In order to create emotional connections with your customers, you need to clearly communicate how your brand can improve their life. They need to trust that you can help transform them from where they are now to where they want to be in the future.

People buy on emotion

Before you can begin to make more emotional connections with your customers, you need to understand a little bit about the psychology of buying.

People almost always make purchase decisions based on emotions. They may think they’re using logical facts to decide, but it’s really their emotions that are in charge.

Your customers feel something about the product or service they are about to buy. There are emotions and feelings connected with that purchase. There’s something about it, they’re hoping, that will make their life better.

For example, when I was training for the Flying Pig Marathon this year, I needed to get a new pair of running shoes. I didn’t start by looking at the features of the shoes I wanted like heel-to-toe drop, weight, or cushioning.

I wanted running shoes that would make me feel lighter, that would make me feel faster, and that would make me feel more comfortable after 20 miles of running.

I chose a pair from HOKA, a company that I connect with emotionally because they sponsor of all the pro ultrarunners. My emotions tell me that if I wear HOKAs, not only will I feel lighter, faster, and more comfortable, but I will feel like a pro ultrarunner too.

People buy outcomes

I want you to start thinking about how you can be making those kinds of emotional connections with your customers. If you can build stronger connections with them on an emotional level, it will be easier for them to make the decision to purchase from you.

The stronger the emotional connection, the more convicted they are that you have the solution they are looking for.

People don’t buy products or services, they buy outcomes.

The outcome I was buying when I got my new running shoes was the ability to run longer and easier because I would feel lighter, faster, and be more comfortable.

Instead of focusing on your products or services and their features, focus on the outcome your customer experiences when they do business with you.

Focus on the transformation

After purchasing from you, your customer’s lives should be changed in some way. They should experience some sort of transformation.

In order for you to create emotional connections with your customers, you need to be able to communicate that transformation. They need to see what that transformation could look like for them.

I’ve created a simple tool you can use to help you figure out how your customers might feel after experiencing your brand:

Print this out and answer these five simple questions:

* What do they have before and after purchasing from you?

* What don’t they have before and after your brand?

* What is their emotional state before and after? What are they feeling?

* What does their average day look like before and after they do business with you?

* What is their status before and after experiencing you and your brand?

Take some time to dig deep and answer these questions. This exercise will give you meaningful insights into how your customers are transformed by you and your brand.

You will use these answers in your marketing messages to clearly communicate how your customer’s lives can be better after their experience with you and your brand.

While you are doing this, think about how you can help move them from the before state to the after state. How do you help them accomplish their transformation?

Example: Massage Therapist for Marathon Runners

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