“Perception is reality.”
That’s how my professor started every marketing class, repeating the words as a mantra until they became a permanent part of our thinking.
Even so, when you’re on the job and deadlines loom, it’s easy to forget.
We get so caught up in features and benefits, headlines and leads, offers and guarantees, we forget that a promotion’s success depends on the emotional connection we create, not the logic of our presentation.
The fact is, the emotional connection you create in a promotion can result in more conversions than just about any other copywriting tactic.
Let me explain…
Spock didn’t have anything on Montblanc
Think logic sells? Let me tell you a story.
I know a writer whose first purchase after publishing her first novel was a Montblanc pen. She was scheduling book signings, and couldn’t imagine sitting down at the table with any other pen.
I have to agree, it’s stunning: silver and royal purple resin, gold-plated clip, mother of pearl and pink topaz embellishments, engraved.
But it should be. It cost her $795.
My favorite pen, a Uni-Ball® Jetstream™, writes just as smoothly. But the simple fact is, it’s not the same. Why?
Because the Montblanc isn’t a mere pen. It’s quality, indulgence, status. It doesn’t just write. It says something about you.
Montblanc doesn’t even call it a pen. They call it a “writing instrument,” and when people see my friend using it, they know she’s arrived.
More importantly, she feels like a success. And for Montblanc, that perception is all that matters.
As marketers, we need to remember that it’s our customer’s emotional connection with a product that makes it special. If we can create (or even influence) the feelings people have about it, we can guarantee sales for years to come.
Help your customers “define” themselves
Bottom line, people aren’t logical about their buying decisions. They buy for emotional reasons, and their choice is based on any number of factors…
The box is more attractive… it’s the brand they grew up using… it will make them look more attractive… sexier… thinner… richer…
We buy things because of how they make us feel. If they also perform the benefits they promise, all the better.
Fortunately, forging this emotional connection isn’t hard. It simply requires some pre-writing planning about how you’re going to position the product.
What is positioning? Kellogg defines it as your statement of the unique value purchasers will enjoy from your product. And while, on the surface, there’s nothing wrong with this definition, it makes it sound as if all you have to do is tick off the benefits to make the sale.
It’s too easy to forget the emotional connection your prospect needs to develop.
I like the way Gene Schwartz handles this. He calls his method identification, and it’s based on the innate desire people have to define themselves in a certain way.
Think of the friend I told you about. She wanted to be seen as a rich and famous writer, and Montblanc offered an easy way to create that image. When she used her Montblanc, she felt as if everyone knew she was a successful writer.
The pen became her badge of membership in an elite group.
As you can see, this feeling is far more than a benefit. And it has nothing to do with how the product functions. It has everything to do with the feelings and associations surrounding the product. It’s purely emotional.
Can your product become a badge of membership?
When planning your promotion, it’s important to determine the emotional appeal that will work best. But to do that, you must have a clear picture of your target audience.
What category do they place your product in? Is that the best category, or could you position your product as something different? (Montblanc isn’t a pen, but a writing instrument.)
What perceptions do consumers have about your product? Is it seen as a necessity or frivolous expense? What other products do they compare it with? Are you happy with that comparison, or do you need to position your product as being similar to something else?
What are your customers’ preferences? How do they currently solve the problems you solve? Is this what they really want? Can you position your product as something better?
Don’t restrict yourself to benefits and features. Consider your prospect’s deepest desires. Then, based on the answers to these questions, present your product as the vehicle for achieving those desires.
Be sure to use a vocabulary that underscores the emotion you’re trying to evoke. Use active verbs and descriptive nouns. And don’t try to use hype, which can come off as manipulation.
Instead, capture your readers’ imagination. Help them see themselves using and enjoying your product. Help them fall in love with how it feels.
Your goal is to make your product the badge of membership to a community. Do that, and you won’t have to worry about results. Once you create an emotional connection with your readers, you can all but guarantee your promotion will succeed.
