The way to a man's heart is through his orbito frontal cortex.
In our work at Drumcircle, we often reference neuro-scientific research that supports the role of emotions in decision-making. One of our favorite stories come from Antonio DeMasio, author of the best selling book, Descartes Error.
Not long ago (in the early 1980s, in fact), neuroscientists believed that “good” decisions were rational decisions, based on fact and analysis. Emotions only got in the way. That belief was struck down in 1982 when a now famous patient named Elliot went to see Dr. Damasio.
Elliot was a great guy: a good father and husband, a respected executive and friend. He had been diagnosed with a small tumor in his frontal lobe, which was successfully removed. After the surgery, he seemed healthy and his IQ was exactly the same as it had been prior to the surgery - in the 97th percentile.
Then, Elliot’s life went downhill dramatically; he became incapable of making even the most mundane decisions. Here’s what Damasio observed about Elliot trying to decide when to return to the doctor’s office:
“I suggested two alternative dates. The patient began consulting the calendar…(and) for the better part of a half hour, enumerated reasons for and against each of the two dates: previous engagements, proximity to other engagements, possible meteorological conditions…an endless outlining of options and possible consequences. It took enormous discipline not to pound on the table and tell him to stop.”
As a result of his surgery, Elliot had lost the use of his orbito frontal cortex, a small part of the brain that, as it turns out, plays a significant role in producing emotions. Elliot was a smart, healthy and totally rational man who was utterly helpless because he couldn’t make even the simplest decision.
Lesson learned: Decision-making is impossible without emotions, so the concept of a “totally rational decision” is equally impossible.
When you can discover and tap the emotions that really motivate your customers’ purchase decisions (what we at Drumcircle call EmotivationsTM) you’ll make better decisions about your own marketing initiatives.
