If you fail to engage with your customers' emotions, you'll fail to make the sale.
Whenever we buy anything, it's based on an emotional reason. Afterwards, we justify our choices on performance or price. We like to think of ourselves as logical beings. But really, we buy because of an emotional want, need or desire.
Fact: People buy on emotion
Fact: Colour triggers emotional responses
The right colour = positive emotional trigger = sales
The wrong colour = negative emotional trigger = no sale
When it comes to your business branding, although the effort you put into choosing the right logo/mark, font, strap line and working on your after sales service are all important, the effort is potentially wasted if you don't get your business brand colours right.
85% of shoppers place colour as a primary reason for when they buy a particular product. [1]
Colour psychology
Colour is more than just a visual experience; it influences our mood and behaviour. Established research into theories relating to colour and psychology suggest each colour tone has specific effects that influence us on all levels; mental, emotional and physical.
When we see colours, they are sending unconscious messages in a language that we understand instinctively, the language of emotions. Understanding this helps us to understand the benefits of using colour consciously to best effect.
Think of colour as a subliminal language, another way to communicate and to attract your ideal clients...
Major brands use colour to their advantage. They use colours to engage with their customer's emotions and encourage them to buy.
For example, look at Coca-Cola. Over the years their packaging and logos may have changed but they have kept their bright red branding colour. This shows they understand the emotional response that particular colour elicits in us. In this context red makes us feel energised and alert. It speaks to us of power, stimulation and upbeat emotions. People who drink Coca-Cola have a good time.
Use the wrong tone of colour/s and you could, unknowingly, be repelling your ideal customers.
Three tips to engage with your customers' emotions through your business brand colours
1. Attracting your ideal customers
You can attract your ideal customer simply by using colour to trigger the right emotional
buying responses. They will know (even on a subconscious level) you are the right brand
for them, they will know they can trust you to deliver.
2. Know your business brand personality and values
This is key to understanding the exact tone of colours, combination and proportions to use
to communicate your business brand message to your ideal clients. Picking colours
because they are trendy or hoping your business will stand out from the crowd may in
effect repel them.
You are not your ideal customer, so as tempting as it is; your business brand is not about
getting your own emotion needs met. Picking colours because you personally like them
may not attract your ideal customer.
3. Trigger positive emotional responses
It is crucial you get the combination, proportion and the tone of colour/s right. You will
know you've got this wrong by the type of customer you are attracting. If they aren't your
ideal customers then you may want to consider looking at what unconscious message
your business brand colours are sending out.
Finally...
1. Harness your knowledge of your customer's emotions in the way you market and sell to
them.
2. Think about how buying from you is going to make your customers feel.
3. Reinforce your customers' emotional buying decisions with logic, in your literature, both
online and offline and in what you and your sales force say to customers after they make
a purchase.
Communicating through colour
As a business owner how much thought have you put into the tone and combination of colours that represent your business brand? Do you know what they are actually saying?
Surprisingly, most business owners use colour as decoration or as an afterthought. Try to think of colour as a subliminal language, another way to communicate and to attract your ideal clients.
Used to its full effect, your branding colours will give you the competitive edge, elicit the right emotional response from your prospects, and significantly increase your sales.
[1] KISSmetrics
Download your free business brand colour e-book 7 Mistakes Most Business Owners Make with their Branding Colours over at karenhaller.co.uk/freebook7mistakes.htm
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