Caught this post from 37signals blog this AM.  It’s on why people buy stuff.   The assertion is that there’s something in the subconscious about past childhood “imprints” that we call up in association with the product or service that is the real reason we buy things.

I’m not sure I’m all about Jungian archetypes, but classifying us as the “Hero” with a “Task” to perform might fit (see this page on J.A. in the humanities, one task identified is “save the kingdom”).

However, if we assume that there might be/is validity here, then we’ve got quite a task selling security to business people.  If we can stereotype the business owner as a risk-accepting entrepreneur type (and no, not all CEO’s are, but bear with me) then  no amount of prodding them to recall hazardous impacts of risk in their past will do.  Their mindset would automatically be, “yeah, but I lived through that.”  Perhaps this is why risk analysis works better, because they appreciate the knowledge and awareness or risk they might not have had in the childhood incident they recall.

Or maybe that’s all a bunch of baloney, and risk works because it makes sense.

“For those of you who’ve just tuned in, you may be interested to know that, er … two men, two rather scruffily attired men, and indeed a sofa � a Chesterfield I think?”

“Yes, a Chesterfield.”

“Have just materialized here in the middle of Lord’s Cricket Ground. But I don’t think they meant any harm, they’ve been very good-natured about it, and …”

“Sorry, can I interrupt you a moment Peter and say that the sofa has just vanished.”

“So it has. Well, that’s one mystery less. Still, it’s definitely one for the record books I think, particularly occurring at this dramatic moment in play, England now needing only twenty-four runs to win the series. The men are leaving the pitch in the company of a police officer, and I think everyone’s settling down now and play is about to resume.”

Posted on April 3