There is a lot of talk over the past few years about "the customer journey". What people usually mean by this is the sum total of all the interactions a customer has with your brand, from their first awareness all the way through to purchase (and beyond).
But what often gets left out of this conversation is the role that emotions play in the customer journey. Emotions are what drive us to take action - or not. They are what motivates us to keep coming back for more.
And yet, for many businesses, building emotional engagement with customers is more guesswork than science.
Fortunately, there is a way to change that. By understanding the psychology of emotions and how they relate to the customer journey, businesses can finally start to build lasting relationships with their customers based on emotion, rather than just transactions.
So what are some of the key things businesses need to know about the psychology of the customer journey and emotional engagement?
Here are the 10 basic ways that emotions figure in to your customers journey to engaing with your products or services.
1. Emotions are what drive us to take action - or not.
2. Emotions are what motivates us to keep coming back for more.
3. Emotions are the foundation of any lasting relationship - including with your customers.
4. You can't fake emotion - it has to be genuine.
5. Emotional engagement is more than just "positive" emotions - it also includes the full spectrum of human emotions, from anger and anxiety to joy and love.
6. Emotional engagement is not something that you can simply turn on and off like a light switch - it takes time, effort, and commitment to build.
7. Emotional engagement is not about making your customers "happy" all the time - it's about connecting with them on a deeper level and understanding their needs and wants.
8. Emotional engagement is not a one-time event - it's an ongoing journey that should be constantly nurtured and developed over time.
9. Emotional engagement is not just for big businesses - small businesses can benefit from it as well.
10. Emotional engagement is not just about getting more customers - it's about retaining the ones you have and turning them into loyal, lifelong advocates for your brand.
In order to build a path for our customers that start with emotions we need to understand what they are. Emotions are mental states that arise spontaneously in response to external or internal stimuli. They are often accompanied by physiological changes, such as an increase in heart rate or a change in facial expression. Emotions can be positive (e.g., happiness, love, pride) or negative (e.g., sadness, anger, fear).
While some emotions are universal and experienced by people all over the world, others are more culture-specific. Emotions also vary in their intensity, duration, and nature. Some emotions, such as anger or fear, are experienced more readily than others, such as contentment or love. Emotions can also change over time. For example, the same event may elicit different emotions at different times.
So am I saying that you have to understand the complete psychology of your customers today in order to engage with them? No, of course not. However, it is generally accepted that 95 – 98% of human behavior happens subconsciously - and that includes decision making.
So understanding things like words that express empathy, love, and motivation are very important. Colors also elicit certain feelings and emotions. Photos and images of faces and expressions, actions, etc. will move people to action or inaction.
According to Forrester, emotion was the #1 contributor to customer loyalty in 94% of industries studied, even beating out effectiveness and ease.
By understanding the psychology of emotions and how they relate to the customer journey, businesses can finally start to build lasting relationships with their customers based on emotion, rather than just transactions.
And that is something worth pursuing!
Thoughts? Questions?