Passion: I'm not talking about lustful kind. What is your prospect passionate about? You can create an instant bond by being passionate about it, too. Fly Fisherman magazine did just that with classic "Trout Spoken Here" subscription letter. They talked a bit about "amiable madness" of fly fishing, and only when connection was made did they begin to overtly sell subscription. And they sold a ton of them!

Anger: It's you and me against those dirty, evil, low-lifes that have been ripping us off! They lie to you. They take candy from babies. Want to get back at them? Buy from me instead.

There are all kinds of ways to connect with your prospect. Which one will work best depends on who you're selling to. Find out who he is, then choose best way to get close to his heart. His wallet won't be far behind.

Confirmation Bias

We tend to act economically in a way that confirms our current beliefs. When negotiating to buy exact same model of Mecedes, for example, current owners, who presumably already believe in value of a Mercedes, pay $7,000 more, on average, than new Mercedes customers. I'm sure you can imagine value of this knowledge to companies that sell high-priced items.

Extremeness Aversion

People seem to instinctively avoid extremes, according to research. Given a choice of televisions costing $300, $500, and $700, for example, not many buy $700 one. Add a $1200 television to choices, however, and more will then buy $700 one, because it is no longer most expensive one.

In information coming from these studies, you'll find much to help your sales and marketing efforts right now. You can also learn enough to protect yourself as a consumer. For more on behavioral economics, watch for "Why You Buy, Part Two."