When he's not playing football or supporting the Penn State Nittany Lions, Charles Muamba, Founder and CEO of the Muamba Group in New York, spends his time getting to grips with - and advising on - the deepest intricacies of behavioural marketing. In his guest blog, he expands further on his views on this topic (which he terms Scientific Marketing). Read his guest blog further below to find out more!
I asked him what had influenced him to get so involved with the concept of Scientific Marketing and what had made him so passionate about it. Charles subsequently cited many influences from the founding father of marketing, Peter Drucker (whose centennial was celebrated by Harvard Business Review this year in its November 2009 issue) to the founding father of Scientific Advertising Claude Hopkins. From David Ogilvy, probably the greatest ad man of the 20th century to ‘How to win friends and Influence people' legend Dale Carnegie and Stephen Covey, author of ‘7 Habits of Highly Effective people' and recognized by Time Magazine as ‘one of 25 most influential Americans'. Last but not least, Maxwell Maltz, who published his book Pyscho-Cybernetics in 1960 which dealt with behavioural tendencies and self-image and is still a top-seller today. And finally, Kevin Hogan, author of ‘The Science of Influence'. A rum crew of highly talented behavioural science and marketing experts!
As Charles says, although the term Scientific Marketing is somewhat new, the principles, rules and laws of science and marketing have been around for many years. Here's what he has to say on the topic ... !
What did Claude Hopkins, David Ogilvy, Robert Collier, John E. Kennedy and countless other Legend's in marketing and copywriting know and understand that you don't know yet?
They all knew and understood that the number one way to ‘control' your prospects minds and greatly influence their behavior, was and still is to get inside your prospects mind (figuratively speaking) and communicate to them the way they would talk to themselves If they only knew what to say and do. But, we're getting ahead of ourselves here.
What is scientific marketing?
Let's first define the words science and marketing as I see fit. Keep in mind we're talking about the science of human behavior not the natural sciences such as minerals, biology and chemistry.
Science - the intellectual and practical activity encompassing the systemic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment
Marketing - the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large.
Scientific Marketing is the successful integration of the latest research in the Neurosciences in to your current and all future marketing activities. We're not going to get into the details of neurosciences nor do you need to know all of the details of the neurosciences but, in order to fully appreciate the power of scientific marketing...let's talk for a moment about brains... yours and mine.
There is a part of the brain named the reticular activating system (RAS). It's believed to be the center of arousal and motivation in all mammals - including us humans. But the RAS has another function and as entrepreneurs & business owners it's one of the most important part of our clients and prospects brains.
Before I explain this crucial function... Have you ever have any of these experiences?
Situation #1
You just bought a particular make, model, year or color of a car... and then all of sudden you start seeing the car all over the place? Obviously, the cars have always been there, but you didn't notice them before because you weren't focused on it, and now all of a sudden you do.
This happened to me when I purchased my first car in college. I purchased a white 1995 Chevy Cavalier LS. I never noticed the car before but now, all of a sudden I started noticing them in droves everywhere I went.
Situation #2
You're in a loud and crowded place (be it a party, concert, NYC subway station, sporting event, bar, etc) and you are having a conversation with someone. Your particular conversation is one amongst many that are going on all around you. You aren't paying attention to the other conversations going on around you.
But then all of a sudden either your first, last or full name is mentioned in one of those conversations. In an instant your attention shifts to where you heard your name mentioned.
I've had this experience many times over. When I was younger, I almost got separated from my mother at the Bronx Zoo. I really wanted to see the Cheetah's and didn't notice that my mother and I were walking in different directions.
Thankfully, she yelled my name out loud to grab my attention and call me back over to her. And thankfully we were reunited.
So, what's going on here? What just happened?
Your brain is continuously taking in millions of pieces of information, but your conscious mind is incapable of ever handling all of it - so there needs to be a filter to keep you sane.
That's where the RAS comes in to play.
It's the part of your brain that decides what you notice or not. It makes the decision in a fraction of a mili-second based on what you already have in memory.
That's why you hear your name during your conversation at a party or why you notice that new car you've purchased or considering, or your mom saves you from wondering alone as a child, anything that you all of a sudden notice, grabs and retains your attention for an extended period of time.
Scientific Marketing leverages every new discovery about what triggers the RAS (reticular activating system). That's why it's so incredibly powerful.
