When we say that we buy on emotions and back it up with logic how does that actually play out?
I mean, I go to the supermarket and buy the usual stuff – toilet paper, toothpaste, milk, vegetables and maybe the odd chocolate bar (that I make my husband and I share because that way there’s less calories!) but outside the chocolate, where do emotions come into what I buy?
More about that in a minute. But first….
On Saturday, my husband and I decided we’d drive to Breckenridge (Colorado), which is only about an hour and a bit from where we live. Tim realised at the 11th hour on Saturday afternoon (well actually 15 minutes before the tyre joint around the corner closed), that we needed two new front tyres if we were going to drive up into the Rockies.
He said, ‘It’s too late, they will be closing in 15 minutes and we won’t be able to do them. Are you OK with next weekend‘ to which I answered in the affirmative.
But not before I ‘gently encouraged’ him to at least ask the guy the question….
So off he went – around the corner to plead his case to Tyre Guy.
He acknowledged how it would cut into the guys personal time by five minutes but he would be super appreciative. He shared how he is new to the country and now that his job takes him out on the road with a lot of travelling, he’d be looking for a reliable tyre supplier in the future he could trust. And he also shared how he had a long drive ahead of him the next day and it could be really risky without the tyre change.
Tyre Guy reluctantly agreed to provide two new tyres and rotate them, but as he didn’t have the tyres Tim initially wanted he said, ‘I do have the next model up but they are more expensive‘.
20 minutes later the job was completed, handshakes exchanged and two personal trade-offs resulted!
Tyre Guy not only found a new client, he also sold a set of tyres at higher margin for exactly the same amount of work.
Tim was happy because he now felt safe for our trip up to Breckenridge.
THREE LESSONS FROM THIS ANECDOTE
- The answer will always be negatory if you don’t ask the question. So always ask ONE MORE QUESTION.
- People will always PAY MORE when they can see themselves in the OUTCOME.
- Sellers will always GRANT CONCESSIONS when they can see ADDITIONAL VALUE.
So back to the toilet paper, milk, toothpaste and vegetables:
🧻 – If you ever buy 3 ply in our family, you’ll find out how comfort wins out over cost no matter how much money you save.
🍃- Buy almond milk instead of skim milk and watch how normally compliant taste buds play havoc with facial expressions no matter how rational the decision was to buy it.
🥕 – Buy vegetables in our home and watch a husband win over his wife, no matter what he wants 😉
EPILOGUE: Our air-pressure light was on most of our trip and halfway up the Rockies – our hubcap came off!
Lesson?
I’ll leave that up to you 😊

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