YESENTIALS®: Risk
When someone says, “I need to think about it,” they’re not buying time.
They’re signaling fear.
The human brain has two top priorities: stay alive and save energy.
That means we don’t engage unless we feel safe.
From a brain science standpoint, RISK is one of the most powerful decision amplifiers. Research shows people are 4–5x more likely to engage when risk is reduced or removed.
That’s not theory. That’s neuroscience.
The Brain Says Yes to the Safer Choice
Why Risk is the Barrier to Yes
When we detect risk — reputational, financial, relational — our brain releases cortisol and adrenaline. These are survival chemicals… but they also trigger fight, flight, or freeze.
And when the brain freezes, engagement shuts down. No action. No decision. No forward motion.
That’s why we’re more likely to:
- Buy brand-name products (predictability = safety)
- Pay more for known service providers
- Default to “do nothing” when the decision feels risky
Risk Framing is a Shortcut to Engagement
Want someone to engage with you — as a buyer, teammate, partner?
Start by asking yourself:
- What’s at risk for them?
- Do they see me as the safer choice — or the riskier one?
- How can I help eliminate their risk right now?
The moment you lower perceived danger, you raise engagement.
That’s why RISK FRAMING and LOSS AWARENESS are such powerful YESENTIALS® tools. They grab attention, reduce anxiety, and shift the decision dynamic.
Safe = Trust. Trust = Action.
You can’t push people to engage. But you can remove what’s blocking them.
Start here:
- Make their risk visible
- Reduce uncertainty
- Show how you’ve done this before
Because freeze is the opposite of engagement — and safety is the start of YES.
