Ironing out the Buying Thought Process

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I’ve been on the road a lot lately. In a recent stretch I was gone Monday through Thursday or Friday four weeks in row. When I returned from a recent trip, my wife, Jane, had gone to Myrtle Beach to spend time with her family. I was left with a daunting task: two-dozen shirts to iron!

But there was a problem; our iron was ruined not long ago when I dropped it on the floor. Before I could start ironing, I needed to buy a new iron, something I knew nothing about. I’d like to let you in on my thought process as I made the purchase. I don’t think I’m much different than any of you reading this so perhaps it will help you understand why you do what you do when it comes to certain purchasing decisions.

Let’s start with this fact – the vast majority of our decision-making takes place at the subconscious level. Martin Lindstrom, author of Buyology (yes, I spelled it correctly) contends non-conscious forces drive upwards of 85% of our decision-making. People who’ve been in sales for any length of time understand this and that’s why it’s often said, “People buy based on emotion then justify with logic.”

My first decision was where to go to get the iron. I ended up at Target. I guess I could have stopped by Sears, Wal-Mart or some lesser-known stores but I didn’t even consider them because prior experiences at Target have been good, their prices are reasonable, and Target is burned into my subconscious more than the other stores because of their advertising.

After asking a clerk where I could find irons, I ended up in front of shelving full of irons ranging in price from $12.99 to

$89.99. Immediately I knew I would not spend anywhere close to $12.99 because having some cheap irons in the past and using them at hotels is frustrating. I also knew there was no way I’d pay anywhere near $89.99 for an iron because ironing as little as I do doesn’t necessitate one that would be used in a laundry mat.

As I looked at all the different the models I saw several options from Shark. I’d heard of Shark and seen some commercials and remembered their products seemed unique although I couldn’t recall specifics. Other than glancing at some other brands I really gave all my attention to the Shark models.

As I looked at the Shark irons, they did look different than all the others and the price range was reasonable with the low-end model for $29.99 (Lightweight Professional) and the top of the line model for $49.99 (Ultimate Professional). There was one other model for $39.99 (Professional Steam Power).

At this point I did what most discriminating shoppers do – I compared. Did I need 1800 watts, 1600 or 1500? Was the 9.5 inch base, 9.0 or 8.5 best for me? Does it matter that one is 3.6 lbs., 3.3 lbs. or 2.0 lbs.? Decisions, decisions, decision, all of which I knew nothing about.

That led me to one more decision criteria; what do people say about each model? That was easy enough to look up on my phone as I stood in the aisle. Each iron had 4.5 stars, some with more than 100 reviews. I felt comfortable because people just like me (principle of consensus) thought highly of each model so I felt better and better about my potential Shark decision.

With all that going on in my head which model did I buy? I bought the $39.99 model, which is what most people would do. I remember thinking, “Do I really need the top of the line and will those subtle feature differences be worth it?” I also thought, “If I buy the low-end model will I regret it because maybe it turns out a be a little cheap?” The middle seemed to be a safe alternative.

Most companies offer three product models (cars, shoes, bread makers, etc.) exactly because of the thinking I outlined above. Some people will want the top of the line, some will default the cheapest, but most people will buy in the middle. If a company removes its high priced model the average sale will drop because some people buy the top of the line but also because more people will shift from the mid-range product down to the lowest priced model. Pay attention next time you’re in a store and see if you begin to notice the three choice offerings.

Although I’m in tune with buying, selling and psychology, I must admit, it was an interesting exercise to really pay attention to what was driving my purchasing decision. I got home and used that iron for three hours as I knocked out all the shirts at once. I must say, I was pleased with my purchase – at least that’s what my mind told me.

Brian Ahearn, CMCT

Practice Doesn’t Make Perfect, Perfect Practice Makes Perfect

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You’ve probably heard the old expression, “Practice makes perfect.” The message is intended to convey that you won’t improve at something without practice. However, the reality is this – not any old practice will do. For example, who will ultimately perform better in each of the following scenarios?

