E-Bombs

I’m sitting here, considering my recent purchase of a new home. Why did I change my decision and buy this house instead of another house that I had already submitted an offer? Many times we “change our minds” gradually, or we may abruptly turn to another approach or action. What is happening to cause a prospective customer to change their initial decision and not buy what we are selling?

We, as humans, go through a typical decision process that consists of realization that we need something a search for a solution to the need, leading to a preliminary decision that narrows the field of potential solutions to ‘the one’, we rationalize that preliminary decision and proceed to acquire and implement the solution.

The preliminary decision is emotionally based, more of an “I feel good that this one will get the job done”, or “Unless I find out this thing has some real problems, we will go with this solution”.

After this preliminary decision, we typically announce our intent to acquire a solution, and this would encourage the sales person to help me go to next steps, to rationalize or prove that my emotional decision will work. After I announce my emotional or preliminary decision, then suddenly I hear from those people that oppose my preliminary decision. They start to voice their opinion, objections, and sometimes, they exhibit strong resistance. These actions become more overt or desperate from a competing sales person.

The reaction comes in many forms. A non-supporter of my preliminary decision may 1) move-away, or say little to nothing regarding their opposition, or 2) vigorously engage me into a ‘why would you want to do that?’ discussion, or 3) produce evidence of why I would be making a mistake, and other versions of non-support.

All of these actions are designed to engage my emotions and create a situation that provokes me to re-consider the elements that motivated me to consider my needs and select a preliminary solution. If the non-supporters wait until acquisition and implementation of the solution, the reversal of the decision becomes much more challenging.

We refer to these emotional engagements from the non-supporters as “e-bombs” or emotional bombs. The intent is to have you revert to the pre-preliminary decision moments or emotional phase of your decision, to recast your perspective of what is the better solution or action to take.

So what was the e-bomb that motivated me to switch to the house I purchased? The inspectors found there was significant risk of a sinkhole formation (I reside in Florida). When you play out the scene of your home being swallowed by the Earth, it can be quite emotional!  So, I selected a home that will not disappear into a great hole, at least for a while.