Logical vs. Emotional Needs

If you’re like most people, you travel the 4 blocks to get the cheaper watch, but you don’t go the 4 blocks to get the cheaper TV.  Logically, the decision is the same. Do I travel 4 blocks to save $30? If we acted logically all the time, everyone would answer both questions the same way…but we don’t.  The television is a larger purchase and we’ll likely feel more emotionally vested into the purchase experience. Certainly the $30 savings is much smaller on a percentage basis with the television vs. with the watch.  The relative context fools us and the emotional attachment to the larger purchase drives our behavior more than the logic does.

So what matters?  The logic or the emotion?  They both do.  The key is that too often, salespeople learn about and address logical needs only, when it is often the emotional needs that can be the stronger drivers of buyer decision-making.  Have you ever convinced yourself that a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup is healthy because the peanut butter has protein? We often justify with logic what we want emotionally! When we ask top performers what they do to satisfy both logical AND emotional needs, here’s what they tell us:

• Ask deeper questions.  If we are selling to a marketing executive and we ask about her goals, she may tell us she wants to be #1 in the Chicago market.  Most of us stop there and then present a solution aligned with that goal. Being #1 in Chicago is logical. Why is being #1 in Chicago so important to your business?  To you? What will the impact be? The answers to these questions will draw out emotional hot buttons like pride, satisfaction of beating the competition, or giving the executive the confidence to help her earn a promotion.  Tailoring your solution to these emotional needs (as well as to the logical need of being #1) is much more likely to result in a sale.
• It’s you, not your product.  Pita Pit is a chain restaurant located in several college towns, and other areas with a lot of young adults.  Like several other quick serve restaurants, you get a decent sandwich, chips, and a drink for under $10—logical needs are met.  So why is the line often around the corner at Pita Pit? Employees are always friendly, helpful and act like they want to be there.  The way they deliver their product makes customers enjoy the experience and they “feel” good (emotionally) about it. Many products are becoming more and more commoditized.  So you must differentiate with your service, which addresses emotional needs. How can you make your clients feel special, important, and genuinely happy to work with you? YOU do this (e.g. by being responsive, by exceeding expectations, etc.); your product usually doesn’t.  
• Use empathy.  We’re taught as salespeople to uncover problems and to identify the prospect’s “pain.”  As we learn about the problems we often become excited when we start to think about how we can solve them (and make a sale.)  Sometimes this enthusiasm can be conveyed in a way that addresses the wrong emotions: Wow, you’re really in trouble here…  This sentiment makes the prospect feel worse about his situation, and the biggest problem is that the current troublesome situation may be the direct result of a previous decision made by the buyer you’re selling to!  Instead of making the buyer feel worse, use empathy (and ask further questions) when you uncover problems with approaches like: It’s good that you’re addressing this now…We’re having this same conversation with several other forward thinking managers…How has your team been dealing with this so far?  This approach compliments the prospect and makes him feel like he is not the only one experiencing this problem.  Now we are making the prospect feel positively about the idea of working with you and addressing the right emotions.

To serve your clients and prospects best:  ask deeper questions; focus on your service, not just your product; and use empathy.  You’ll be addressing both logical AND emotional needs and you’ll be even more successful than you already are!