Learn How to Persuade and Convince Your Customers

10/14/2015 - 5:33 p.m.

If you ever thought there had to be a science to selling, you need look no further than Roger Dooley’s book, Brainfluence: 100 Ways to Persuade and Convince Consumers with Neuromarketing, to validate your thinking. five-sense-neuro 

In 60 fast-paced chapters, Brainfluence explains how to practically apply neuroscience and behavior research to understand your customer’s decision patterns so you can provide better marketing.  Using the application of neuromarketing, readers can gain a better grasp of the way the brain responds to various cognitive and sensory marketing stimuli.  It is a handy guide to understanding what goes on in the heads of your customers. 

The premise of Brainfluence is that the research shows that people are not rational thinkers and that a great deal of the customer’s decision-making is actually based on subconscious factors.  The tactics that can be easily learned in this book about what works and doesn’t work to attract the minds of consumers can be used in face-to-face marketing, as well as both online and offline marketing.  In fact, one of the great things about this book is that it can be used as a great reference because you can dip into and out of chapters in any order you choose and still glean some fascinating information to put to use immediately.  

Split into 14 themed sections, Brainfluence is chock-full, (as the title says, 100 Ways), of some great ideas for persuading consumers to buy from you.  Here three that I found to be golden nuggets:


I. Remember the Senses

Dooley states that customer transactions are about more than facts and figures.  We have to figure out a way to excite the senses of the customer as well.  This is a little easier to do if your business is a Bath and Body Shop where the pleasant scent of soaps and lotions are expected, but you can still get created with this.  Even grocery stores have found what background music is more appealing to the average buyer and have found that sales go up if the buyer can be kept in the store longer.

Your business might not be a brick and mortar that sees a lot of customer foot traffic, but Dooley says that it is wise to control what you can.  “You can create a scent environment that is pleasant, memorable, and distinctive that reinforces your branding.  The scent will then trigger consumers' senses and create a desire for that the product or service.” 

Key Point: Do something to attract the senses of your prospects and customers.  

This can be everything from well-groomed, clean employees, to scented, relaxing offices, to flowers attached to the Thank-You card.  

II. Tell a Story

We all like to let our customers know how great our products are and what fabulous services we provide, but Dooley says that our brains are wired to process stories in a more engaged way.  He says that brain scan work shows that when people read a story with a lot of action elements, their brains actually mimic the motions.  If we only give our customers all facts and figures, we lose their attention.  In order to engage consumers, we need to tell them our story of the business.  Let them know how the business started, all the struggles and heartaches along the way.  

Share success stories from customers and those that have impacted the community in some way.

Key Point: Practice storytelling - even in your marketing and advertising pieces because stories have power. 

III. Be Responsive

Too many businesses today don’t take the time to respond to the feelings of the customer, particularly with consumer complaints.  Dooley points out one study that looked at people who complained via social media about a company or its products.  When customers received a prompt response—even if it wasn’t an actual apology—the majority of customers either removed their negative comment or revised it with a positive addendum. 

The company Xbox holds the Guinness World Record for prompt responses to customers via social media.  The company’s customer service rating is one of the highest in its industry simply because they are available to respond to questions and complaints.

Key Point: Make it a priority to personally respond to all customer complaints.  Even if the customer is wrong, show empathy and compassion for their feelings.  Your response sends a much stronger message than you’ll ever realize.

Brainfluence: 100 Ways to Persuade and Convince Consumers with Neuromarketing provides research that explains what works and doesn’t work for reaching and persuading your customers.  I suggest buying the book for yourself and your sales staff to get in touch with the softer side of consumers to better attract their feelings along with their sense of value and quality that your business has to offer.

Johnny Duncan, President of Duncan Consulting, Inc., is a business writer and consultant partnering with business leaders to provide workforce management solutions including leadership coaching, customer service training, people-to-job matches, copywriting, and conflict resolution.  He can be reached at johnny@duncanconsult.com or by calling 407-739-0718.

photo credit: Five Human Senses via photopin (license)

   Book Review