Einstein was Right!

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Albert Einstein is known for his contributions to science, most notably the Theory of Relativity and E=MC2, but he also taught us well when it came to communication. His sage advice was this; “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.” And no, he wasn’t talking about memes.

Simplifying complex ideas takes effort on the part of the person who is communicating. Mark Twain said as much when he wrote, “I didn’t have time to write a short letter so I wrote a long one instead.” Knowing something well enough to break it down to its essence and then communicate it so more people understand it is hard work for the communicator and immensely helpful for the learner. 

Simplify for Understanding

An example of simplifying for understanding would be explaining what it means that a star is 100 light years away. It’s factually correct to say it is approximately 600 trillion miles from the earth but that’s awfully hard to comprehend. What frame of reference does the average person have for a trillion, let alone 600 trillion, miles? 

Simplifying 100 light years would be telling someone; if you could travel at the speed of light, it would take you 100 years to reach that distant star. While someone may not fully grasp the distance or the speed of light, it’s much easier to imagine with this simplified explanation.  

Steve Jobs had a brilliant explanation for the first home computers. He called them bicycles for the mind. Anyone who’s ridden a bike knows they can get where they want to go faster and with less effort than running. Computers help us do more and do it all faster.

But Don’t Oversimplify

The “10,000 Hour Rule” gained popularity when Malcom Gladwell mentioned it in his book Outliers. He pointed out how Anders Erickson studied world class performers and found that generally great performers put in around 10,000 hours of practice to attain elite status. 

What was missing from Gladwell’s explanation was the concept of deep practice. It would be a misnomer to think simply doing something for a long time makes you an expert. The average American works approximately 100,000 hours by the time they retire but that doesn’t make the average American an expert in their chosen field. 

Learn to Spot Misinformation

An oversimplification that’s led to the spread of misinformation is Dr. Albert Merhabian’s work around communication. You may have heard in face-to-face communication 55% of the message received is through body language, 38% is based on tone of voice and only 7% is the actual words used. That’s incorrect. 

Merhabian’s work centered around miscommunication. When the person receiving the message perceives the messenger and message are not in alignment (i.e., the messenger doesn’t seem to believe what they’re saying or perhaps they are lying) then people default more to body language and tone of voice to assess truthfulness. 

And Now for the Rest of the Story

Famed radio personality Paul Harvey was famous for his storytelling. He would tease out some tale, get you to the edge of your seat…then go to a commercial break. Upon returning he would say, “And now for the rest of the story,” and give listeners what they needed to know.

There’s always more to the story than the complex idea made simple. Much of the time we don’t need to know more than the simple idea. I won’t be traveling 100,000 light years away and I don’t need to know the inner workings of my computer. 

However, we can avoid disappointment by knowing more about what something means (10,000 hours AND deep practice) and we’d do well to steer clear of misinformation that might harm our efforts. 

Remember, “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.”

Brian Ahearn, CMCT®, is the Chief Influence Officer at Influence PEOPLE, LLC. An author, TEDx speaker, international trainer, coach, and consultant, he’s one of only 20 people in the world personally trained by Robert Cialdini, Ph.D., the most cited living social psychologist on the science of ethical influence.

Brian’s first book, Influence PEOPLE: Powerful Everyday Opportunities to Persuade that are Lasting and Ethical, was named one of the 100 Best Influence Books of All Time by BookAuthority. His second book, Persuasive Selling for Relationship Driven Insurance Agents, was a new release bestseller in several Amazon categories.  

Brian’s LinkedIn Learning courses on the application of persuasion in sales and coaching have been viewed by more than 350,000 people around the world.

 

 

How Bernie Madoff with Our Money

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Last week the infamous Bernie Madoff passed away in prison. He’d served a little over a decade of his 150 year sentence for perpetrating the biggest Ponzi scheme in American history. I wrote about this in my book Influence PEOPLE. I thought it would be appropriate to share that chapter from the book because, although Madoff will eventually fad from our memories, his tactics to manipulate people will go on. Smart, successful people were fooled so none of us is immune. The more we understand, the more we can be on the alert and potentially save ourselves and loved ones from a lot of heartache,

How Bernie Madoff with Our Money

We all know the name Bernie Madoff, perpetrator of the biggest Ponzi scheme ever in American business. It’s estimated $65 billion was invested with Madoff’s firm and the vast majority is still missing. Ponzi schemes are when the perpetrator uses new money from new investors to mollify old investors – as well as an array of accounting frauds.

I was invited to Cleveland to speak to the local chapter of the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters (CPCU). I was asked to talk about ethics so I devised a unique approach: taking a look at how the principles of influence were unethically used by Bernie Madoff to bilk people out of their money. The title was a play on words: How Bernie Madoff with our Money. When I talk about the principles of influence I usually emphasize ethical influence and persuasion; so talking about the unethical use was quite a twist.