  • The golfer who hits a large bucket of balls with a variety of clubs or the golfer who picks one or two clubs and works on a few specific things?
  • The basketball player who hurriedly tosses up 50 free throws at the end of practice or the player who takes his time during his 50 attempts because he tries to correct mistakes after missing free throws?
  • The businessperson who participates in training or the businessperson who repeatedly practices on their own certain skills learned in training?
  • In each case I’m guessing you’d agree the second person would be more successful in each of these scenarios.

In the golf example you’re game will improve much more if you work on a few specifics, master them, then move on to other areas of your game.

A basketball player who focuses on what went wrong and actively corrects the mistakes is less likely to repeat them at the free throw line.

The businessperson who takes time to practice certain skills learned at a workshop should improve upon those skills much more than the person who doesn’t do anything after the training.

What we’re talking about here is a concept known as “deep practice.” Simply practicing, repeating the same thing over and over, could actually hinder you if you happen to be doing something incorrectly. Practicing incorrectly can easily lead to ingraining bad habits!

If you want to improve at something you have to practice it correctly. In other words, perfect practice makes perfect.

According to Daniel Coy, author of The Talent Code and The Little Book of Talent, deep practice is hard and can be exhausting. But there’s good news – you can accomplish more with less when you practice deeply.

But don’t take that last statement to mean a little hard work is all it takes. People who master their chosen field usually put in more than 10,000 hours and their time practicing far exceeds the actual time in competition. For example, Jerry Rice is estimated to have practiced 20,000 hours (20 years x 50 week/year x 20 hours a week) and his playing time was about 150 hours (300 games x ½ [assuming the offense was in the field ½ the time]). Think about that for a moment; 20,000 hours of preparation for 150 hours of game time. That’s more than 133 hours of preparation for every hour of playing time.

After college I was a competitive bodybuilder for several years. I would routinely spend at least two hours a day in the gym every day. Conservatively I’d have 250 hours of gym time for 30 minutes of competition on stage. Would you be willing to devote 100, 200, or 500 hours of prep time to get ready for an event?

In business the model is flipped because we spend so much time at the office, in meetings, on sales calls, etc., that we can’t afford to spend as much time in preparation. That means we need to be as efficient as possible with our time. Here are some things you can do:

  • Assess what went well and what didn’t. After a big meeting or sales call assess what went well and what could be improved on.
  • Take time to practice what can be practiced and/or change what needs to be changed next time.
  • Use drive time to practice. A few weeks ago I had a three-hour drive from Indianapolis to Columbus and I used almost two hours of the drive to practice parts of an upcoming presentation. I practiced so much that people noticed my voice was hoarse when I got back to the office. It was much better use of my time than talk radio, music or daydreaming.
  • Focus on specifics. As you go into a meeting, sales call, or presentation focus on certain things you want to improve. Just one or two things are enough. Ask someone to keep an eye out for those things and get some feedback.
  • Be playful. Almost every interaction with someone is a chance to do playful practice, especially when there’s not a lot on the line. I do this quite often in an exaggerated way and people who know me know what I’m doing so we usually get a good laugh.

Let’s not fool ourselves; just because we do something over and over doesn’t mean we’ll necessarily get better at it. It’s very hard for someone to get good at golf when all they do is play. If the pros practice then we need to all the more. The same logic applies in business; just because we’ve done something for a long time doesn’t mean we’re good at it. So remember, perfect practice makes perfect.

Sometimes It’s All about What You SAID

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I grew up playing football. From the time I was eight years old until I was 18, every year was all about football. Unfortunately, I wasn’t naturally big, strong, or fast. As a junior in high school, I played outside linebacker at a strapping five foot nine inches tall and a weight of 155 lbs.—soaking wet.

Then something happened between my junior and senior year. I was taught how to lift weights the right way by some powerlifters, and the difference was amazing! I put on 20 lbs. in just three months, and by the time the next season rolled around, I was 30 lbs. heavier than the year before. It made a HUGE difference on the field.

Something my teammates and I were taught during those lifting sessions was the SAID principle. SAID stands for Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands. In layman’s terms, it simply means this: you get what you train for. Here are some examples:

  • If you lift heavy weights for low reps, you get bigger and much stronger.

