Understanding the Emotional Drivers of Client Decision-Making


There are three basic emotions that drive most client decisions, or actions, in financial services:

1. Fear

2. Greed

3. Love

The one we often shy away from is the first one: Fear.  I am going to suggest you might want to consider “slapping” some clients with it sometimes…not literally of course.  In fact, it isn’t really a slap as such, but a formula to use whenever the “fear” motive needs to be addressed, as it does on occasions.

Fear is a powerful motivator for many clients and while it shouldn’t be the primary driver in your marketing to clients, it shouldn’t be ignored either.  We shouldn’t fear using “fear” when it is appropriate, and provided it is genuine rather than unnecessary doom-mongering.  It is a primary emotion, and we do need to be aware of how to use it appropriately.

There is a simple formula that works well if you are addressing issues or topics from a “fear” perspective:

S.L.A.P.

Scare: The heading should address the fear up-front, and scare slightly

Lowdown: Give the lowdown on the fear…facts, figures, data….

And… 

Perturb: positively disturb at the end of the article…and show the way ahead.

…watch the video to learn more… 

Related: Enhance Prospect Engagement: Elevate Your Approach