The principles of influence tap powerfully into human behavior – what causes someone to say Yes to a request? Social scientists and behavioral economists have studied human compliance and decision making for more than seven decades, so there is plenty of data to back up the effectiveness of principles of influence. Con men may not know the detailed science, but through trial and error they quickly figure out how to use this psychology to their advantage. It is crucial people understand the principles not only to become more adept at ethically influencing others, but also to avoid being manipulated by con men such as Bernie Madoff.

Let’s go through how Madoff used each principle to continually bring in new investors – for decades! After all, Ponzi schemes depend on a continued inflow of investors and money or else they quickly collapse, so landing new clients was of the utmost importance for Madoff.

Reciprocity – We feel obligated to give back to those who first give to us. When someone does us a favor we want to return the favor in some way and silly as it may sound, Bernie made it seem like he was doing his clients a favor by letting them invest with him. After all, his clientele were the rich and famous, he’d been a glowing success for decades and was well respected. For most it was a privilege to let him handle their money. The favor was returned as people told other wealthy investors about Madoff so new clients continually came by way of referral.

Liking – People like to do business with people they like, especially those who are similar to them. Madoff tapped into this principle based on similarities with many of his clients. For starters, he recruited from his country club. That’s not out of the ordinary at all because men gauge one another’s character a lot based on what they have in common, like a love of golf. 

Unity – Unity says it’s easier for us to say Yes to people who are of us; those with whom we have a shared identity. In addition to liking, Madoff tapped into unity through his Jewish heritage. Many of his victims were Jewish and trusted him more based on this shared identity.

Consensus – We feel more comfortable doing what everyone else is doing or doing whatever people just like us are doing. If you’re rich then it’s very likely you hang out with people who are also rich. Inevitably conversation turns to business so undoubtedly Madoff’s name was passed around like the offering plate at church. If you know many of your most successful friends invest with someone, that’s going to give you comfort to consider the same investment advisor.

Authority – People tend to trust those who are viewed as experts and Bernie had this one down! He’d been investing successfully (theoretically!) since the early 1960s. Even more impressive: Bernie helped start the NASDAQ. His trustworthiness seemed impeccable because he also served as board chair for the National Association of Security Dealers. Why wouldn’t you automatically trust him with those credentials on his side?

Consistency – We like to be consistent in what we say and do. When you do something you typically do it because you believe it’s the right thing to do. If someone asks who you invest with you’ll probably talk glowingly about your advisor. Being the con man he was, I’m sure Madoff occasionally asked his biggest clients for referrals and recommendations, which they were probably all too willing to give. After all, it would be inconsistent not to.

Scarcity – People want more of what they cannot have or something that’s hard to come by. Not just anyone could pick up the phone and call Madoff. The supposed size (billions and billions) made it appear to be a very exclusive club. However, the more exclusive its appearance, the more people wanted in. How would you feel if you knew a business only took on a limited number of new clients each year, and you were one of the few they were considering? People jumped at the chance!

That’s a quick overview of the psychology Bernie used to gain investors and facilitate massive theft. Hindsight is 20/20 so maybe we think we’d never be fooled in such a way. However, the kinds of people who invested with him – the rich and famous – were smart, successful and well educated. The reality is we’re all susceptible because we’re human, and the same unethical tricks he played may have worked with us. 

How can you DEFEND yourself against unethical influence tricks? Here’s my advice: continue to learn about influence, keep your eyes and ears open, and most of all, learn to trust your gut because when something seems too good to be true, it usually is.

 

Free Livestream Presentation 
⭐️ ⭐️  How to Become Listening STARS  ⭐️ ⭐️

Friday, May 7, from 12pm to 1pm Eastern, I will give a livestream “TIGER Talk” on listening skills for Innovate New Albany, an incubator for tech startups, entrepreneurs, and small businesses. Click here to register for this one time event.

 

Brian Ahearn, CMCT®, is the Chief Influence Officer at Influence PEOPLE, LLC. An author, TEDx speaker, international trainer, coach, and consultant, he’s one of only 20 people in the world personally trained by Robert Cialdini, Ph.D., the most cited living social psychologist on the science of ethical influence.

Brian’s first book, Influence PEOPLE, was named one of the 100 Best Influence Books of All Time by BookAuthority. His second book, Persuasive Selling, was a new release bestseller in several Amazon categories.

Brian’s LinkedIn Learning courses on the application of persuasion in sales and coaching have been viewed by more than 350,000 people around the world.

My Mind Has A Mind of Its Own…And So Does Yours

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I’ve often written about the subconscious and how it’s a driver of most of our behavior. In his book Subliminal: How Your Unconscious Mind Rules Your Behavior American physicist Leonard Mlodinow contends as much as 95% of your behavior is happening because of drivers you’re unaware of! This came to mind recently because of two separate instances. 

