David Bell

The other day, I received the last issue of a business magazine
before my subscription runs out. Now, I like this magazine, but
I'm swamped with reading matter so I won't renew.

Of course, I've received many reminders and offers about
renewing; magazines try very hard to keep the subscribers
they've got. So when the last issue came with a special
promotional wrapper on the cover, I wasn't surprised.

But, what made this one interesting was a clever piece of copy
that hit an emotional chord: inside the back cover of the
special wrapper were the words, "You're about to be dropped from
our list of active subscribers. Unless you act now."

Personally, I thought it was an effective piece of copy (even
though I still won't renew). It made an emotional case for what
is essentially a business-to-business offer.

Many people who write persuasive copy, whether in sales letters
or internal memos, say the rest of us underestimate the power of
emotion in getting the response we want from our messages.

There's a sort of rule of thumb that goes like this: Consumers
buy on emotion and justify on reason. In other words, we, as
buyers, think we're being rational in making a decision to
purchase, or in choosing among different offers, but in reality
we make the decision with our hearts and then justify that
decision with our reasoning powers.

In the case of the magazine copy, I was about to be dropped --
Imagine! Me being dropped! -- from the list of active
subscribers. I'm not sure what active subscribers are: do they
also have passive subscribers? But, the meaning comes through.
I'm about to get dropped from an exclusive club unless I act
now.

Which is where the emotional factor kicks in. Who wants to be
dropped? Isn't that like being in high school again and not
wanting to be excluded from a popular group? Isn't there an
eternal desire to belong? With this appeal to my insecurities
and ambitions, the copywriters have forced me to think about my
decision not to renew. I can't just make a 'business as usual'
decision; it must be a personal as well as business decision.
And when a message gets 'personal,' it demands more involvement
from the reader or listener. More involvement, in turn, means
more attention to the message, making it more persuasive.

If you sell, this idea won't come as much of a surprise. But, if
you try to influence behaviors in other ways, you may wish to
add emotion to your communication toolbox. It's something you do
by getting 'personal,' by tapping into the hopes, fears, or
aspirations of those with whom you're communicating.

Of course, we must use emotion ethically and responsibly. If you
plan to use it, step back and ask yourself how you would respond
if someone else directed that kind of a message to you. That's
always a simple but helpful litmus test. I hope this helps in
your future marketing decisions.

About the author:
David Bell http://www.wspromotion.com/ Advertising research and
development center