Emotion Eats Logic for Breakfast

 

In my workshops, I am always confronted with opposition and astonishment when I make it clear that we make all decisions one hundred percent emotionally (and then justify them rationally). Furthermore, the strongest motivation for decisions is the avoidance or reduction of “pain,” especially anticipated pain.

Ambition and pleasure always come second when making decisions. So does logic. Salespeople need to know this.

These facts, proven by countless studies, are currently receiving blatant and tragic confirmation from the novel coronavirus and the decisions associated with it. Even in Switzerland, shelves of pasta and rice are being bought up out of fear. Unbelievable!

You can use the mechanisms that become visible in this process in a positive way for your business and leadership at any time if you want to get people to act:

  1. Proximity. The more immediate the perceived threat, the stronger the emotional reaction. This also applies to positive incentives. If they are very close to your person, then a predictable reaction occurs, which is often completely irrational.
  2. Peer pressure. When more and more people believe in the same threat, the actual threat becomes almost irrelevant. The collective belief of as many as possible in the threat or the positive moves mountains. You can use this idea for any change initiative.
  3. Momentum. The higher the speed of the threat approaching the people, the more strongly the collective behavior is influenced. That is why it is so important in change programs to generate a high momentum.

If you would like to talk about the conclusions and how to use these insights for your company, simply ➔ click here to request a call.

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