Increase sales through story-telling

Michael D. Harris, CEO, Insight Demand and author of Insight Selling, writes in his  article, When to Sell with Facts and Figures, and When to Appeal to Emotions in Harvard Business Review (January 26, 2015)  that, in recent years, psychologists and behavioural economists have shown that  emotional decisions are neither irrational nor irresponsible. Such decisions are based on a deeply empirical mental processing system that is capable of effortlessly processing millions of bits of data without getting overwhelmed, according to him.

“Harvard Business School Professor Gerald Zaltman says that 95% of our purchase decisions take place unconsciously – but why, then, are we not able to look back through our decision history, and find countless examples of emotional decisions?” he said. “Because our conscious mind will always make up reasons to justify our unconscious decisions.”

Harris recommends that providing an experience that creates the desired emotion among the customer is the ideal way to influence him/ her. “One of the best ways for a customer to experience your complex product is by sharing a vivid customer story. Research has shown that stories can activate the region of the brain that processes sights, sounds, tastes, and movement.”