I’ll let you in on a secret: This isn’t just for 2023. It’s for as long as humans exist because human nature doesn’t change.

Ok. Here they are…

1.      Fear

If you’re a salesperson, you already know this. You find out what the prospect’s pain point is as it relates to your product or service. You focus on that pain point. By mirroring their language and showing empathy, you build rapport with the prospect.

You paint a picture of what would happen if the prospect does not buy your solution to their problems.

Maybe you tell them you’re offering 20% off until the end of the month.

Most of these sales tactics you learn early in your career are designed to exploit fear.

And it is very effective.

One example of this is how major media outlets garner millions of views:

News businesses like NBC, ABC, CNN, and Fox often create headlines that make you want to read more – Words they often use are, “war,” “dead,” “fire,” “wreck.” It’s because these words trigger fear.

And if fear is triggered, it captures your attention.

They capture your attention and sell it to advertisers… hmm… attention brokers!

2.      Greed

While fear is an involuntary response to a threat, greed is a desire to accumulate wealth, far beyond your needs.

It’s funny… we are all somewhat greedy. We all have an “inner greed” that is just waiting to be activated.

You know those ads that start with…

·        “Here’s how I’m going to make you rich”

·        “Trust me. Buy my course and you’ll be able to afford a mansion like mine”

·        “I’m sitting in my Lamborghini right now because I picked the stock of the decade!”

Don’t tell me you don’t know what I’m talking about… I know you know!

Appealing to the greed in humans is also effective.

3.      Pride

You might bethinking greed and pride are similar. They are not. Pride is associated with status, not an accumulation of wealth.

The desire to feel respected and important. Not necessarily the desire to get rich.

Brands like Rolex, Porsche, Louis Vitton, and other designer brands appeal to this desire effectively.

Why would you buy a Louis Vitton bag for $6,000 when you could get one of similar function and material for $100 (or even less)?

Some Rolexes retail for $75,000 – One guy named Paul Newman actually bought one at an auction for $17.8 million.

The average cost of a Porsche is well over $120,000. Or I could buy a brand-new, fuel-efficient Toyota Camry for a quarter of that price.

But driving a Porsche, wearing a Rolex, walking around in a Louis Vitton bag, makes us feel special. It makes us feel important.

Appeal to the emotion of pride when you can. It is powerful. It is underrated.

4.      Love

For 25-years, Gone with The Wind was the #1 highest-grossing film.

It’s a romance film you’ve probably heard of – it’s about a plantation owner’s daughter, around the time of the civil war, pursuing love. The entire movie, there is one thing viewers are craving to find out: Will Scarlett find and be with her true love, happily ever after?

It’s fascinating…that one question is what keeps us engaged throughout the movie.

This form of love is romance.

But love can be expressed in many other ways.

Humans have an intense desire to feel loved and cared for. Some psychologists argue that it’s a fundamental need along with food, water, and shelter.

Even more intriguing, we have the same intense desire to love for and care for others as well. Our brain craves it both ways. To love and to be loved.

Nonprofit organizations that raise a lot of money appeal to this emotion well.

Think:

·        Feeding America

·        American Red Cross

·        International Rescue Committee

Charities rely on generous donations – and people give. A lot.

Feeding America received $4.1 billion in donations in 2021.

We all want to feel loved, but we also all want to give love.

Tap into the human desire to want to give. It works.

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