Millions Of Words, But Only Six Emotions
Nice short item from Seth Godin the other day. He says there are only six ‘buttons’ to press — or, “keys on the keyboard” — if you’re trying to spread an idea or sell something …
Anger, disgust, fear, sadness, happiness and surprise. Four negatives, one positive, and one that could go either way (probably triggering one of the other five!).
Godin says: “…all of these words are merely costumes for the six emotions built deep in our primordial soup.”
You’ve probably seen other lists like this. Here’s one I’ve kept on hand for years, from direct marketing maven Denny Hatch:
Fear (the most powerful of all, says Denny), greed, guilt, anger, exclusivity, salvation, flattery.
Obviously Godin and Hatch are swimming in the same “primordial soup”.
Speaking of which, if you really want to sip the soup, check out these marvelous 11 talks packaged together by the folks at TED — Our brains: predictably irrational.
Tom
4 responses to “Millions Of Words, But Only Six Emotions”
Behavioral Science Q & A
Integrating an individual giving appeal with other communications from a charity can have both positive and negative effects, and the outcome largely depends on how it’s executed. Advantages of Integration Brand Consistency: Maintaining a consistent appearance and messaging across all communications can reinforce the org’s brand identity and strengthen brand recognition and trust among your […]
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I’m not aware of any in-market tests specifically comparing recurring vs. gift frequency language. I suspect the answer might not be the same with all gift frequencies, nor with all people. It sounds like a great opportunity for you to test and find out what works for your audience. Based on the literature, here’s a couple […]
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Based on what we know from existing data, those renewal notices can actually be pretty effective in getting people to donate. They tap into our psychology – creating a sense of urgency, reminding us of past support, and using personalization to make the message hit home. They’re playing on our natural tendencies to feel obligated […]
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Interesting question. I had a quick look at the testing done on this topic. On the positive side, in all cases, over half of donors decide to cover the fee. In some cases, it goes as high as 65%. Not a negligible percentage at all. Here’s another test from iRaiser showing consistent results (see point […]
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There’s just one thing to consider when designing a supporter journey: the supporter. More specifically, you need to take into account: Who the supporter is i.e. their identity, which is the reason they support this cause, and their personality, which describes the way they “see” and process the world. These will determine the kind of […]
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I’m not an expert in this but a quick search surfaced this article on the effect of tax reforms on 2019’s charitable giving. The researchers didn’t find a reduction. Actually, they observed an “increase in charitable contributions in 2019, even with the lower tax rates and the dramatically smaller number of taxpayers who itemize their […]
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Thanks for the plug. The great direct mail guru Axel Andersson came up with the seven key copy drivers—the emotions that make people act—along with Seattle B2B wizard Bob Hacker. Fear, greed, guilt, anger, exclusivity, salvation, flattery. Axel once analyzed over 1,000 direct mail letters and discovered that the clear winner was flattery. 40% of the letters were pinned to it.
By the way, why—when I write this in your little comment box—is the resultant type in unreadable light gray? I cannot tell you how much Web designers–untrained and arty–tick me off. Cheers. dennyhatch@yahoo.com
What about JOY? This maybe the ultimate, heartfelt emotion for donors – I think maybe the strongest. There can be extreme joy in giving, being a part of something bigger, helping others. It’s that “giving high” you want to condition all your donors to feel, to come to expect, over and over, every time they connect with you.
I actually have a silver bracelet with the 7 emotions that are particularly useful, identified by the direct mail industry: anger, fear, greed, guilt, flattery, exclusivity, and salvation.
So many people get so distressed by these “negative” emotions. Don’t be silly. Emotions just are…feelings… I suspect Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. were very angry…and afraid, too. Look what they accomplished. Tom Ahern talks about emotional twinsets: I am angry and want to change the world and your organization gives me hope – so I give through your organization to achieve my own aspirations.
Psychologist W. Gerrod Parrott has identified 135 emotions. See chapter 9 in Keep Your Donors, the book that Tom Ahern and I co-wrote. Love. Joy. Surprise. Etc.
But hey, those 7 emotions from direct marketing — anger, fear, greed, guilt, flattery, exclusivity, and salvation. They are so powerful. They are so understandable.
I’m surprised hope isn’t considered a basic emotion. Hope isn’t really the same as happiness; it’s more like the opposite of fear. And hope seems to drive giving for many donors.
Or is “salvation” in Denny Hatch’s list the same as hope?