Fear and Greed. The stock-in-trade of sales. Appeal to them, and your success is assured. But isn’t there more to life than those two emotions?

Yes, there is. And your marketing would do well to expand its emotional horizons! Let’s take a look at a few of the other response-generating feelings:

Curiosity: “What never… ever to eat on an airplane!” That headline is from the super-successful sales letter for Bottom Line newsletter subscriptions. You read the message to find the answer to the question – which, by the way, is only answered if you subscribe.

Vanity: Everyone wants to look good. Can your product or service make them more beautiful? But don’t stop there – vanity can sell more than just diet and beauty products. Verbal Advantage uses vanity (people will think you’re more intelligent) to sell vocabulary tapes. Will your product or service make your prospect look more successful? (Sometimes a higher cost can be a benefit.) How about the appeal of being “cool” or “hip”?

Insecurity: The flip side of vanity. Insecurity is so powerful, so prevalent, that it can be traced to the root of almost all other emotional sales pitches. In fact, it’s so powerful, it only needs to be hinted at to be effective: “Quite frankly, the American Express Card is not for everyone. And not everyone who applies for Cardmembership will be approved. However, we believe you will…” You almost have to apply to prove that you’re good enough!

Step out of the Fear-and-Greed box in your next marketing communication. You may be amazed at the difference – not just in your ad, but in your response as well.