Story #1

The first was a guest podcast appearance. Before taping the show I’d quickly reviewed the host’s LinkedIn profile. I saw he worked for a short time at Kodak. 

My first, and only thought about Kodak in that moment, was whether or not he was there when a business acquaintance was running Kodak’s marketing. I resolved to ask him about it. But, just as quickly as I learned about that fact, I forgot about it.

As the podcast episode progressed the host asked me about my first book, Influence PEOPLE. I shared a little about the book and when I mentioned there were several case studies he inquired further. That’s when I mentioned the chapter I called “The Saddest Kodak Moment.” As I shared some persuasive insights on Kodak’s downfall, he told me he worked at Kodak and that I was right on the money about some of their business issues around their bankruptcy. 

When he mentioned he’d worked at Kodak it suddenly hit me that I’d seen that fact no more than an hour ago. I can say with all honesty, I never thought I needed to share the Kodak chapter because of his time with the company. My subconscious however, decided to do that for me. It was if my mind had a mind of its own. 

Story #2

In the opening I mentioned two incidents. The other occurred over the weekend when Jane got her first Covid shot. I drove her to the appointment and waited in the car. Almost immediately upon entering the building she texted me to ask if I could take a picture of our insurance card. She’d forgotten hers so of course, I obliged.

Seeing the name on the insurance card, Medi-Share, suddenly made me realize something I’d not consciously thought about. I’m working on a third book to teach influence, The Influencer: Secrets to Success and Happiness. Unlike my first two books, this one is a story format. It follows the life of a young man, John Andrews, as he learns about the psychology of persuasion in college then on the job through training, mentors, and clients. The company he works for is MediTech Supplies. It never crossed my mind about my health care provider when I named the company in this fictitious story. 

How Could I Miss Those?

Jane once pulled the wool over my eyes (She’s probably done it more than once but that’s for another post). I asked her if the coat she was wearing was new. She said something like, “This? I got it last year.” It wasn’t until sometime later that she confessed that it was new. Apparently, I’d asked the question in January and she bought the coat in December. New? Yes! Bought it last year…also true. 

She joked later saying, “You teach this stuff, and you didn’t catch that?” My reply was something along the lines of, “My radar isn’t always up with my loved ones but well played.”

Conclusion

Okay, some cute stories to drive home the point that our (yours and mine) subconscious is driving more of your thinking, decision making, and behavior than we realize. If I teach people and have blind spots, then how many blind spots do people have who are unaware of how their minds work. We’re not the economic, weigh all the options before making a decision, beings we like to believe we are. It’s always good to explore why you do what you do.

Brian Ahearn, CMCT®, is the Chief Influence Officer at Influence PEOPLE, LLC. An author, TEDx speaker, international trainer, coach, and consultant, he’s one of only 20 people in the world personally trained by Robert Cialdini, Ph.D., the most cited living social psychologist on the science of ethical influence.

Brian’s first book, Influence PEOPLE, was named one of the 100 Best Influence Books of All Time by BookAuthority. His second book, Persuasive Selling, was a new release bestseller in several Amazon categories. 

Brian’s LinkedIn Learning courses on the application of persuasion in sales and coaching have been viewed by more than 350,000 people around the world.

Becoming Listening STARS – Free Livestream Event

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No blog post this week because I want to let you know about a free, one-time, livestream presentation I’m giving next month.

On Friday, May 7 (12pm – 1pm Eastern) I’m giving “TIGER Talk” presentation on listening skills. I’m doing this for my friend Neil Collins who runs Innovate New Albany, an incubator for tech startups, entrepreneurs, and small businesses.

It’s no secret that the best communicators enjoy the most success! There’s a premium put on developing excellent speaking and writing skills, but, for many of us, listening is the most underdeveloped of our communication skills. That’s because most people have never been trained on how to be better listeners and far too many mistake “hearing” for “listening.”

Listening is a 24x7x365 skill, something that can be taught, learned, and perfected. Improving this skill will help you enjoy more success at the office and enrich your personal relationships. In this presentation I’ll introduce you to five pointers for becoming Listening STARS!

 

 

Brian Ahearn, CMCT®, is the Chief Influence Officer at Influence PEOPLE, LLC. An author, TEDx speaker, international trainer, coach, and consultant, he’s one of only 20 people in the world personally trained by Robert Cialdini, Ph.D., the most cited living social psychologist on the science of ethical influence.

Brian’s first book, Influence PEOPLE: Powerful Everyday Opportunities to Persuade that are Lasting and Ethical, was named one of the 100 Best Influence Books of All Time by BookAuthority. His second book, Persuasive Selling for Relationship Driven Insurance Agents, was a new release bestseller in several Amazon categories.

Brian’s LinkedIn Learning courses on the application of persuasion in sales and coaching have been viewed by more than 350,000 people around the world.