that you consider is the idea that people don ’ t buy with their heads so much as with their hearts . The competition in today ’ s marketplace is not for customers ’ money . Not at all . The only real competition is for their emotions . Touch the hearts of the people you serve and they ’ ll be back for more . Engage their emotions and they ’ ll become your raving fans . Miss this insight and you just might lost your business .
Sure I could spend less on a cup of java . Sure there ’ s a coffee shop closer to where I work . But I love the way going into a Starbucks make me feel . Relaxed . Happy . Good . And each of us craves good feelings as we live out our days . In so many ways , adults are nothing more than children in grown – up bodies – and children are all about feeling good . On this point about emotions driving customer behavior , Kevin Roberts , CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi , writes , in his superb book Lovemarks : “ The Future Beyond Brands : “ In my 35 years in business I have always trusted my emotions . I have always believed that by touching emotion you get the best people to work with you , the best clients to inspire you , the best partners and more devoted customers .” Roberts then quotes neurologist Donald Calne : “ The essential difference between emotion and reason is that emotion leads to action while reason leads to conclusions .” A breathtakingly important point . Human beings move when their emotions are moved .
Human beings move when their emotions are moved .
How does carrying an iPod around make you feel ? How does shopping at a hip ship makes you feel ? How does walking into your favorite restaurant and being greeted like Diddy or Madonna or Bill Clinton make you feel ? You get my point . People go where they are made to feel cared for , special and good . People buy from a place of emotional engagement . Seems to obvious . Yet most businesses don ’ t get it .
Here ’ s my blood statement for today : Business is in so many ways about love . Think about it . Success comes by treating your customers with love . Acclaim comes by doing your job with love . Market leadership comes with selling your wares with love . If your customers only like you , you are vulnerable to losing them when a competitor with a cheaper product or a more economical service comes along . Why ? Because you ’ ve failed to emotionally connect with them . But when your customers love you – because you ’ ve touched their hearts by the way that you occur in their lives – you become part of their extended family . You ’ re now a part of their community . They become loyal . They tell the rest of the family about you . And they ’ ll take good care of you should times get tough .
So I ’ ll keep going to Starbucks . I love the place . And if you ever want to find me , I ’ ll be the guy tucked away in the quiet corner , sipping on a grande soy latte with a smile on my face and joy in my heart – feeling the love .
19 . Learn to Say No
Every time you say yes to something that is unimportant , you say are no to something that is important . “ Yes men ” and “ Yes women ” never create anything great . There ’ s huge value in getting good at saying no .
Saying no to the friend who wants to meet over coffee to gossip . Say no to the co – worker who wants to spread his negativity and cynicism . Say no to the relative who laughs at your dreams and makes you doubt yourself . Say no to the social obligations that drain time from your life ’ s work .