How We Decide

How We DecideHelping guide customers through

the decision making process

Greg Billings

Persuading

appeals to logic

appeals to reason

appeals to status

appeals to emotion

Guiding

insight into needs and preferences

Where do they want to go?

awareness of their psyche

What is their state of mind?

Visceral reactions - Body english

Plato

A mind divided

Reason

Emotion

427-347 BCE

Understanding the Process

How We Decide Jonah Leherer

A Mind Of Its Own Robert A. Burton M.D.

On Being Certain Cordelia Fine

Gut Feelings Gerd Gigerenzer

The Brain

Upper Brain

Prefrontal Cortex Math

Reason

Logic

Do the math

A 14 oz. box - $4.29

Store brand Toasted Oats $2.49

Name brand on sale. 2 for $6.00 or (three variables)

marginal cost of the extra box. $1.71

= 31 cents per oz.

= 18 cents per oz.

= 21.3 cents per oz.

= 12 cents per oz.

Cypherin’ on the flyGenius = 6 variables

Really smart people = 4 variables

Most of us = 3 variables

Too many facts will confuse your customers The Prefrontal Cortex shuts down

Lower Brain

Lust

Impulsive Behavior

Intuition

Gut Feel

Gut Feel

Gut feel is your lower brain doing the math automatically and factoring in the sum of your life experience, biases and preferences.

Gut feel is highly reliable. And once you get past 3 variables, more reliable than your analytical abilities.

The Brain is an Argument

The Communication Link

Emotional Monitor

Trauma renders us unable to make a decision

The rational and emotional brains are going to have to be in agreement for a decision to occur.

Dopamine

Nucleus Accumbens

Happiness, Contentment

Dopamine Reward System

Kicks in when shoppers find an item of interest

Rationalization begins

Nothing is less rational than

rationalization

the process of constructing a logical justification for a belief or decision

the brain forcing itself to agreement

rationalization is a strong buying sign

The Trap of Certainty

Disagreement = Anxiety - Apprehension

Agreement triggers dopamine

Most of us won’t change political party or religion after early adulthood.

It’s why people watch FOX NEWS !

Dismiss contrary evidence

Seek confirmation

When a customer seeks confirmation the argument is over.

I’ve made up my mind!

• ...... don’t confuse me with facts

Helping Customers Make Decisions

Qualify wants as well as needs early on

Plant notions your client can subconsciously draw upon when it’s time to make a decision

Quickly connect product features to a benefit important to the client

Limit the number of features to three. Limit the number of choices to three

Present easy choices. Irresistible options

When a client asks for confirmation........

• Give it!