How to Use Emotions to Supercharge Your Sales in 2024

While B2B purchasing decisions may seem driven purely by logic and reason, the reality is that emotions are always bubbling beneath the surface, influencing choices on a subconscious level. As the founder of VorsightBP puts it, "Every decision is emotional."

Behavioral science backs this up. Research has shown that emotions are a critical ingredient in nearly all decisions. When faced with a choice, we draw on emotions from past experiences to determine the perceived value of our options. These feelings create preferences that guide our decision making.

What does this mean for you as a salesperson? It means that if your pitch doesn‘t strike an emotional chord with prospects, you‘re missing out on a huge opportunity to influence the sale. Appealing to your prospect‘s emotions is the key to gaining an edge, especially in competitive and commoditized markets.

But not all emotions are created equal when it comes to driving buying behavior. According to sales expert Geoffrey James, there are six primary feelings that impact purchasing decisions:

1. Greed

Greed gets a bad rap, but the desire to gain rewards and benefits is a fundamental part of human motivation. We all want to get ahead, whether that means making more money, earning a promotion, or gaining an advantage over the competition.

When selling to prospects driven by greed, you want to emphasize the personal wins attached to your product. How will it benefit them as an individual? Maybe it will make them look like a rockstar to their boss, putting them on the fast-track to a corner office. Or perhaps it will give their team an edge over the competition. Whatever the case, paint a vivid picture of how your offering will satisfy their ambitions.

It‘s also critical to clearly spell out the ROI of your product. Come armed with case studies, data, and testimonials proving the monetary gains realized by customers. The more dollar signs you can wave in front of your prospect, the better.

Some power words to evoke greed include:

• Reward
• Gain
• Valuable
• Profitable
• Advantage
• Results
• Exclusive

2. Fear

On the flip side of greed, fear is an equally strong motivating force. As the saying goes, "nothing concentrates the mind like a hanging." When people perceive a threat to their wellbeing, they‘re compelled to take action to avoid that negative outcome.

As a salesperson, you can use fear to your advantage by highlighting the dire consequences of not using your product. What does your prospect stand to lose by sticking with the status quo? Money, market share, their competitive edge?

Storytelling is your friend here. Come to the conversation prepared with cautionary tales of companies that failed to adapt and paid the price. Bonus points if you can share the story of a prospect who passed on your product and later came to regret it.

Beyond the business impact, don‘t be afraid to (subtly) mention the personal consequences to your contact. Could indecision put their reputation at risk? Their chance at a promotion? No one wants to be the person who dropped the ball, so leverage that inherent aversion to loss.

Fear power words include:

• Risk
• Threat
• Consequences
• Loss
• Damage
• Missing out
• Left behind
• Costly

3. Altruism

Not every emotion you appeal to has to be selfish. Altruism, the desire to help others, can be a powerful inspiration for action.

Even the most profit-driven executives want to feel like they‘re doing some good in the world and improving people‘s lives. Your job is to show them how your product makes that possible.

Emphasize how your offering will benefit the company‘s employees, customers, community, or even society at large. Maybe it will make people‘s jobs easier or customers‘ lives better. Perhaps it will free up company resources to support local charities. Or it could contribute to the company‘s sustainability efforts.

The more you can demonstrate how your product aligns with your prospect‘s values and enables them to make a positive impact, the more influential your pitch will be.

Some altruism power words:

• Benefit
• Contribute
• Empower
• Improve
• Greater good
• Help
• Support

4. Envy

They may not admit it, but every company wants to keep up with the Joneses (or the Kardashians, as the case may be). The fear of being overshadowed by the competition can be a huge motivator.

Leverage this by mentioning big-name competitors that are using your product. Even better if you can share concrete results they‘ve achieved. No company wants to get left behind while their rivals surge ahead.

You can also cite industry research and benchmarks to show where the market is heading and which best practices are becoming standard. The aim is to make your prospect worry that they‘re falling behind the curve.

Envy power words:

• Competitive edge
• Industry-leading
• Best-in-class
• Cutting-edge
• Advantage
• Outperform
• Ahead of the pack

5. Pride

Everyone likes to feel good about themselves. If you can show prospects how your product will boost their self-image and reputation, you‘ll be tapping into a powerful motivator.

Maybe your offering will help them crush their quarterly targets, earning the envy and admiration of their colleagues. Perhaps it will enable them to spearhead a new initiative that gets the CEO‘s attention. Or it could empower them to deliver a presentation at an upcoming conference.

Look for opportunities to make your prospect feel important, respected, and successful. The more your product feels like a status symbol, the more irresistible it will be.

Pride power words include:

• Leadership
• Influence
• Authority
• Prestige
• Respect
• Accomplish
• Impress

6. Shame

On the darker side of pride lies shame. None of us wants to feel inadequate, stupid, or irresponsible. While you have to be very careful not to be insulting, subtly implying how your prospect might feel if they make the wrong choice can be extremely persuasive.

For example, you might mention how frustrating it would be to have to explain to the CEO why the company wasted money and missed targets due to outdated technology. Or ask how their team would feel if they had to work twice as hard to keep up with competitors who invested in better tools.

The key is to focus the shame on the consequences of inaction, not your prospect as a person. Make them more afraid of what will happen if they don‘t buy than if they do.

Some subtle shame power words:

• Mistake
• Waste
• Inefficient
• Unreliable
• Frustrating
• Missed opportunity
• Falling short

Putting It All Together

The most effective emotional selling strategy incorporates multiple feelings that all work together to inspire action. The key is understanding which emotions will resonate most with each individual prospect.

That requires doing your research and asking probing questions to understand their goals, fears, values, and pressure points. Once you know what makes them tick, you can tailor your messaging to strike the right chord.

Of course, all of this has to be done authentically and ethically. You‘re not trying to manipulate your prospect, but rather demonstrate how your product will get them the emotional results they want, whether that‘s pride, security, or the thrill of victory.

When you master the art of emotional selling, you won‘t just close more deals. You‘ll build deeper relationships, earn more trust, and inspire more loyalty over the long run. And that‘s the foundation of sales success in 2024 and beyond.