  • If you lift lighter weights for higher reps, you get a little stronger and more defined (cut).

  • If you practice running in short, hard bursts, your ability to sprint will get better.

  • If you run at an easy pace for a long time, you tend to become a better distance runner.

It’s obvious that running long, slow distances won’t help you get really fast in the 40-yard dash. And lifting lighter weights will never make you as big and strong as someone who lifts massive amounts of weight. You get what you train for.

This philosophy applies to business skills as well. When you work on a particular skill, you tend to improve that skill. However, if you don’t work on the skills required in your business, you’ll only improve marginally.

For example, walking gives some physical benefit—but nothing like running distance or sprinting. So why do we think that just because we use our ears every day, we’re getting better at listening? Just because we ask people questions on a daily basis, does that necessarily make us good at questioning?

Persuasion is an everyday skill. According to Aristotle, persuasion is the art of getting someone to do something they wouldn’t ordinarily do if you didn’t ask. Each of us asks others to do things every day—but does that make us good at the skill of persuasion?

Having studied the topic for more than a dozen years and worked with countless people over that time, I can tell you with certainty: it doesn’t make you better.

People and companies—some very smart people and very good companies—make basic mistakes routinely. In nearly every case, small changes could make big differences.

For example, take a look at the screenshot from my Starbucks app. Notice anything?

In psychology, there’s something we call the contrast phenomenon. What you experience first will impact what you experience next. When Starbucks puts “No Tip” first, then $0.50, they make $1.00 and $2.00 seem much bigger by comparison. I have no doubt that if they reversed the order, the average tip would be much higher. After debating about a $2.00 tip, $1.00 doesn’t seem like too much. Not everyone will give more, but enough will that baristas would do much better after giving their friendly service.

I’ve seen this same mistake made by organizations raising money via donations. Starting with $5 on the donation form and then going to $10, $25, $50, etc., will never be as effective as starting with the highest number and then going lower.

I could share many more examples, but I think you get the picture. As I stated in the opening: doing something routinely doesn’t necessarily make you better at it. Taking time to focus on a skill—like a golfer who practices consistently—will help you improve much faster and more efficiently.

This is why everyone should take time to learn about the psychology of persuasion. Doing so will help your professional success and personal happiness.

Did you hear what I SAID?

Halo Good Looking! Are You as Talented as I Think?

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Have you heard of the “halo effect?” For those with teens, I’m not talking about the Xbox game your kids might be playing where they seek to destroy aliens. The halo effect can be more insidious than the game when it leads us to harmful decisions.

Let me describe the halo effect for you:

  • You meet a tall, broad shouldered man, the new boss, and instantly assume he’s a good leader.
  • You’re interviewing a former college athlete, someone who set records at your alma mater, and you think her training habits will translate into a successful business career.
  • You’re introduced to someone and learn they have the IQ of a genius, which leads you to believe he would be a great asset to your organization.

Do you get the picture? The halo effect leads us to make all kinds of assumptions about someone based on a few attributes that may have no bearing on the skills, abilities, or talents needed for the current role.

Tall men are looked upon as being better leaders. That’s part of the reason taller men usually win political elections.

Sure, we can think of exceptions, like Napoleon, but when we do we attribute their success to something like “the little man syndrome.” We assume they had to try harder because they were smaller and wanted to prove everybody wrong. Couldn’t they have simply had the right skills to lead?

Good looking people tend to get elected more, hired more, make more money and get lighter sentences when they commit crimes.

Like much of our thinking, we’re unaware of how our biases affect our decision making. After all, no one would say they voted for someone because of their looks, or paid them more money, or gave them a lighter sentence. But the statistics tell another story.

In the Bible there’s a story about how the Israelites clamored for a king and defaulted to someone who looked the part rather than someone who would have been a good king based on merit. In 1 Samuel 9:2 we read, “He (Kish) had a son whose name was Saul, a choice and handsome man, and there was not a more handsome person than he among the sons of Israel; from his shoulders and up he was taller than any of the people.” Saul ended up being a poor king and was replaced by David, someone who didn’t look the part but was the greatest Israelite king.

