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Customers Buy Emotionally and Rationalize With Logic

All customer motivation is driven by irrational fears, desires, and fantasies. People make emotional decisions first, then use logic to justify them afterward — not the other way around. Think about golf club buyers: they don't calculate the rational value of 17 cents per drive improvement. They imagine their friends seeing the club in their bag and being impressed. Then they do the math to rationalize it. Your marketing works the same way — humans direct their attention consciously on rare occasions, but most of the time thinking happens automatically. Your clients have urgent problems that command their complete involuntary attention — those are the lions. Your marketing should speak to those lions. Speak to what they can't stop thinking about, not to your credentials.

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All customer motivation is driven by irrational fears, desires, and fantasies. People make emotional decisions first, then use logic to justify them afterward — not the other way around. Think about golf club buyers: they don't calculate the rational value of 17 cents per drive improvement. They imagine their friends seeing the club in their bag and being impressed. Then they do the math to rationalize it. Your marketing works the same way — humans direct their attention consciously on rare occasions, but most of the time thinking happens automatically. Your clients have urgent problems that command their complete involuntary attention — those are the lions. Your marketing should speak to those lions. Speak to what they can't stop thinking about, not to your credentials.

Relevant Clips6

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    Write About the Problem Consuming Their Attention Right Now

    Focus on the specific problem your client is currently experiencing that has captured their attention, rather than promoting your credentials. Write about their urgent challenge, like weight loss or business struggles, because they can't stop thinking about it.

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    Lions on Safari: How Urgent Problems Command Attention

    Just like everyone stops and looks when someone says 'lion' on safari, your clients have urgent problems that command their complete attention. Your marketing should speak to those 'lions' in their life - the challenges they can't stop thinking about.

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    Golf Club Buyers Decide Emotionally Then Rationalize With Math

    Golf club buyers don't calculate the rational value (17 cents per drive improvement). Instead, they imagine friends seeing the club in their golf bag and being impressed, make the emotional decision, then rationalize it with math afterward.

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    Marketing Works by Speaking to Involuntary Attention

    Humans can direct their attention consciously, but usually thinking happens automatically. Marketing works by identifying what already has your client's involuntary attention - their urgent problems - and speaking to that focused state.

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    Clients Ignore Credentials When Focused on Their Urgent Problem

    Clients don't care about your credentials when they're focused on their urgent problems. They're looking for solutions to what's consuming their attention, not impressive qualifications or glamour shots.

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    Emotion Decides, Logic Rationalizes

    All customer motivation is driven by irrational fears, desires, thoughts and fantasies. People make emotional decisions first, then use logic to rationalize them afterward, not the other way around.

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