The Four Core Green Lights

1) Fear (of loss, of missing out, of falling behind)

Decision science shows buyers are especially sensitive to potential losses - our minds weigh losses more heavily than equivalent gains (Prospect Theory / loss aversion). In practice, credible downside framing (risk of delays, compliance exposure, churn) can accelerate action without resorting to scare tactics. 

Use it ethically: Contrast “status quo risk” vs. “adopted risk,” quantify both, and show how your solution shrinks the bigger risk.

2) Greed (gain, upside, advantage)

While loss aversion is real, buyers still move for clear upside - revenue, margin, market share, personal wins. Whenever you present gains, anchor them to credible evidence (benchmarks, verified case outcomes) and define time to value.

Use it ethically: Position scarce opportunities (pilot slots, limited incentives) with verifiable conditions to avoid hype.

3) Curiosity (the pull of the unknown)

Curiosity is not fluffy - neuroscience links heightened curiosity with activation of the brain’s reward/learning systems, increasing engagement and retention. Use “open loops” and specific, relevant knowledge gaps to pull buyers into the next step (e.g., “the 2 variables that cut cycle time in half in firms like yours”). 

Use it ethically: Tease one surprising, decision-relevant insight - then deliver it fully in the next touch.

4) Pride (status, identity, recognition)

Buyers don’t just buy outcomes; they buy a story about themselves - competent, innovative, trusted. Social validation (“peer adoption,” “board-credible choice”) and career-safe positioning matter even more in today’s multi-stakeholder, high-visibility buys. Tie your narrative to recognized standards, respected customers, and responsible risk management. (Gartner’s finding on complexity makes “career-safe” choices especially salient in committees.) 

Use it ethically: Frame the decision as the responsible path - compliant, future-proof, endorsed by serious peers.

 
The Secondary Green Lights

5) Love (care for people and purpose)

Values matter commercially. Edelman’s global research shows ~64% of consumers buy or boycott based on brand beliefs/stances; in B2B, purpose often surfaces as care for employees, customers, or community impact. Tie your solution to concrete well-being outcomes (safety, accessibility, inclusion) and measure them. 

6) Self-Actualization (growth, mastery, meaning)

Leaders adopt solutions that elevate their team’s capabilities and their own craft. Translate your offer into skill, autonomy, and mastery - training paths, certifications, communities of practice, measurable improvement curves.

7) Justice / Fairness (ethics, transparency, standards)

Trust accelerates decisions. Certifications, audits, and compliance proof reduce perceived risk and appeal to buyers’ fairness/ethics lens (e.g., data protection, sustainability, accessibility). Align proof to the concerns of legal, security, and ESG stakeholders early.

 
Bringing Green Lights Into Your Motion

Map motives to jobs-to-be-done. For each stakeholder, list the dominant green light (e.g., CFO = fear/greed; CISO = fear/justice; HR lead = love/self-actualization).

Design proof for each motive.

Fear → quantified risk models, incident benchmarks

Greed → ROI with conservative assumptions + sensitivity analysis

Curiosity → short insight teasers tied to their metrics

Pride → peer logos, standards, “board-safe” narratives

Love → well-being outcomes, duty-of-care evidence

Self-Actualization → upskilling paths, enablement milestones

Justice → certifications, independent audits, policies

Sequence for momentum. Open with curiosity, de-risk with fear/justice, justify with greed, lock commitment with pride, love, and self-actualization.
Use proof buyers trust. Today’s committees consult multiple sources; Gartner notes buyers bring 4–5 pieces of information each and must reconcile them together. Equip champions with concise, citable artifacts. Gartner
 
Why This Works Now

High cognitive load: Complexity (77% say their last buy was “difficult”) favors sellers who make decisions feel safer and simpler. Gartner

Subconscious dominance: With most decision activity occurring below awareness, message framing and proof selection matter as much as features. Harvard Business School Library
Belief-driven selection: Values alignment influences brand choice at scale (64% trend), raising the importance of justice/love-based signals alongside ROI. Edelman
 
Conclusion

Objection handling will always matter — but motivation activation wins modern deals. When your outreach, discovery, and proposals deliberately turn on Green Lights (fear, greed, curiosity, pride — supported by love, self-actualization, justice), you reduce committee anxiety, shorten consensus time, and make your solution the career-safe choice.

In a noisy, complex market, buyers don’t just need more information. They need reasons to move - and the confidence to believe that moving is right.