Confirmation Bias and the Sweater Vest

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If you live in Columbus, Ohio then you know there was no bigger story than last week’s revelation that Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel admitted knowing about some rules infractions by his players nearly a year ago. If you don’t live in Columbus it’s still likely you’ve heard the story or read about it in the news. And for those outside of the United States think of one of the most revered coaches you know then imagine that person caught in a scandal that seems to go against everything you know about his or her character.
Jim Tressel is known sometimes called “the vest” because he’s brought the sweater vest back into style, at least in Columbus, Ohio. By way of quick review, Jim Tressel has been the head football coach at The Ohio State University for a decade and his success exceeds even the great Woody Hayes’ in many respects. Having won the Big Ten title seven times, including an unprecedented six times in a row, the Buckeyes have played in eight BCS games, three national championships and won the national championship in 2002. You would be hard pressed to find a coach more successful on the field and yet for all the on the field success many would say Tressel’s off the field accomplishments have been even more impressive. His charity work, fund raising and focus on developing young men into good, productive citizens have been held in high regard by all those who know him. It’s not uncommon to hear people say, “If I had a son I’d want him to play for Coach Tressel.”But this post is not so much about Jim Tressel and the controversy he finds himself in right now as it is the reaction to the news. It’s fierce from both sides – loyal supporters of Jim Tressel and Buckeye Nation and those who are glad to see the coach and program tarnished. I’ve read the new stories, Facebook posts, Tweets, etc., and it made me think about a psychological principle I thought would be good to explore — confirmation bias.Confirmation bias is nothing more than the term we use to describe the reality that most people look for information that confirms current beliefs or places more emphasis on information that confirms their current thinking. For example:

  • Republican supporters will look for any and all reasons that Democratic initiatives are wrong, bad or could be better. By the way, Democrats view Republican initiatives through the same distorted lenses.
  • Criminal prosecutors start with the thought that the person they’re prosecuting is guilty and look for information to build that case. Of course, defense lawyers take the opposing stand.
  • When it comes to race, religion and sex we all have preconceived ideas of right and wrong, good and bad, and that shades how we view those who are different than we are.

We’re selective in what we choose to consider and how much weight we put on certain information when it comes to decision making. In the case of the Jim Tressel news story, for those who’ve observed the coach for a decade or more his actions seem inconsistent with previous actions and stated values. It’s only natural to then search for a reason that explains such behavior.On the opposite side, for people who either dislike the Ohio State program or hold a belief that cheating goes on in all highly successful sports programs they come from a position where they don’t look to his prior actions and ask, “Why?” because they place more weight on anything that appears to confirm the belief that everyone cheats in big time sports programs.The goal of this post is not to convince anyone of innocence or the guilt of Jim Tressel because in the coming weeks and months we will hear and see more information. The point is to make us all aware of the reality that we’re impacted by confirmation bias every day and knowing that, if we want to make the best decisions possible, then we need to take this psychological principle into account as we process information. Simply put, we would do well to occasionally try to put ourselves on the other side of the issue.

  • Republicans and Democrats each have agendas and voters to satisfy but with the government gridlock we see I’m willing to bet the average American would like to see the two sides work together more to push agendas that would benefit more Americans. How much could it hurt if each side looked for what’s right in the other side’s proposal?
  • Prosecutors don’t get paid to let criminals go but it would be nice to see fewer innocent people go to jail. Likewise, defense attorneys don’t want their clients to go to jail but we’d all be better off if a few more criminals were off the streets.
  • When it comes to race, religion or sex, we would do well to try to understand those who are not like us rather than focusing differences.

One thing I’ve learned over time is when I do try to understand the other side rather than just convince them of my rightness or their wrongness they seem to open up. People appreciate being heard and that leads to interesting dialog.When it comes to Jim Tressel and the situation he finds himself in, only time and the revelation of more information will allow for a final decision. For most of us his situation will not impact our relationships with loved ones or the ability to put food on the table. No, it’s mostly fodder for social media, talk radio and debate at the lunch table. Having said that, it’s not insignificant if we allow it to change us in a positive way and I think one way is to make us stop and consider our own confirmation bias.Brian, CMCT
influencepeople
Helping You Learn to Hear “Yes”.

