Understanding How Emotions Influence Purchase Behavior

Customers  make most of their purchase decisions from an emotional point of view. Understanding customers emotions helps to obtain a better grasp on motivations and purchasing behaviors. Much of our activities are based in our subconscious about how we view and feel about ourselves. Those emotions push consumers to act that can improve sales.

Consider the average consumer that picks product based on its current trendiness in the market. They assess the value of the product based upon the impressions and images they have of it. Celebrities endorsing products make them sound valuable, advertisements creates images, and their social network confirms these impressions.

Even though a problem such as needing a new washing machine or a new tool may push someone to seek a solution it is often emotions that help them pick which product and then prompt us to make a purchase. This means understanding customers emotions helps us understand their motives for preferring one product over another.

Assuming that we control for price, features, service and convenience we are left with how the product makes us feel.

According to the Book Descartes Error most of our decisions are made subconsciously. Even though I have already read the book you can find a pretty solid description in an article by Psychology Today.  In summary, the book helps us understand that emotions give us the motivation to act on certain offers over others.

Companies use psychological profiles to understand who is interested in their products and what motivates them to act. By using the right kind of images and impressions they are capable of developing higher levels of response to advertising dollars. Sparking these emotions through proper imagery and impressions can create higher purchasing rates. Pulling the right triggers is part of marketing strategy.