Chapter 1
The Power of Emotion

What Emotional Triggers Are and Why They Matter

If Only!

When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but creatures of emotion.

—Dale Carnegie

How many times, when struggling to solve a complex business problem, have you thought how much simpler your life would be if only everything was a matter of black and white? If there were no gray areas? If we lived in a world of absolutes, free of “ifs,” “ands,” or “buts,” where customers said what they meant and meant what they said? If a direct question always led to the one right solution? But the business world we actually inhabit is nothing like that. It’s complicated, nuanced, and frequently perplexing. Yet despite mounting evidence to the contrary, many of us steadfastly cling to the belief that complex issues can be solved only if they can be measured. In our search for the truth, we gravitate toward statistically verifiable answers. Such answers give us a sense of security, because they are concrete, unambiguous, and absolute. If only statistically verifiable answers were always the right answers. If only they led to the one right solution. If only!

The Real World

If only, indeed. Repeatedly searching for black and white answers when surrounded by so many shades of gray proved to be a futile exercise. Time and again, it failed to elicit meaningful customer insights. There had to be a better way. Fortunately, we did find a better way: emotional-trigger research. Unlike traditional methodologies, emotional-trigger research is an indirect approach that disarms customers with unexpected and provocative questions. This technique uncovers the core, unfiltered, and spontaneous triggers that drive customer sales.

Emotional-trigger research demonstrates how to go beyond the obvious and capitalize on the unexpected. Classic behavioral research has shown it is nearly impossible for customers to maintain a line of reasoning they don’t truly believe for more than 15 or 20 minutes. This is the simple, yet powerful, key to emotional-trigger research. In contrast to other interview techniques, emotional-trigger research relies on unstructured, in-depth, one-on-one exchanges. The length of the conversation, combined with an unexpected and engaging approach, gets beyond customers’ predictable answers to the hidden reasons behind their actions.

Specifically, emotional-trigger research pairs provocative open-ended questions with insightful listening, in-depth conversations, and close observation of body language to open a psychological window into your customers’ deeply held attitudes and beliefs. The insights they reveal provide the hard edges to vague or distorted answers. These hard edges are the emotional trigger insights that give companies the actionable intelligence they need to solve complex problems.

What Are Emotional Triggers?

But what exactly are emotional triggers? How do you recognize them? What’s the best way to draw them out? What makes them so valuable? An emotional trigger is an event that causes a reaction. Some occurrence, real or imagined, sets off a series of intense feelings, and those feelings become the reason behind subsequent actions or strongly held convictions. Because they are neither deliberate nor planned, they defy quantifiable explanations. These triggers reflect our inner selves; they emanate from the sum of our life experiences. As such, they are more profound and a better indicator of behavior than statistics, projections, or objective answers.

Emotional triggers are why advertisers continue to spend millions of dollars each year to convince women that blonds do have more fun. They are why so many people victimized by downsizing, outsourcing, or mergers go into business for themselves in an effort to eliminate their fear of loss of control. Or why savvy companies understand it’s just good business to invest in such initiatives as green technology or community-based programs that appeal to their customers’ deeply held beliefs and values.

Why Emotional Triggers Matter

In business, emotion is frowned upon and considered anathema to making good decisions. It’s associated with losing control, being irrational, or being weak, though, in fact, the argument can be made that competitiveness, passion, and zeal of the business world are all powerful emotions. Though the business world has yet to fully recognize it, emotional triggers are important, because they strike at a deep-seated chord. They are what we connect with at a level that goes beyond reasoning, because in our gut it feels right, good, or familiar.

Emotions are catalysts that motivate and engage. We act on them because of an innate belief we will be happier, more fulfilled, smarter, safer, more successful, more respected or, in some way, life will be easier, better, less stressful, or more exciting. At the other extreme, emotional triggers conjure up negative feelings and reactions. Rather than embracing what they represent, we recoil. We want to avoid being hurt, embarrassed, rejected, exploited, upset, censured, belittled, or anything else that might frighten or harm us.

Emotional triggers produce responses based exclusively on feelings. They can’t be measured scientifically, which is why they defy methodologies that focus on objective, hard data. The same is true for qualitative approaches, which look for simple answers, as opposed to narratives, which provide deeper insights. It’s not easy for customers to accurately put into a few words precisely why they do what they do. First they act. Later, they try to explain their actions. The spin put on behavior after the fact is often part truth, part reinvention, and part wishful thinking. As a result, it’s difficult to have confidence in their responses to traditional statistical research. On the other hand, emotional triggers provide crucial insights, precisely because they are unfiltered.

Actions always have meaning; the meaning requires a context. By relying on emotional-trigger research, the limitations of more structured methodologies are circumvented. What emerges is a clearer and more comprehensive picture. Customers are encouraged to speak about their experiences, aspirations, frustrations, or beliefs in open-ended narratives, instead of being asked a series of specific questions. What they choose to share and the way they choose to share it makes it possible to understand who they are and what they value. From these open-ended narratives, emotional triggers become apparent. The ability to put meaning to these narratives is the essential utility of emotional-trigger research.

