What Makes A Buyer Buy? – Science and Marketing

For years, master advertisers, manipulators, and persuaders have told us why they “thought” that they were successful.

Starting with Cialdini’s book Influence we got to peak behind the curtain and see what science could tell us about how persuasion really worked. Better yet, Robert Cialdini was such a smart cookie that he was able to present this scientific information in a framework through which it was usable. His science could be applied. And, it could be applied regardless of your budget.

I just picked up a new book that takes up the issue of buyer behavior from the standpoint of Neuro Maketing – the science of how marketing alters the brain and engages often unconscious processes.

The author – Matin Linsdstrom – examines study after study of what marketing does within the brain. What logos, sounds, smells and graphics light up what sections of the brain? Why do we remember some things and not others? Why does the combination of visuals with congruent scents cause brand identification but the wrong scent creates discomfort? If sex really sells why and how and in what ways. His theory, in short is that science is begining to give us answers about what really works and why. That leads the smart ones to the next question: How can I use that for good not evil?

There is a tendancy in the new world of web 2.0, where brands such as Zagats have been toppled or are under siege by new web based brands to think that the little guys have all the answers. But there is much to be said for big budget research. And there is much to be learned from the overview of that stuff by a guy who claims to be on the road three hundred days a year advising the brand giants like Disney, McDonanlds and P&G. And, we can get what they collectively spend billions to discover for $24.95 ($27.95 in Canada).

Now I think something is wrong with his business plan if he’s travelling three hundred days a year on business. I mean raise your prices and take a few days off. And that’s from a guy like me that works a lot. But if you can get over that issue, there are things to be found here.

It’s not as accessible or immediately usable as the book Influence. But if you keep asking yourself the question “How can I use this to make my business better, to add vlaue for my customers and to create wealth and business profits?” you’ll find a few keepers.

More specific tools and my interpretation as I get further along. Feel free to give us some of your own if you’re already into the book.

Photo Credit: [F]oxymoron