It's Getting Hotter

In the New York Metro area, this past July was the 2nd hottest on record. If you need some Jeopardy trivia, the hottest was during 1937.

But sometimes, it's not just the weather that's uncomfortably hot. Sometimes, it's the conversations you're having with your significant other.

Guys, have you ever wondered how your spouse or girlfriend can get so angry with you so fast? And stay angry for such a long time? It's because women process emotions differently than men.

A woman has 36 emotional outposts in her brain. And these outposts are interconnected through both sides of the brain. They are also situated close to her brain's verbal centers. A man has just 4 emotional outposts; 2 on each side of his brain, and they aren't connected from one side to the other. They also aren't as close to his verbal centers.

When a woman gets upset, she feels the negative emotion in all 36 outposts. This negative emotion pings back and forth, from one side of her brain to the other. Anger is not a slow build for her; it happens fast because of all of this emotional brain interaction. And, she'll tell you how she feels because these outposts are so close to her verbal centers. She'll also be upset for as long as the time it takes her to shut down the negative emotion in all of her outposts.

When a guy gets upset, he can shed the negative emotion quicker because he only has to shut down 4 outposts.

Ladies, have you ever had a late night argument with your husband? You both finally go to bed because you know you have to wake up for work the next day. You're still steaming, and he has the audacity to go to sleep! This makes you even more upset. You're wondering, "How can he sleep at a time like this?" It's because it takes him less time to shut down his 4 emotional outposts. He's not being insensitive; he's just using his male brain.

Emotions And Communications

OK, so you're probably wondering what this has to do with developing communications, experiences and entertainment content that motivates women. (And you should be thinking about this since women comprise 51% of the U.S. population; and are responsible for $6 trillion in sales.)

Here it is: If you positively impact her emotions, she'll have a positive feeling about your brand for a while. And, she'll tell other people about your brand and her positive feeling.

However, if you negatively impact her emotions, she'll harbor a negative feeling about your brand for a while. And, you guessed it; she'll share these negative feelings about your brand with others.

So, here are some tips to positively impact her emotions.

1. Behavioral research indicates the top 3 things a woman wants from people she has relationships with are:

   • Affection
   • Attention
   • Appreciation

2. Your brand is a living, breathing entity, just like a person. So, you should attempt to establish a relationship with her by making her feel that you care about her; pay attention to her Need States; and appreciate who she is by addressing her Personal Values.

3. Understand that she's different from a man:

   • Her hearing is more sensitive. Don't shout at her in your radio and TV advertising. It actually hurts her ears!
   • Her eyes seek out, and interpret "nouns" - what is she looking at? His seek out and interpret "verbs" - how fast is that going? You're more likely to get her attention with images of people and things. You'll get his attention with fast moving images.
   • She listens with both sides of her brain at the same time. This is why radio is such an excellent medium to reach and motivate her.
   • For her, conversations are to share information, and build and nurture relationships. Conversations for him are to share information, solve problems and establish and defend rank. She'll be motivated by an ad that makes her think; I have a problem like her...if this brand worked for her maybe it'll work for me.

Using Our Brains Differently -- Good Cocktail Conversation!

He says, "I have no recollection"

Women remember arguments that a man insists never happened. Ladies, trying to get him to admit that he remembers that argument is a waste of time. And, you'll probably get upset with him all over again!

She says, "I need a hug"

Research shows that the female brain naturally releases oxytocin after a 20-second hug. Guys, go ahead, give her a hug. It's more fun and cheaper than a prescription drug.

Half-Listening

Brain scans show that women use both their right and left temporal lobes equally when listening to a conversation, while men use mostly their left. Ladies, he can't listen to you and the ballgame at the same time. If you have something important to say, wait until the game is over.

The incredible shrinking brain

The human brain shrinks after the age of 20, resulting in an increase in fluid between the brain and the skull. There is greater shrinkage in men, who show a 30% increase in fluid between ages 65 and 95, while women only show a 1% increase. Ladies, I guess this makes up for retaining water every month for all those years.

Maybe if we turn it this way

Research has validated that men consistently perform better on the mental rotation test, which requires the subject to decide if two drawings of a 3-D object are the same object, shown at different orientations. In practical terms, the skill relates to tasks like driving, packing a suitcase or fitting furniture through a doorway. Ladies, measure the doorway before you buy that new sofa.

Why You Need To Understand Behavior

If your job is to motivate a person's behavior, then you need to know why people behave the way they do. Think of motivation as a pyramid. First you must understand human behavior; this is the base of the pyramid. Then layer on top of that foundation an understanding of gender-specific behavior. At the top of the pyramid is an understanding of the different belief systems of ethnic and racial groups.

If you attempt to develop communications or programming by addressing the top 2 layers, and you haven't addressed the foundation, you won't be successful in motivating a person's behavior.