be Therapeutic (solve the Pains of your customer), Original (differentiate you from your competitors) and Provable (satisfy the Reptilian Brain’s need for tangible input). It is also crucial that you repeat your Claims several times throughout your message to reinforce their importance.
Big Picture Engaging stimulus: Visual An enormous body of scientific research has proven that the Reptilian Brain registers images long before the New Brain can recognize or analyze them. A picture says more than a thousand words when it comes to delivering messages with impact. The Big Picture is a visual display of your offering that needs little or no words to convey the value you bring to your customers. Another possibility is the use of the Contrasted Big Picture where the first picture shows the Pain of your customer without benefit of your solution and the second illustrates the relief of Pain through the use of your solution. This option further engages the Reptilian Brain through the use of the contrasted stimulus.
gecon swiss
management consulting
2013-06-07
8 | 11
Neuromarketing
Proof of Gain Engaging stimulus: Tangible The core of your message should be your Proofs of Gain. Don’t expect your customers to believe in a solution that does not have tangible evidence to back it up. This also taps into the self-centred focus of the Reptilian Brain that constantly asks himself: «what’s in it for me?» We show you how to communicate all levels (financial, strategic and personal) of your Gain to your customer and how to maximize your Proof of Gain.
Handling Objections Engaging stimulus: Emotions Objections are often not rooted in logic. They are the visible part of how your customer perceives you, your products and your company. Some Objections are due to misunderstandings, others however, are valid, and very often the Objection is triggered by the fear of making a wrong decision. With different methods we contribute both to resolve the confusion and to remove the Ob jections with the right emotional impact that engages the Reptilian Brain of your customer.
Close Engaging stimuli: All If you have successfully followed our 4-step-method, and have designed your message to impact the Reptilian Brain, your customer should be ready to buy. In summary, you will have: Diagnosed the Pains of your customer ( egocentric stimulus); Differentiated your Claims to show the unique relief you can offer ( contrast stimulus); Demonstrated the Gain of your solution ( tangible stimulus); Delivered your message to the Reptilian Brain, the true decision maker, using the Message Blocks (all stimuli plus egocentric , contrast , tangible, beginning and end , emotions and visual ). Now you must repeat your Claims one last time ( beginning and end stimuli) and ask two simple questions: «What do you think?» and «Where do we go from here?» We help and support you to grasp the hidden values of these questions and to find the most effective way to present them to your customers and to finally bring them not only to a Decision to Buy, but rather to a Commitment to Buy, and thus to a Close. ! !
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gecon swiss
management consulting
2013-06-07
9 | 11
Neuromarketing
5. The 7 Message Boosters In this final section we show how to increase the impact of each Message Block by using 7 techniques that boost the response of the Reptilian Brain to your message.
Use « You» Using the word You makes your customers take ownership of your solution. The Reptilian Brain is self-centred, so the best way you can help your prospects understand «what’s in it for them» is to use or say the word You. By wording with You, your customer’s Reptilian Brain will unconsciously experience owning and using your solution. Your messages instantly become more personal and the customer will feel you are genuinely interested in helping solve their Pain.
Be Credible Your passion, energy and conviction can be sensed by the Reptilian Brain of your audience. We show you how to maximize your overall impact by mastering the 6 Credibility factors: Creativity, Fearlessness, Passion, Integrity, Accessibility and Expressiveness.
Show Contrast When you create a sharp difference between the Pain your customers experience before your solution, and the relief of the Pain with your solution, you create more impact on the Reptilian Brain, which helps it make a decision. In the absence of such a Contrast, especially when customers have difficulty distinguishing between your solution and others, the decision making process often grinds to a halt.
Trigger Emotions Customers often forget how painful their problems really are. Demonstrate to your customer again and clearly their Pain and make it personal. Strong Emotions create a cocktail of hormones in the brain that act as a memory maker and as a decision trigger.
gecon swiss
management consulting
2013-06-07
10 | 11
Neuromarketing
Vary Learning Styles Most messages are only Auditory. If you include the three other Learning Styles – Visual, Kinesthetic and Communicative – you will keep your audience engaged. Varying Learning Styles keeps the Reptilian Brain attentive and gives every member of the audience an opportunity to receive information through the channel they are most comfortable with.
Tell Stories Because the Reptilian Brain cannot differentiate between reality and a Story well told, Stories are soft, but highly effective influencers. Good Stories make a concept Visual and Tangible. A good Story can make your presentation personal and generate powerful Emotions in your audience.
Less Is More Make every second, every object, and every word of your message count. Remove everything from your message that has no direct value to your customers. Moreover, customers will appreciate that your messages can be delivered in half the time, but with more impact. Brevity is the source of wit!
gecon swiss
management consulting
2013-06-07
11 | 11
