I went to Turkey this summer, it was my very first time visiting Istanbul, and so everyone told me to take my big suitcase. I was skeptical and wanted to take my smaller case. I mean, what would I buy? After all, I am traveling mainly for sightseeing and a change of scenery. Plus, I live in Dubai, and shopping here is not too bad.
After a small debate with myself, I took my big suitcase and wondered whether it would even be worth it… And it is!
Turkey is one of the most beautiful places I visited. Amazing weather, good food, and great people. And… well, lots of great shopping too!
I love authenticity, so I told myself that if I bought, I might as well buy Turkish brands. Part of me was curious, what was the fuss all about? Why does everyone come to Turkey for shopping? What is so special?
Three things: Style, Quality, and Price!
My mom couldn’t help but tell me that the Turks make amazing leather jackets, and I thought, “what would I need a leather jacket for?”
But my mom’s comment made me automatically enter a leather jacket store called DESA, when I was exploring the Turkish stores, so I get an “idea” about all the fuss.
All to find myself trying almost every leather jacket at the store. I tell myself, “What would I need a leather jacket for? You live in Dubai! Like come-on.” My logical mind said, “You live in Dubai, and even in the winter, you go to the beach!”
I couldn’t resist. I bought 3 leather jackets. Yup, all three of them!
Then, I thought I had lost it. “Am I crazy? What for?”
“But I fell in love with them,” I tell myself.
By now, you might have guessed that I am an impulsive buyer, which brings me to one of the core consumer psychology principles: We buy by emotion and justify by logic.
Although it’s great to point out the rational reasons why your product is good for your customer. It’s important to also appeal to your customer’s emotional and unconscious brain.
There are three parts of the brain that influence our buying decision.
- The old brain is the survival brain, driven by our primal instincts for survival and protection. It’s more like you are hungry and have got to eat right now!
- The midbrain is the emotional bit that drives our decisions. That’s the main reason we buy.
- The new brain is the logical part that helps you make rational decisions. It’s what justifies your emotional decision.
I was definitely not driven by my old brain or my new brain. That midbrain of mine influenced the heck out of me into buying 3 leather jackets in the summer while living in Dubai.
How about you? What kind of irrational purchase have you recently made?
To learn more about the old, mid, and new brain, check out Chapter 3: Why Do They Want to Do It?, in my book, Why No One Is Buying Your Product