You might be thinking about all the athletes who’ve done well in careers after their competitive days are over. There are many examples but that’s partly due to the fact that we seldom hear about the failures or those who only do as well as the average person. When we do hear about the failures, we just assume they were the exceptions, and we would never be so foolish.

It’s often assumed the smartest people, those with the best grades and highest IQs, will do the best in life. In recent decades something called emotional intelligence (EQ) has challenged the notion that high IQs is what it takes. Studies show those with higher EQs do better than those with high IQs. Still, old habits and legends die hard.

Certainly, tall people can be good leaders, athletes can take what they’ve learned through competition to succeed in business, and sometimes people with high IQs turn out to be wildly successful.

The point of this week’s post is to alert you to how many times irrelevant factors play a big role in our decision making process without us being aware. My advice would simply be this – question your assumptions. Perhaps you’ll find your initial impression was correct, but you might also realize you’re being swayed by factors that have nothing to do with what you’re really trying to assess.

Brian Ahearn, CMCT

Influencers from Around the World – Paradox of “The Bridge of Life”

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Hoh Kim has been a guest blogger for Influence PEOPLE since I began the Influencers from Around the World series more than five years ago. I met Hoh when we went through the Cialdini certification training together. At the time Hoh had his MA but it’s with great pleasure I can now say Hoh now has his doctorate, as well! Hoh received his Ph.D. in

Culture Technology from Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology; his dissertation title was “Psychological and neural influences of public apology on audience responses in corporate crisis situations.” I know you’ll enjoy his post on the paradox of “the bridge of life.”

Brian Ahearn, CMCT®
Chief Influence Officer
influencePEOPLE 
Helping You Learn to Hear “Yes”.

 

Paradox of “The Bridge of Life”

On September 1, 2015, Seoul city metropolitan government announced that they would discontinue “The Bridge of Life” which was established in August 2012 by cooperation between Seoul city metropolitan government and Samsung Life Insurance. Cheil Communication, the largest advertising agency in Korea, a subsidiary firm of Samsung Group, developed the idea. The idea and project received positive spotlights from both local and international media. “The bridge of life” received more than 30 international awards including Titanium Lion winner at Cannes Lions and Clio Awards in 2013.

What is the bridge of life? It is an interactive storytelling bridge and as you walk across the bridge, the bridge talks to you. Click here to watch a short video.

For your information, Korea has unfortunately been the number one country among OECD (The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) in terms of the number of suicides for more than a decade.

Mapo Bridge is one of the 31 bridges crossing Han River in Seoul, and it has a notorious nickname — “the bridge for suicide” — as more people tried suicide on this bridge than any other in Seoul. That’s why city government made the bridge of life. What were the results? In 2012, 15 people “tried” suicide on the Mapo Bridge. Then, “the bridge of life” was established. Surprisingly 93 people “tried” suicide on the bridge. There is an argument. In 2012, 60% of the people who “tried” suicide on the Mapo Bridge were saved, but in 2013, 94.6% (85 out of 93) was saved from the suicide attempts. In 2014, 184 people “tried” suicide on the bridge (I don’t have the number of people who survived in that year). Regardless, the survival rate, it was clear that many more people tried suicide in “the bridge of life.”

What was the problem? A possible explanation can come from “side effects” of social proof principle. When Dr. Cialdini explained the principle of social proof – i.e., people follow the lead of many/similar others – he warned to be careful not to use it with negative information. Even though I have lived in Seoul for more than 40 years, I came to know the fact that more people tried suicide on the Mapo Bridge than any other bridge in Seoul through the “Bridge of Life” campaign. I think the side effect of social proof influenced the surge of suicide trials on the bridge. However, to be honest, when I first heard about the campaign around 2013 from TV News, I thought the idea of the bridge was fascinating, and could not predict the side effect of the social proof principle.

What are the lessons out of it? Two things. First, when we design a campaign, we have to look at closely at whether there are any side effects of the campaign. How can we do that? The “red team” from the American soap opera “Newsroom” might help. Red team is a sort of Devil’s advocate. Red team intentionally attacks an idea so that we can cross check whether there is any downside of a project.

