Imagine That! (The Role of the Imagination in Buying Decisions)

A few years ago, a friend of mine had been asked out by a new guy in her life. After their date, she provided a review of the evening. “I know it sounds crazy to say this after only one date,” she insisted, ”but I could see myself marrying this guy!”

Being married myself, I believe marriages occur first in the partners’ imaginations, and then—if fate and practicality cooperate—in reality. At some point during my friend’s first date with this guy, her imagination “software” began running. This software let her picture herself in a marriage relationship with her new acquaintance, even though the two had just met. This “software” is the imagination.

Customers are like that, too. Just as a single woman who wants to be married keeps her eyes open to possibilities (and yes, men do it, too), prospects keep their eyes open as they shop around. Prospects explore the possibilities, and when they do, their imaginations are active and alert, and often intense. When selling, imaginations are a force to be reckoned with.

Enter the EEG: Electroencephalography

The EEG is a device that uses electrodes attached to a subject’s scalp to measure electrical activity in the brain. But what does this have to do with selling? Or with buying?

Let’s imagine you are a real estate agent who is working with a couple who is shopping for their first home. And let’s say your prospects’ heads are connected to EEG units which will provide a way to see their brain activity as they shop.

As the couples’ afternoon of house hunting begins with home number one, we can see the electrical activity within the brain accelerate, thanks to the EEG unit. The couple looks around this house - their eyes darting about - while they unknowingly involve their imaginations in the process. Their active brainwaves are obvious. Their imaginations are titillated as they explore.

The Shopping Experience

Our couples’ olfactory systems (the smelling mechanism) are being bombarded with the smells they encounter in the home, both good and bad. As they continue their walk-through, their ears perk-up as they hear the creek of a loose floorboard. The solid sound of kitchen cabinet drawers shutting as they try them out several times also registers in their brainwaves. Their eyes are in the process of evaluating the many visual features of the home, such as the style of windows and the stone of the fireplace. Fingers and hands go into action as they feel the wood railing and the kitchen countertops. As they manipulate the faucets and light switches, they imagine what it would be like to own this home.

As they tour, the prospect’s mentally place their existing furniture inside the family room and master bedroom. Questions me to mind: Will their sofa fit? How about the dining table? Will the beige walls do? Or would they prefer a bolder design statement that Tandy Red or Persimmon Mist paint would provide?

The shoppers’ brainwaves are hyperactive now. The couple imagines their children frolicking in the family room in front of the fireplace on a chilled winter day, the family dog hopping from child to child. The shoppers picture family and friends hanging out in the kitchen before a perfect meal that includes their famous Rigatoni al Carbonara. As the shoppers peer into the backyard, their imaginations hold the promise of many summer cook-outs, and thoughts of playing with their kids. Preliminary plans for a new patio with a fire pit begin to take shape in the imaginations of our prospects.

The Evaluation

During all of this activity, the couple has been imagining what it would be like to live in this home. With the tour complete, the couple will now evaluate how well their imaginations have indicated to them that this house will fit their needs.

If their imaginations provided enough inspiration, the couple may discuss making an offer to purchase the home.

The Role of the Salesperson

During the sales process, salespeople can help ignite the imaginations of their prospects. Salespeople would be well-served to ask their prospects questions that encourage imagination. Questions such as:
▪ How do you think your furniture would fit in this space?
▪ How would it feel when you came home from work and pulled into this garage?
▪ The previous owners have said that the view of the lake from the family room when the sun is setting is very romantic. How would you feel about that?
▪ How would you change the back yard? What would you plant? What would you spend time doing in your backyard?
▪ Which bedroom would be your daughter’s? Which one would be for your son?

The Power of An Active Imagination

Many salespeople simply don’t realize the role an active imagination plays in their prospects’ buying decisions. Instead of captivating and igniting their prospects’ imaginations, they choose instead to declare copious facts and figures in an effort to influence the prospect’s logical thinking, believing this will help create a decision to buy. But even logical people make buying decisions for all types of products and services in their imaginations first, and in reality second. Prospects require a potential product or service to pass their “imagination test” first, before logic will be allowed to play much of a role in the purchasing decision.

This doesn’t just happen with home buyers, it happens with prospects who are considering the purchase of lawnmowers, water softeners, and dance lessons. The purchase of my last vehicle began in my imagination. I imagined my daughter and our dog in the back seat on a camping trip in the mountains. My wife was happily at my side, and a large diet soda was sitting at the ready in the conveniently-located cupholder.

Indeed, I bought that SUV in my imagination first, and then bought it in reality. Your customers do the same thing.

Happily Ever After

My friend married the new guy after a couple years of dating, but there’s no question that the marriage started back on that first date. . . in my friend’s imagination.

To achieve top performance in selling, remember that purchase decisions work the same way. If you can help your prospects’ to imagine what it would be like to own and use your product or service, you will sell more.