Have you ever had a client feel so sure and excited about investing in your service, only for them to disappear before hitting "buy"? Or have you ever had someone make a purchase but still have reservations about the service? If you answered yes to either, there's a clear explanation involving buyers' hormones and how they influence purchasing decisions.
Understanding Where Trust is Formed
The other day I was in therapy, expressing how I was struggling to cultivate the trust I often have. My therapist asked, "What if you can't trust because you are dysregulated?" This made me realise that the times I feel most trusting are when I am present, grounded, and connected to myself. When I'm off-center, in my head, letting fear take the wheel, and disconnected from my intuition, trust feels impossible to grasp. This means the key to trust is regulation.
Queue a dive into studies on this very topic.
I immersed myself in these studies, so I'll spare you the depths of psychology and instead present it simply. Trust is directly linked to oxytocin. For those who don't know, oxytocin is a hormone in your body that promotes positive feelings. Research suggests that oxytocin can increase trust levels.
Why is This Relevant to Purchasing?
A buyer experiencing high levels of oxytocin is less likely to be risk-averse and more likely to be open to change. However, when it comes to hitting "buy," the opposite often happens. Higher levels of cortisol (the stress hormone) trigger the fight-or-flight response, resulting in a desire to stick with the status quo, even if it doesn't serve them. Hormone fluctuations during the purchasing process are normal. We don't need to eliminate them; we need to create space and safety for them. As my therapist put it, you aren't always going to be regulated, and you don't need to force yourself to be either. What we want to do is support people in the process of returning to regulation.
How Can We Consider This Within Marketing?
Build Trust through Transparency:
Be open and honest about your products and services. Transparency helps in increasing oxytocin levels, fostering a sense of trust. We have grown accustomed to seeing wild promises and high expectations when it comes to showcasing a service. This triggers cortisol and creates the feeling that something is "off." Creating realistic expectations does the opposite: it builds trust that will lead to an aligned purchase.
Don't Overdo It on Urgency:
An element of urgency isn't too harmful in marketing, but overdoing it will send cortisol levels into overdrive. When presented with countdowns, limited quantities, and imminent price rises, people aren't making grounded decisions they feel confident about. They are acting from a triggered place. A purchase should be more than just a transaction. If you are practicing conscious marketing, you want the people you can genuinely serve and who will appreciate your service to hit "buy." To do that, you need to create space for people's inner authority to be heard before they make a purchase.
Create Space for Fear:
In sales talk, this part of the process is often referred to as "objection handling." The problem here is that buyers are savvy these days; they can sense coercion. What is needed is safety for those fears to exist. Making a purchase means spending money, making a change, and stepping out of a comfort zone. What we need to do is normalise the fear! You may have heard the saying, "What you resist persists," and it's true. It's exactly why we need to normalise the presence of fear in this process.
The Takeaway
Understanding the intricate dance between our nervous system, hormones, and trust can lead to more empathetic and effective strategies in consumer engagement. By creating environments that support regulation and trust, we can enhance experiences and invite aligned clients into our business.
And if you want to ensure your marketing considers this, you can work with me here.
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