Second, the Bridge of Life project was a persuasion project where the campaign tried to influence to reduce actual suicide and suicide attempts. When there is any persuasion project, the best reference would be six principles of influence by Dr. Cialdini as he reviewed influence psychology of more than 60 years and found six universal principles.

By applying and checking against the principles, you can create a better persuasion campaign and avoid any pitfall of the campaign. When I first heard about the Bridge of Life, I should have carefully thought about the campaign against the principles, both their applications and side effects.

Hoh Kim, Ph.D.
Founder, Head Coach & Lead
Facilitator, THE LAB h
E-mail: hoh.kim@thelabh.com
Home: www.THELABh.com

Hoh

Will the Price of Cubans Rise or Fall?

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There’s a Seinfeld episode in which Kramer orders some Cubans. Jerry thinks he’s ordering cigars but Kramer actually brought three Cuban men over so they could roll cigars for him. He didn’t get cigars because they were illegal.

When America cut ties with Cuba after Fidel Castro took over, it became illegal to do business with Cuba. Whenever something is banned or difficult to get all of a sudden people want the banned or difficult to get things even more. That’s the principle of scarcity at work on the human psyche.

Here are just a few examples.

There was a point in time when you could only get Coors beer west of the Rockies. As a kid I remember my dad and his brothers talking about how good Coors was when they could get it. None of them drinks Coors now.

Yuengling is another example of a beer that was hard to come by, at least in Ohio, until recent years. I recall traveling with a friend who made it a point to stop at a conveience store in West Virginia just to buy a case of Yuengling.

Twinkies started flying off the shelf when it was announced Hostess was discontinuing the cake-filled treat.

Back in 2001, Oldsmobile exceeded it sales goal by a higher percentage than better-known brands such as BMW, Kia, Porsche, and many others, when it was announced the car line was being discontinued.

I’m a Scotch lover and asked an expert at a tasting event his thoughts on aged Scotch (25 years and older). He said he tries a glass but doesn’t buy a bottle because age doesn’t necessarily mean better taste. He said the reason the price is so much higher for aged Scotch is just because there’s less of it.

Why do we naturally feel compelled to take advantage of scarce resources or opportunities? From Influence Science and Practice:

“One prominent theory accounts for the primacy of loss over gain in evolutionary terms. If one has enough to survive, an increase in resources will be helpful but a decrease in those same resources could be fatal. Consequently, it would be adaptive to be especially sensitive to the possibility of loss.” (Haselton & Nettle, 2006)

Now here’s the interesting thing – once something is no longer scarce we don’t want it as much. There’s a good chance we’ll see this play out with Cuban cigars. Now that relations between the U.S. and Cuba have been normalized it’s a sure bet Cuban cigars will be easier to get. In all likelihood there will be a rush to get them when they initially hit the store shelves. However, as they become more commonplace it’s likely people won’t value them as much.

Humans are not always predictable so there’s no guarantee I’m correct in my assessment of what will happen with Cuban cigar prices. Only time will tell. However, given how scarcity works on the human mind and surveying similar scenarios from the past, if I were a betting man I’d bet on a price fall shortly after Cubans – cigars that is – hit the U.S. market.

Jerry Seinfeld: Following the Lead of an Expert

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I’m a big Seinfeld fan. No matter how many times I’ve seen an episode I always laugh. I’ve watched reruns so many times over the past 25 years I feel like Jerry, George, Elaine and Kramer are personal friends. What I appreciate most is how the show portrays everyday situations in such a humorous light. An episode I watched recently went right to the heart of one of the principles of influence, so I felt compelled to write about it.

In this particular Seinfeld rerun Jerry bought a fancy, very expensive tennis racquet from Milosh, the owner of the sporting goods store associated with the tennis club Jerry belonged to. A short time later Jerry discovered Milosh was a terrible tennis player while playing at another club with Elaine. Apparently Milosh was so bad he wouldn’t play at his own club because he knew it would kill his reputation and sales. The following conversation ensued between Jerry and Elaine later at Jerry’s apartment:

Elaine – “So he was bad. What do you care?”