Listening for Emotional Trigger Clues

Learning how to distinguish mere answers from authentic emotional triggers is the next step. There are definite clues that make it easier to read the signals. Answers are characterized by measured, neutral responses. They tend to be deliberate, factual, and passive. On the other hand, emotional triggers are revealed through spontaneous exchanges that are longer, livelier, or more personal. Answers reflect what people are thinking. Emotional triggers expose what people are feeling.

We’ve explained what emotional triggers are and why they’re important. Equally important is learning how to detect them. The examples in the following chart contrast the differences between answers that are neutral responses and those that reflect actual emotional triggers.

Using some of the examples in the above chart, let’s compare a neutral response to one that suggests an emotional trigger.

Looking for Emotional Trigger Clues

In addition to verbal responses, the body language and general demeanor of the customers being interviewed also offer important emotional-trigger clues. The way they sit, how they move, their manner of speech, and where they look all help to separate answers from emotional triggers. Direct eye contact, modulated voices, relaxed seated positions, and calm behavior are all typical of customers who are providing answers. When they begin to reveal emotional triggers, however, their body language and general demeanor change. This chart provides examples of how to spot negative and positive emotional triggers.

Emotion Versus Logic

More often than not, customers act on emotion, not logic. That’s why the best data in the world isn’t necessarily indicative of how they’ll respond. Each of the following stories demonstrates how genuine insights were revealed when the interviewers went beyond factual but superficial answers to uncover authentic emotional triggers.

Story #1: When Fear Overrides Possibility

In 1997, a venture capitalist was considering launching a Web-based virtual advertising agency. The concept was to create an easy way to deliver high quality, effective communications pieces for companies with budget restrictions and limited staff. Positioned as an efficient turnkey service, everything could be done with the click of a mouse. Organizations with sales in the five to 50 million dollar range were identified as the target market. Emotional-trigger research was conducted to assess the degree of interest among a cross-section of businesses within this category. The interviews, held with employees of these businesses who were responsible for advertising and collateral materials, sought to determine what they thought of this new service and what would motivate them to use it.

At first, the notion of a centralized marketplace for creative services was appealing to these overworked employees. They professed to like the basic idea, the affordability, and the breadth of offerings. There was only one problem: the interviews made it clear the concept would fail. When chatting about the virtual agency in general terms, employees were relaxed. Their body language was neutral. As an abstract concept, everyone thought the idea had merit. But, tellingly, they never expressed personal enthusiasm. Instead, they offered only analytical assessments. It was something interesting to consider; no doubt many companies needed such a service. They were nothing if not encouraging. However, once the discussions progressed from hypothetical to personal, their language and demeanor changed. Speech patterns became hesitant. Individuals crossed their arms tightly across their chest. They looked away. Soon enough, they began to speculate on what could go wrong.

Potential customers asked two types of questions. When the concept was first unveiled, they were polite but noncommittal. What they asked revealed little about what they thought or felt. These were the factual questions of clarification. They inquired about the number of creative resources. They asked about the cost or the different features on the Website. Good manners became a substitute for real interest. On the other hand, the questions that revealed authentic emotional triggers usually began with “what if”: What if I don’t like the work submitted? What if they don’t deliver as promised? What if my company’s advertising or sales materials are leaked to our competitors?

These questions went beyond trying to understand the virtual agency concept and got at the real but unspoken concern: What if I risk my job by trying this untested service and it doesn’t work out? The emotional triggers were very clear, and they all pointed to a high degree of anxiety. These individuals just weren’t comfortable with the Internet. The method of delivery was too new, too radical, and too risky. Making decisions in a virtual world unnerved them. They didn’t want to try something that was unproven, because they didn’t want to get in trouble or put themselves on the line with their bosses.

Today, virtual advertising agencies proliferate on the Web. The Internet is an accepted way of doing business in almost every imaginable arena. But this is now; back in 1997, the Internet was still several years away from universal acceptance. Only the techies and early adapters appreciated the far reaching potential it represented. These potential customers were not particularly tech savvy nor did they fall into the early adapter category. In fact, they were barely using computers. Logically they supported the need for a virtual advertising agency. Emotionally, it frightened them. It frightened them a lot. Thankfully an excellent idea for a new startup with a sound business plan was scrapped in time because, although the data said yes, the emotional triggers screamed no!

Story #2: The Passionate Need for Validation

An international manufacturer of luxury equipment wanted to understand what motivated men under 40 to buy expensive cars, premium electronics, and other top-of-the-line indulgences. Initially, they chose to focus on men who drove high priced sports cars, because these men were also their target customer. Emotional-trigger research was undertaken to gain insights into what prompted automobile choices among this group.

