Thinking Out Loud – Episode 3

This is the third episode in a series called Thinking Out Loud. In these videos, Armando Lanuti, the President of Creative Works, shares some of his thoughts on business, leadership, growth, operations, and anything else on his mind. Below is a transcript of some of the points he discusses in the video.

Today, I’d like to talk a little bit about emotions and how they affect one’s purchasing decisions. Whether we’re in the business of selling amazing attractions or you’re selling an experience at your entertainment center or you’re selling of widget it’s kind of irrelevant. The reality is that everybody makes a purchase based on emotion.

In the past we’ve talked a little bit about. Simon Sinek. For those of you who have not read his book “Start With Why” I highly recommend it. If you’re in business, you need to read this book. It’ll help you understand the best way to position and target your product out there in the market. And then another source of some of our direction of Creative Works has been from Tony Robbins, understanding the six basic human needs and how those affect one’s purchase decision. So from Simon Sinek’s standpoint, the goal is to project why you’re doing something. Why you’re in business. Why you’re selling the products that you do. For instance, our “why” is: We believe that memorable experiences make people happier. And with that, it goes in everything that we do from a design and an engagement and emotional standpoint that we try and create within our attractions. And if we can create that memorable experience and make that click for them, they’re going to want to come back and they’re going to do it again or they’re going to try something else that you have.

The same thing is also going to go from another previous video where I talk a little bit about the six basic human needs and where people buy based on their human needs and their connection to it. Where you can see this most evidently is something like a cup of coffee. The logical decision, the decision that makes economic sense is to buy the basic coffee Folgers put your own cream and sugar in it etc. But there’s, a reason that you know that person goes to Starbucks and purchases a five dollar or six dollar latte and part of that is the emotional connection that they feel. That feeling of significance when they’re having that versus the Folgers. That connection and that reaction that they have in their brain chemically of “I have this in my hand and it tastes so much better than what I could make at home.” Another easy example that I’ve used in the past is Microsoft versus Apple. Realizing that you might have to accomplish this task, and for the most part a PC is going to be able to do that in a much less expensive way. But, there’s nothing sexy about a gray box or black box PC that’s just sitting on your desk. There’s something sexy about that Macbook Pro. The way that Apple designed it. The way that it looks, the way that it feels and it’s just a little bit different in the way they market with their message of “why” which has allowed them to create a a great, raving fan base that will choose that product, even though logically from may just a function and need standpoint. It’s not needed.

So, realizing that people make those purchase decisions based on emotion and based on the needs, we need to make sure that, as business owners, you’re adjusting how you approach and that you’re trying to solve the problems that they have whether it be providing them an experience or, getting them the product that is the right fit for their business. You need to be focusing on what it is that they really need, and how do they emotionally connect to solving that problem and how can your product emotionally drive them to purchase yours vs others that are out there. It’s a really simple concept, but it’s really hard to execute.