Jerry – “Elaine, I paid $200 for this racquet because he said it’s the only one he plays with. He could play just as well with a log.”

What sealed the deal for Jerry was the thought of a tennis pro – an expert – playing with the suggested racquet. He thought if it was good enough for the pro then of course he should play with it too because pros only use the very best equipment.

Jerry’s actions go to the heart of the principle of authority – we rely on those with superior knowledge, wisdom or expertise, when making decisions. And the advice of an expert is even more effective when someone isn’t sure what to do.

Jerry had been playing with a wooden racquet and had no idea there was a better option available until the pro told him so. Any newer racquet would have been an improvement but the more expensive racquet must be better because, after all, “you get what you pay for,” according to the old saying.

This happens quite often, especially when someone takes up a new sport. They buy lots of fancy, expensive equipment because that’s what the best athletes use. Unfortunately the novices could have saved a lot of hard earned cash by going with good, but less expensive equipment, until they got much better. The very best equipment makes a difference for the very best players because sometimes the difference between winning and losing is a fraction of a second, a single stroke, or inches.

Is expert advice worth listening to? Most of the time, yes, but just be leery when that advice might lead to very costly purchases that make very little difference in the end.

Anchors Aweigh on You More than You Realize

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The human mind is a fascinating creation. With it we move, breathe, consciously decide what to do and subconsciously do things with little knowledge of why or how we do them. With the help of our five senses, our brains help us make sense of the world around us. Despite its wonder our brains can be easily tricked. Consider the following:

The Placebo Effect – Many studies show when people believe they’re taking medicine their conditions improve just as if they took the actual medicine.

Magicians – These clever folks use their understanding of how the mind works to fool audience members into believing objects miraculously appear and disappear. I saw it with my own eyes!

Physical Comparisons – Have you ever gone to pick up something anticipating it was heavy and suddenly it felt light? Or perhaps you went to pick up something you assumed was light and it felt heavy. Ten pounds is ten pounds but sometimes ten pounds feels heavy and sometimes it feels light.

Sales – We’ve all bought things on sale feeling we got a great deal because we saved a certain percentage or dollar amount off of the list price. That good deal doesn’t seem so good when someone else announces they got the same item for even less that we paid!

There’s something that impacts us every day, which we give very little thought to and yet it makes a big difference in how we perceive things and the decisions we ultimately make. What I’m referring to are anchors but not the kind dropped over the side of a ship into the water. In psychology, according to Amos Tversky and Nobel Prize winner Daniel Kahneman, an anchor is “an initial value that serves as a benchmark or starting point for an unknown quantity.”

There are many things in life that we can’t accurately put a value on. For example let’s consider a house. A four bedroom, two and a half bath house with 3,000 square feet, a wooden deck, family room, dining room, kitchen and den might go for $250,000 in a small Midwestern town. The exact same home on an equivalent sized lot in Southern California might go for more than $500,000.

You might be thinking it’s because the market dictates a higher price in California than in the Midwest. No dispute there but the point would be this – the value you put on the home would be dictated in large part by the other values you learn about (the anchors).

Consider this experiment from Tversky and Kahneman.  A wheel with numbers 1-100 is spun and is set to “randomly” stop on either 10 or 65. Let’s say it stopped on 10. Participants were then asked if the percentage of African nations in the United Nations is higher or lower than 10%. Next they were asked to make their best guess on the actual percentage. Those who saw the wheel stop at 65 were asked if the percentage of African nations in the United Nations is higher or lower than 65%. Then they were asked to guess the actual percentage.

For most people, estimating the percentage of African nations in the U.N. is nothing more than a guess. However, those who saw the wheel stop at 10 guessed 25% of the African nations were in the U.N., but for those who saw it stop on 65 the average guess was 45! That’s quite a difference. Each group was heavily influenced by the anchor they were exposed to before making their educated guess.

