Gaining the Technology Leadership Edge, Episode #89

The Brain Hack That Changes Everything in Sales

Show Notes

About the Guest(s):

Thomas Trautmann is a seasoned entrepreneur and neuromarketing expert renowned for bridging the gap between brain science and business strategy. With a robust career history collaborating with industry giants such as IBM, HP, and others, Thomas has transitioned into entrepreneurship, emphasizing the revolutionary impacts of neuromarketing and ethical persuasion. He builds what he calls “happy tribes” by enhancing communication and marketing techniques for businesses and couples through brain science. Thomas is the founder of Happy Brains, focusing on using understanding of the brain to improve marketing, sales, and personal relationships.

Episode Summary:

In this engaging episode, Thomas Trautmann, a leading figure in neuromarketing, shares his profound insights on how businesses can leverage brain science to elevate their marketing and sales strategies. Hosted by Mike, the conversation delves into the nuances of understanding human decision-making processes and its impact on business growth. By examining the primal brain’s role in decision-making, Thomas sheds light on how perceptions drive purchasing behaviors and personal relationships. His journey from working with tech giants to becoming a pioneer in ethical persuasion offers listeners a unique perspective on aligning business strategies with cognitive science.

Through the lens of neuroscience, Thomas explains that every decision made, whether in business or personal life, is influenced by primal instincts. Companies, he suggests, often mistakenly assume their purchasing interactions are rational when they are predominantly primal. For entrepreneurs looking to harness this knowledge, Thomas advocates for a shift in focus towards a more human-centric approach in marketing and communication. By weaving insights from Grant Cardone’s 10x principles with brain science, he illustrates a potent synergy that helps businesses and individuals thrive. Listeners will walk away with a comprehensive understanding of how neuromarketing, when executed thoughtfully, can lead to transformative experiences for both companies and their customers.

Key Takeaways:

  • Neuromarketing Power: Utilizing neuromarketing can significantly boost business growth when implemented effectively by recognizing the primal decision-making processes of the brain.
  • Understanding Decisions: Most decisions are made by the primal brain and rationalized later, highlighting the importance of addressing primal motivations in marketing.
  • Difference in Perceptions: Men and women communicate differently owing to variations in brain wiring, impacting both personal and business relationships.
  • 10x Synergy: Incorporating Grant Cardone’s 10x strategies with brain science creates a holistic approach to business growth and personal development.
  • Human-Centric Approach: Shifting from company-focused narratives to customer-centric conversations is essential for effective marketing.

Notable Quotes:

  • “Neuromarketing is missing humanity.” – Thomas Trautmann
  • “Every decision is made by a human brain, and those brains make a primal decision that you rationalize afterwards.” – Thomas Trautmann
  • “Male and female brains are not equals, they are complementary.” – Thomas Trautmann
  • “The problem is that fight flight process still runs today in our brains. But what triggers it are just a few words.” – Thomas Trautmann
  • “For me, it will be everyone will know how to do, how to ethically persuade someone, and the world will be a great place.” – Thomas Trautmann

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Episode Details

Unlocking Business Potential: Neuromarketing, Brain Science, and Ethical Persuasion

Understanding and leveraging the intricacies of the human brain is becoming an essential component in the ever-evolving landscape of marketing and personal relationships. In this discussion, Thomas Trautmann, a visionary in neuromarketing and ethical persuasion, offers insights into how businesses and individuals can harness these concepts for transformative results. Through a candid conversation, he underscores the power of catering to the primal brain and the importance of ethical persuasion in decision-making processes.

Key Takeaways

  • Neuromarketing drives significant growth by tapping into the primal decision-making processes of the human brain.
  • Understanding the fundamental psychological differences between male and female brains can enhance personal and professional relationships.
  • Employing a client-centric approach resonates more effectively due to the primal brain’s focus on self-interest.

Neuromarketing and Business Growth: The Primal Brain Advantage

Decoding Consumer Decisions with Neuromarketing

Neuromarketing isn’t just a buzzword; it’s a revolutionary way to understand consumer behavior. According to Thomas, “when people do it well, you see two digits growth easily, really easily.” The power of neuromarketing lies in its scientific basis that decision-making is predominantly governed by our primal brain, a component of our neurological makeup that stopped evolving 100,000 years ago. This primal brain guides our quick, irrational decisions.

