Session 63: How Do You Sell Sprouts?: What Behavioral ... · Internet and check out their friends so why not build a website that offers that? Friends, pictures, profiles, whatever

Session 63: How Do You Sell Sprouts?: What Behavioral Science Can Teach Us About

Tackling Under-Insurance SOA Antitrust Disclaimer SOA Presentation Disclaimer

How to sell sproutsWhat behavioral science can teach us about tackling underinsurance

Matt BattersbyChief Behavioral Scientist, RGA

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17 x 24 = ?

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Surely technology has changed us?

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Surely technology has changed us?

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Focus on what will not change “It took millions of years for man’s instincts to develop. It will take millions more for them to even vary. It is fashionable to talk about changing man.

A communicator must be concerned with unchanging man, with his obsessive drive to survive, to be admired, to succeed, to love, to take care of his own.”

—Bill Bernbach

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Buying life insurance is not natural human behavior

“We know that in some places the ideas of healthy morality have been so sullied and stifled by the evil spirit of commerce that insurance on the lives of men has been authorized. But such arrangements have always been forbidden in France.

—Jean-Étienne-Marie Portalis

“Once the question was: can a Christian man rightfully seek Life Assurance? That day is passed. Now the question is: can a Christian man justify himself in neglecting such a duty?”

—Reverend Henry Ward Beecher

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How do you sell life insurance?

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It’s easy to sell candy

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Silicon fallacyHow to sell life insurance It’s harder to sell sprouts

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Sprouts are sold, not bought

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Learning from FacebookPeople came to Facemashin a stampede, right?

But it wasn't because they saw pictures of hot girls. You can go anywhere on the internet and see pictures of hot girls. It’s because they saw pictures of girls that they knew. People want to go on the Internet and check out their friends so why not build a website that offers that? Friends, pictures, profiles, whatever you can visit, browse around, maybe it's someone you just met at a party. I'm not talking about a dating site. I'm talking about taking the entire social experience of college and putting it online.

I know. I’m totally psyched about this too.

[shivering]Yeah...

I can't feel my legs...

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Silicon fallacy

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1.Identify a problem and

need2. Awaken the

need3. Present

ideas4. Provide

simple illustrations

5. Tell them the price and help them find

the money

6. Remind them of the

problem

The persuasion journey

AFFECTIVE COGNITIVE BEHAVIOR

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Identifying problems and needs

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“Some people believe football is a matter of life and death. I am very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you it is much, much more important than that.”

— Bill Shankly

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Identifying problems and needs

Sallis, A., Attwood, S., Berry, D. et al (2016). Message framing in alcohol harm reduction: results from an RCT. Publication pending.

Reducing harmful levels of drinking

Is alcohol affecting your appearance? Cutting down on alcohol can reduce

your risk of … saggy skin, obesity and premature ageing”

“Is alcohol affecting your health? Cutting down on alcohol can reduce

your risk of …, breast and bowel cancer and liver disease”

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Identifying problems and needs Manfred Max Neef, Fundamental Human Needs

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Identifying problems and needs Identity

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Identifying problems and needs Identity, creation, freedom

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Identifying problems and needs Identity, creation, freedom

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How do we awaken the need?

How do you get a horse down the stairs?

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Awakening needs

Awakening needs: Availability heuristic

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Awakening needs

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Awakening needsRecordMeNow

"The single most important thing that people said they wanted to hear was that their parent was proud of them, that they loved them and to hear them say that with their name,"

"So often people were told that their mum or dad loved them so much, but they needed and wanted to hear it."Sometimes they wanted to hear a very specific set of words.

"They wished they could ask their parent, 'I remember you whispering something to me every night, what was it? I want to hear it again.'"

Who is this?