What Sells: Gain or Pain?

For years we’ve been told that people will do much more to avoid pain than they will do to move toward gain.  What about you?  Do you emphasize positive gain in your business to get someone’s attention or do you emphasize the negative loss – the pain they may endure if they don’t take a step?

If you’ve been in the networking industry for any length of time, you’ve seen the ad showing the older man or woman who should be enjoying their retirement.  But they are not.  Instead they are wondering how they are going to make ends meet. It usually ends with “What is your plan B?”

I don’t know about you, but I’ve never liked those ads (or any other negative ad).  I thought I was ‘different’ because they didn’t work on me.   If you try to intimidate me, you are not likely to get the reaction you want!

It seems the new research shows that most of us (thankfully) like to think good thoughts, smile big and bright and otherwise be positive. Go Figure!

According to PSYBLOG new research seems to be saying what I feel.  People are persuaded more by  positive framing than they are by negative framing.  Here’s the rub.  Although we may all be drawn to learn about bad news (check out your newspaper and the evening news if you dare), it seems that appeals are best put in positive spin.  If you want positive reactions from people don’t build a gloom and doom scenario.  Instead, share the positive effects of owning their own business or using your product.

Think about the anti smoking ads. That picture of the black nasty looking lung may scare me.  But I am more likely to give up smoking because I’ll have a whiter smile, smell better and can ride my bike without a coughing fit.

How do you frame your business offer and product? Are you using negative or positive framing?  Positive framing may actually get you more business – and you’ll feel way better too.

Click on the comments below and let me know what happens in your business.

Warmly,

Jillian
781-599-0604