So what does this have to do with you and me? Think about all the things we’ve encountered over time with little or no thought about how the value was determined other than market forces:

Long distance charges – I remember when 25 cents a minute was a bargain. When charges were dropped to 10 cents we couldn’t believe it! Now it’s practically free on a per minute basis.

Newspapers – Some people still pay to get the weekly and/or weekend edition of their favorite newspaper. Others go online and see the same stories…for free! You could argue the online version is more valuable because it’s portable, updated multiple times and day and doesn’t create any waste.

Movies – We used to drive to Blockbuster and pay $8-$10 to rent two or three movies for the weekend. Now many of us watch nearly unlimited movies and shows on Netflix for just $8 a month.

In each instance what we paid and what we felt was a good deal, or bad deal, was impacted by the anchor because it served as a comparison point.

There are some things we can’t change and have little room to barter on. That’s why most Internet plans are in the ballpark of one another. But when it comes to things like buying homes and cars you should recognize your purchase price will be heavily impacted by a list price for a home or the MSRP (manufacturer’s suggested retail price) for a new car. You would do well to do some research beforehand and go into those situations with your own anchor to start bidding from. And remember this tidbit for negotiations; the person who puts out the first number sets the anchor and most of the time the negotiated price will be close to that number. Don’t let a good deal get aweigh from you.

 

Influence and Persuasion Quotes to Ponder

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This week’s post is a little different. Below you’ll find some of my favorite quotes when it comes to influence and persuasion. It’s a short post but I encourage you to read the quotes slowly and give thought to what each author is saying.

“Persuasion is the art of getting someone to do something they wouldn’t ordinarily do if you didn’t ask.” – Aristotle, Greek philosopher. If people are already doing what you want there’s no need to persuade them, right?

“Character may almost be called the most effective means of persuasion.” – Aristotle, Greek philosopher. It doesn’t matter what you know if people can’t trust you they won’t listen to you.

“Persuasion skills exert a far greater influence over others’ behaviors than formal power structure do.” – Robert B. Cialdini Ph.D., author of Influence Science and Practice. When I read this I immediately thought of Gandhi, Martin Luther King and Jesus. None of them had formal power but each had a huge influence on the world.

“The only real power available to the leader is the power of persuasion.” – Lyndon B. Johnson, 36th President of the United States. Many people consider the President of the United States the most powerful person in the world but as LBJ acknowledged, the President must persuade to get things done.

“Power is nothing unless you can turn it into influence.” – Dr. Condoleezza Rice, former U.S. Secretary of State. Power is good but once that power is removed will people listen to you? Better to have power and influence because not only will people listen to you because they have to but also because they want to.

“Selling is the process of persuading a person that your product or service is of greater value to him than the price you’re asking for it.” – Brian Tracy, author of The Psychology of Selling. Selling is persuading and persuading is selling.

“I like to think of sales as the ability to gracefully persuade, not manipulate, a person or persons into a win-win situation.” – Bo Bennett, American businessman. Manipulation is an attitude that conveys, “I win and I don’t care whether or not you do.” That’s not a recipe for long-term success.

“The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority.” – Ken Blanchard, author of The One Minute Manager. The best leaders don’t force people to do what they want, they persuade them and gain voluntary followers.

I’ll conclude with a quote of my own, something I share with audiences quite often when I speak – “Much of your professional success and personal happiness depends on getting others to say ‘Yes’ to you.”

The more people who say “Yes” to you at work, the more you’ll get accomplished, the more you’ll move your agenda forward and the more sales you’ll make.

Never discount the importance of persuasion at home because when your spouse, significant other, children, family members, or roommates willingly do what you want the less tension there will be and more happiness.

Have a great week!

Doubt and Belief

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“When you say it, they doubt it. When they say it, they believe it.”
Tom Hopkins, author and sales trainer

I recall that quote from How to Master the Art of Selling and Tom’s Sales Boot Camp. Telling someone what you think is right for them is never as effective as helping them see it and verbalize it for themselves. Dale Carnegie understood this truth as well when he encouraged readers to, “Let the other person think the idea is theirs.”