To illustrate the point, Thomas recounts a moment when a skeptic claimed purchases were purely rational, which he deftly countered by explaining, “If you need a car, you need four wheels, an engine, a body…in that case, you should have bought a Tata… Buying a Peugeot 308 coupe in Paris doesn’t make any sense.” By realigning marketing strategies to cater to this primal, immediate response, businesses can cultivate more impactful customer interactions.

Ethical Persuasion as a Moral Compass in Business

Neatly dovetailing into neuromarketing is the concept of ethical persuasion, a system Thomas devised to ensure authenticity and moral grounding in marketing strategies. This system “…is something made for you, for anyone, that you get the decision you want from people while you make them make the decision that helps them,” Thomas elaborates. Ethical persuasion builds trust, enhancing client relationships. This approach needs to be central as consumers increasingly prioritize ethical considerations in their decision-making processes.

By bridging scientific understanding with ethical considerations, businesses can not only drive impressive growth but also foster trustworthy relationships with their clientele. The intertwining of ethical persuasion with traditional marketing tactics promises not only increased sales but also a better overall brand reputation.

Male-Female Brain Differences: Impacts on Communication

Complementary Differences in Brain Architecture

A fascinating dimension discussed by Thomas is the inherent differences between male and female brains, which he notes are “not equals, they are complementary.” The varying brain structures between the genders—most notably the corpus callosum’s thickness—affect communication styles and multitasking abilities. Women often excel at multitasking due to the greater inter-hemispheric communication, while men are generally more adept at focusing on single tasks. Understanding these differences can strengthen interpersonal communications in both professional and personal settings.

Translating Understanding to Improve Relationships

The implications of these differences extend into the nuances of language and relationships. Men and women often perceive language and communication cues differently. As Thomas puts it, “the male language is way more precise than the female language.” Recognizing and respecting these differences can reduce misunderstandings and conflicts, thereby improving relationship dynamics.

For example, Thomas illustrates a typical scenario at home: “When I come home I say, oh, there is dog hair. I need to clean that out. When my wife comes home, she says it’s disgusting.” Such differences in expression highlight the divergent brain processing pathways that both genders typically follow.

The Brain’s Focus on Self and Ethical Reorientation in Business

The Brain’s Self-Focused Orientation

Understanding the brain’s decision-making process is incomplete without acknowledging its inherent self-focus. “The little part of the brain that makes a decision is focused on one and only one person itself,” Thomas explains. Businesses often miss this critical insight; by crafting marketing narratives that center on the customer’s perspective, organizations can significantly enhance engagement and conversion rates.

From Solopreneurs to 10X Visionaries

Thomas’s collaboration with the Grant Cardone’s 10X business coaching program presents an appealing juxtaposition of scientific inquiry with entrepreneurial ambition. 10X principles emphasize growth beyond self-imposed limitations, fostering a mindset that aligns perfectly with ethical persuasion. This combination of brain science and the 10X framework propels entrepreneurs from narrow, self-contained paths to expansive and collaborative ventures.

Ingraining ethical persuasion reinforces the idea of creating win-win situations, where consumer interests are not just considered but prioritized. “People who do it see a change,” Thomas emphasizes, validating the power of shifting perspective in creating more compelling and effective business strategies.


Through the lens of neuromarketing and ethical persuasion, as explored by Thomas Trautmann, businesses and individuals alike can unravel the complex tapestry of human decision-making. Addressing the primal and ethical aspects of our brains offers a dual approach to executing successful strategies in marketing and personal relationships. With a focus on aligning communication with core human tendencies and reinforcing creative, ethical marketing practices, any enterprise or individual is in position to effectively harness the full potential of brain science for growth and meaningful engagements.

Contact Information for Thomas Trautmann

Timestamp Summary
0:00 The Intersection of Neuromarketing and Humanity in Business
6:28 Harnessing Brain Science for Ethical Persuasion in Business
9:37 Rationality in Car Choices and the Neuro Couple System
10:45 Exploring Gender Differences in Brain Structure and Function
13:02 Transforming Business Through Brain Science and 10x Principles
21:42 Understanding Communication Differences Through Brain Science and Relationships