Why Your Brain Loves Black Friday Deals?

Are we wired to release pleasure chemicals when we see deals? This subject has been discussed for many years, but only recently have we begun to understand the effect of bargains on our brains. In our new book The Persuasion Code (1), we share the most recent scientific research pertaining to the dominance of our PRIMAL brain in many of our buying decisions (see image below).

I called it PRIMAL because it was the first system to develop, and also because many of the responses influence other evolutionary younger brain areas called RATIONAL. The Primal Brain has an extraordinary capacity to react and protect us from external threats by managing the homeostasis of our internal biological systems. This is the part of the brain that has helped us survive for millions of years and continues to do so even today by saving money on deals!

The Primal Brain exerts a dominant influence on how all persuasive messages are processed in the brain.

As a result, the success or demise of most ads is a function of how they appeal to the Primal Brain first.

There is one dominant emotion that is especially activated when we evaluate deals: The FEAR of LOSS

The fear of loss activates the insula (which also fires when we experience disgust) and deactivates the medial prefrontal cortex, whereas the expectation of gain generates more activity in the nucleus accumbens.

The nucleus accumbens is a subcortical structure controlled by the PRIMAL brain often referred to as our reward center.

Our research has confirmed that, when facing difficult choices, we tend to display loss-avoiding behaviors rather than use rational thinking, a scientific fact that is central to the fundamental tenet of our persuasion model called NeuroMap ™. Therefore, we fear losses and seek evidence that our choices will minimize regret before we consider the reward. It is one of the most difficult cognitive biases to overcome.

In fact, the loss-aversion bias was first discovered by Dr. Daniel Kahneman (2) and his colleague Tversky. More importantly, their research has helped quantify the loss-aversion bias at 2.3 times the value of winning. This means that if you lose (or pay) $1, it takes winning $2.3 to offset it. This alone explains why it is always hard to sell something: the negative emotion we experience to pay $1 for anything can only be overcome by the positive emotion generated by receiving something they would perceive as being worth at least $2.3.

Unless of course, the deal offers a 50% discount! Why? Because it compensates for the 2.3 loss aversion bias.

So are you ready to let your PRIMAL brain consider an opportunity to learn more about how you can improve the persuasive effect of all your messages? Maybe more so if you get a 50% discount. And so, here it is https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Take-50--off-the-Persuasion-Code-e-learning-program-today-.html?soid=1011008065658&aid=2gBQ2HMopjM

For more on Salesbrain and the Persuasion Code, visit www.salesbrain.com and www.salesbrainu.com

Christophe Morin, PhD

Chief Persuasion Scientist, CEO

SalesBrain

1. Morin & Renvoise (2018). The Persuasion Code. New York. Wiley
2. Kahneman, D. (2011). Thinking, Fast and Slow, 511. New York, NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.