One interview was especially enlightening because it uncovered a nuance that had previously gone undetected. This interview was conducted with a 33-year-old sales rep for a commercial insurance company who owned a Jaguar. When asked to discuss the car’s appeal, he initially began by giving predictable answers: Jaguars were well engineered. The dealer provided great service. He liked the styling. It was comfortable to drive. Everything he said was accurate, but the same could be said for any number of less expensive cars. His answers were reasonable and factual, yet they revealed little about him.

Then he made a casual remark about his childhood. That comment provided an opportunity to break free of his pat answers by transitioning the conversation back to his youth. When the questions became less predictable, he was no longer on familiar turf. So, without standard answers to fall back on, he started to share stories that ultimately revealed authentic emotional triggers. He talked about his older brother; a star athlete and high school class president. Apparently, he spent much of his childhood in his big brother’s shadow. Now the tables were turned. His brother punched a time clock for a living but the sales rep drove a Jaguar. Bingo! This was the emotional-trigger jackpot. The appeal of the Jaguar wasn’t about status in the usual way. It wasn’t about broadcasting a statement to the world. It turned out that status symbols are frequently intended as a more personal message to those who know us best. That was certainly true of this sales rep. He wanted his parents to recognize he had finally bested his brother. The sly, self-satisfied grin on his face spoke volumes. As he leaned forward in a conspiratorial way, it was clear he relished being able to rub his brother’s nose in the disparity between their incomes. The emotional trigger went to the core of his self-esteem. His ego was dependent upon earning the respect, approval, and recognition of his family.

As this insight was validated during subsequent emotional-trigger research interviews, the international manufacturer refined one of their strategic positioning statements. They still touted the quality and workmanship of their products, but instead of stopping there, the manufacturer introduced another subliminal message into their sales pitch. The subliminal message suggested that purchasing their equipment was a way to prove rather than announce one’s “arrival.” Subtle language used to reinforce this point hit customers where they lived. It worked.

Story #3: The Importance of the Human Connection

A national architectural firm specializing in hospitals had earned a reputation as the pioneer of a new holistic approach to design. Within their field, they were the first to put forth the idea that how efficiently a building worked was as important as how it looked. Based on this philosophy, they achieved international fame for a hospital that combined state-of-the-art technological advances with a cozy and welcoming environment. Among their many innovations were handheld computers that connected to the nurse’s station, in order to seamlessly update a patient’s status and manage drug inventories. Additionally, they installed special monitoring equipment that alerted the medical staff when serious changes in a patient’s condition occurred. They dispensed with the standard institutional atmosphere by adding such touches as color to the rooms and chair beds that allowed parents to comfortably spend the night with a sick child.

Other hospital administrators, responsible for the selection process of an architectural firm to oversee the construction of their new hospital, clamored to receive a proposal from this team. With a great sense of pride, the firm’s president expressed confidence that their combination of cutting-edge work along with a finely tuned on-time and on-budget process would secure their position as the architects of choice. But more often than not, it didn’t work out that way. The majority of plum assignments went elsewhere. As the president grew increasingly concerned, he turned to emotional-trigger research to understand what was happening and why.

Initially, the hospital administrators who were interviewed emphasized it was a very difficult decision. They took great pains to be complimentary about all the design firms that had submitted proposals. In measured and matter-of-fact tones, they went on to explain their decisions were based on some added spark in a particular firm’s proposal. Maybe the structure was particularly distinctive, or the approach to technology integration was unique. Everyone had a specific and factual reason for deciding to go with the competition.

When the hospital administrators spoke about their projects, they were filled with passion. As they leaned forward in their chairs, many began lengthy narratives that demonstrated how they yearned to be forward thinkers and how eager they were to align themselves with a firm accustomed to working outside the box. But when they began discussing the architectural firm in question, their body language changed. They shifted in their chairs, gazed out the window, and avoided making eye contact. Some even sighed. In time, they admitted their disappointment and frustration with the presentation. It seemed the president had taken over the entire sales pitch while the team members who would actually be working on the project never said a word. They contributed nothing to the conversation. There was no spontaneity or exchange of ideas. The meeting felt dull and uninspired.

Emotional triggers revealed the selection of an architectural firm was driven as much by personal dynamics as by professional qualifications. It was a given that only qualified firms participated in the review. Hospital administrators were very focused on the team they’d be working with on-site for the next several years. They didn’t want to spend that much time with “strangers.” So, ultimately, it was the relationship considerations that made the difference.

Yet this team came across as distant; they seemed to view the assignment as just another routine project. The tipping point for hospital administrators wasn’t about substantive issues, it was about the lack of a human connection. Above all else, they valued professionals who shared their sense of excitement and demonstrated a commitment to the project. Unfortunately, this stellar architectural firm had failed to recognize the emotional triggers that motivated these potential clients. That was the real reason they had lost so many assignments.

The Total Picture

The essence of emotional-trigger research is listening and looking for the clues that expose a customer’s true feelings. Their stories paint a picture that provides the backdrop. It is through these stories that customers share their experiences, passions, feelings, needs, beliefs, and values. Their general demeanor and specific body language further reinforce the meaning behind their words. Together, these clues reveal the genuine insights necessary to see the total picture.