Successful integration of science into your marketing activities is designed to penetrate and register with the RAS (reticular activating system) in your prospects and clients minds to gain preeminent positioning for your product and service offerings.
So... now that you've realized the immense power of the RAS, the next step is to figure out how to get your name, products and or services to resonate with your prospects & clients RAS?
How to align your current marketing with the laws, rules & principles of human nature discovered in the latest scientific research in neuroscience?
Let's start with the laws, rules & principles of human nature. If you study human nature, you'll realize that you can break down the laws, rules & principles into six main principles and the one powerful driving force that can move mountains:
Commitment & Consistency
Reciprocation
Social Proof
Authority
Liking
Scarcity
***Massive Empathy***
1) Commitment & Consistency - always encourage your prospects to make a small decision now, while they're hot, while they're ready, while they're at your website, and reading your sales copy, listening to a recorded message, etc. You get the point.
Example: to the marketer it means that if you can get your prospect to make a small commitment towards making a purchase - agreeing to send for a free sample of a product, for example - they will feel compelled to remain consistent with that commitment when you ask for a larger one.
If you can get your prospects to take affirmative action toward a purchase, no matter how small, they'll be unconsciously compelled to continue buying in order to remain consistent with their previous actions.
2) Reciprocation - as humans we have survived as a species under this law and if we want to thrive & survive as businesses we must adapt this law -- is the giving of something without the expectation or reward...but reward will surely follow. Without it, people would not feel nearly as comfortable taking the first step in any business or social transaction.
Example: give away something of 10 time's greater value to your current customers, clients and prospects.
3) Social Proof - the ultimate short cut for influencing your prospects, customers and clients to make a fast decision. People like to take part in something that others before them have already done so AND have BENEFITED.
Example: demonstrate social proof with testimonials.
4) Authority - we are conditioned as humans in every cultural to respect and trust the opinions of those who are in an authority position. Remember - perceptions is reality. Perceived authority is the same as real authority. Thus, if you have a degree, certification, specialized knowledge or expertise in any field, toot your own horn, no one else will.
Example: write your own book/e-book, conduct a seminar, write articles, blogs, be interviewed by an expert, interview an expert, etc.
5) Liking - we as humans are predisposed to want to do business with those whom we like. Liking is embraced by every culture on the planet.
Example: use liking at your website with your picture and statement about your philosophies (relative to the theme of your website) and make it clear that you like your prospects and that you are there to help them. Have audio of your voice on your website and transform your e-books, sales letters etc. into audio format.
6) Scarcity - since the beginning of mankind, scarcity has been genetically inbreed within us, and is the fiber and the essence of our genetic makeup. The scarcer an item the more valuable it becomes - artwork, collectibles, etc.
Example: time sensitive, limited amount, special bonus, etc.
7) ***Massive Empathy*** - Christopher Morley was once quoted as saying "no one cares how much you know until they know how much you care."
Use Massive Empathy to Crack Open Your Market
You must know your prospective clients intimately
What is it like to be them?
What do they worry about?
What are their biggest concerns?
What are there beliefs?
What do they believe is their biggest problem?
Based on the research and answers to the list of questions above as well as similar related questions, you must then communicate with your prospects using specific language, words, and phrases to demonstrate to them that you appreciate their situation and that you care deeply about them.
Remember, people care most about what's important to them, not you (meaning the business owner or entrepreneur).
When you're through...you'll have your own individual recipe to stake a permanent claim inside the minds of your prospects and clients. And the RAS will always notice you as important - so your messages will always be read first, your offers will get preferential consideration, your referrals will sky rocket, your reputation will be defended, and all of this will serve to multiply your earnings immediately.
As the Founder & CEO of The Muamba Group, LLC in New York, NY, Charles has spent the last 5 years studying and learning business growth, marketing, and copywriting success secrets & strategies from some of the most successful business growth, marketing, and copywriting experts of the last 100 years or so to help him service & solve his clients real business problems, opportunities and challenges. He's a top notch business growth & marketing strategist, coach, consultant, direct response copywriter, & author.
Over the years, he's developed a powerful scientific method to marketing and the overall growing of small - midsized - businesses and entrepreneurial run ventures 20-100% or more without spending an extra dime on advertising. His soon to be released Scientific Marketing Inner Circle newsletter will share; show tons of great examples and strategies
