howAccording to neuroscientists up to 70%-95% of all people make decisions unconsciously and give themselves then a “logical explanation” for their choice within fractions of a second. That’s why very often we get wrong explanations when we ask about it.

People often don't even know why they decided for or against the new product: they just have a "gut feeling" and cannot explain it rationally, which could elucidate why over 80% of new products - despite market analysis - do not convince customers in the long run.

Anyway, we know already well what makes people tick and how to trigger and subtly influence them almost unnoticed. The question is if that is even allowed?

Too often, goods are simply presented deftly, the price formed in a brain-friendly way, and the placement chosen very carefully. But to be honest, if you are completely convinced of your product or service, shouldn’t you also ensure that potential customers find out about it? Otherwise the customer will opt for the competitor's product, which would certainly only be the second-best choice.

The goal is to turn customers into fans. To do this, however, you must realize that numbers, data, and facts don’t do the trick anymore, neither do texts that have been polished splendidly. Empathic, affecting stories and a look behind the scenes work best when done in an authentic and transparent way. Entrepreneurs should therefore tell, for instance, why the company came into being, what drives them personally as an entrepreneur and what challenges they are facing, making their drive transparent. People who share the same ideas and values will be drawn to them.

We have seen many times in the current COVID 19 crisis, what positive effects it can have when entrepreneurs speak emotionally and authentically about their situation. And we have seen how it goes when managers in large corporations are enriching themselves financially in the crisis, are caught and have to row back. The transparency on the Internet means that companies that specify something in their mission statement, like code of conduct, sustainability report etc. suffer quickly, if they do not keep and live in everyday life. This can even ruin the reputation built over years in just a few lines on Twitter. You can only optimize your own communication and make it more effective if you take the customer seriously and consider what they really want and how they want it.

Generally, customers want to know more about the company they buy from and the people behind it. Businesses that do not recognize these signs of the times will face massive problems in the future when attempting to recruit new, good employees - and as a result also risk losing customers. Businesses must realign and adapt quickly to the pace of change, since it isn’t about processes but about communication and ultimately about people.

By Daniela La Marca