The psychology behind this truth has to do with the principle of consistency. This principle of influence highlights the reality that people feel internal psychological pressure, as well as external social pressure, to be consistent in what they say and do. When our words and deeds align, we feel better about ourselves than we do when they don’t align.

For example, have you ever given your word to someone that you’d be somewhere or do something for him or her but had to back out? Sure you have. We all have because sometimes unforeseen things come up.

The real question is this – how did you feel when you had to tell them you couldn’t do what you promised? When I ask audiences that question the words, they use to describe how they felt are heavy, emotional and negative. Words like guilty, horrible, terrible, and bad are frequently used.

Nobody wants to feel guilty, horrible, terrible, or bad so many times we find ourselves following through on our word…even when we didn’t want to do what was promised!

When someone voices an opinion, thought or idea they own it much more than if they’re told the same opinion, thought or idea. After all, once you’ve said it publicly or put it in writing you don’t want to go back on your word. That’s why people will look much harder for reasons that support or defend their position.

When it comes to persuading people, you will be far more successful if you get them to say it – out loud or in their head – than if you just tell them. Steve Jobs was a master at this. When he introduced the iPod for the first time, he slipped it out of his pocket and say, “A thousand songs in your pocket.” People got that and it was far more effective than saying, “This baby holds five gigabytes of information.” But Jobs went on to seal the deal when he said, “Isn’t that amazing?”

Important – Note that Jobs didn’t tell them (“This is amazing!”) it was amazing he asked them by using a question (“Isn’t that amazing?”). People feel compelled to answer questions, even if only in their head. When we tell them things they passively receive the information. There’s a BIG difference; one that master persuaders get. After Jobs asked that question and people answer affirmatively in their heads as they nodded, they were convincing themselves they wanted one!

The way to get someone to believe is to have them say it out loud or to themselves. Most of the time this occurs through good questioning techniques.

In my line of work, I deal with insurance agents. They’re experts compared to the buying public when it comes to insurance. They can share that expertise but sometimes it will come across as someone trying to sell a consumer more insurance than they need. But if they ask the right questions, they can get the consumer to see their need.

Here’s an example. In 2011 the town of Joplin, Missouri, was devastated by a tornado. Unfortunately for about two-thirds of the people affected, their homes were underinsured. Imagine having just lost your home and all your possessions then hearing the news that the insurance settlement will not allow you to rebuild it as it was because you didn’t carry enough insurance!

The challenge for an insurance agent is this – if they recommend more insurance John Q. Public probably thinks he needs, the agent is just trying to sell them more insurance to earn more commission dollars. The smart agent will ask questions, so the homeowner sees their need.

Agent – Tom, I want to ask you a question. Is it your expectation that the insurance company will rebuild your home exactly as it is today if it were completely destroyed?

Tom – Of course, that’s why we carry insurance.

Agent – That’s what I expected, Tom. You’re like every other person we insure but I just wanted to make 100% sure that was your intention.

Now, if the agent realizes the home is currently underinsured, he can approach the situation as follows.

Agent – Tom, last time we met I asked if it was your expectation that your insurance would fully rebuild your home after a disaster, and you said yes. I have some bad news. With your current policy that won’t happen. I’ve estimated the cost with three different insurance companies and all of them come in around $250,000. Right now, your policy covers your home for $200,000. So, the big question is this – If your home is destroyed can you come up with the $50,000 needed to finish the rebuilding process?

Tom – No and that’s not what I’m going to do.

Agent – You’re like every other person I’ve ever dealt with, so I ran up quotes with those three companies at $250,000.

Does the agent want to sell more insurance? Yes, but it’s to fully protect the customer. By asking the right questions, Tom saw his need and by his own words could embrace the change. If an agent goes about it wrong, he or she is seen as someone just looking to make more commission and that could be disastrous for someone who ends up underinsured.

Here’s your takeaway – Stop telling and start asking.

Asking questions engages the mind, keeps people focused on the conversation and can be used to help them see what you’re asking or proposing is in their best self-interest. As our Chief Sales Officer Clyde Fitch likes to say, “Self-interest may not be the only horse in the race but it’s the one to bet on.”

Brian Ahearn, CMCT