Influencers from Around the World – The Happiness Hypothesis

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This month’s Influencers from Around the World article is from Cathrine Moestue. I introduced you to Cathrine last month along with Anthony McLean as new members of my Influencers from Around the World group. I know you’ll enjoy Cathrine’s exploration of reciprocity, especially those of you who are fans of The Godfather. I encourage you to reach out to Cathrine on Facebook and LinkedIn and Twitter.Brian, CMCT
influencepeople
Helping You Learn to Hear “Yes”.The Happiness HypothesisI don’t know if you have read The Happiness Hypothesis but if you haven’t, then I recommend it. It is an extraordinary book on the human condition and writing about such you cannot miss out on the work of Robert Cialdini, PhD. Dr. Cialdini is the most cited living social psychologist in the world today and famous for his book Influence Science and Practice, where he enlightens readers on the six principles of influence.In The Happiness Hypothesis, Jonathan Haidt dedicates the whole of chapter three to one of the principles; the principle of reciprocity. He opens up the chapter and our understanding of reciprocity with a scene from The Godfather that I thought would give us a vivid understanding of reciprocity. Even though the scene is about “reciprocity with a vengeance” it is extraordinary how easy it is for us to understand this complex interaction in an alien subculture. The opening scene of The Godfather is an exquisite portrayal of reciprocity in action. It is the wedding day of the daughter of the Godfather, Don Corleone. The Italian immigrant Bonasera, an undertaker, has come to ask for a favor; he wants to avenge an assault upon the honor and body of his daughter, who was beaten by her boyfriend and another young man.Bonasera describes the assault, the arrest, and the trial of the two boys. The judge gave them a suspended sentence and let them go free that very day. Bonasera is furious and feels humiliated; he has come to Don Corleone to ask that justice be done. Corleone asks what exactly he wants. Bonasera whispers something into his ear, which we can safely assume is “Kill them.” Corleone refuses, and points out that Bonasera has not been much of a friend until now. Bonasera admits he was afraid of getting into “trouble.” The dialogue continues:CORLEONE: I understand. You found paradise in America; you had a good trade, made a good living. The police protected you and there were courts of law. And you didn’t need a friend like me. But now you come to me and say, “Don Corleone, give me justice.” But you don’t ask with respect. You don’t offer friendship. You don’t even call me Godfather. Instead you come into my house on the day that my daughter is to be married, and ask me to do murder for money.BONASERA: I ask for justice.CORLEONE: That is not justice; your daughter is still alive.BONASERA: Let them suffer then, as she suffers. (pause) How much shall I pay you?CORLEONE: Bonesera…Bonesera…What have I ever done to make you treat me so disrespectfully? If you had come to me in friendship, then this scum that ruined your daughter would be suffering this very day. And if by chance an honest man like yourself should make enemies, then they would be my enemies. And then they would fear you.BONASERA: Be my friend. (bows) Godfather? (kisses Corleone’s hand)CORLEONE: Good. (pause) Someday and that day may never come, I will call upon you to do a service for me. But until that day…accept this justice as a gift on my daughter’s wedding day.We intuitively understand why Bonasera wants the boys killed, and why Corleone refuses to do it. We understand that in accepting a “gift” from a mafia don, a chain, not just a string, is attached. We understand all of this effortlessly because we see the world through the lens of reciprocity. Reciprocity is a deep instinct; it is the basic currency of social life.Bonasera uses it to buy revenge and Corleone to manipulate Bonasera into joining his extended family, the consequences of both will be detrimental. But we can learn how to use the principle of reciprocity wisely by first understanding it and second to practice becoming more of a “detective” of influence, not just a bungler or a smuggler. The extraordinary truth is that if we learn to use the principle ethically and understand how to properly invest in others, we will also be more effective in life.Sounds interesting? I recommend attending a “Principle of Persuasion” workshop, or reading Cialdini’s book on Influence Science and Practice.Zigong asked: “Is there any single word that could guide one’s entire life? The master said: “Should it not be reciprocity? What you do not wish for yourself, do not do unto others.”
– Analects of ConfuciusCathrine Moestue, CMCT
Organizational Psychologist
MOESTUE CONSULTING

The Psychology of the Sale

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I’m a big reader but that wasn’t always the case. In fact, as strange at this sounds, as a kid I hated reading and writing. I say it’s strange because now I write all the time and I read about a book a week. For me, part of a great weekend is spending time at Barnes and Noble with Jane, Abigail and a cup of Starbucks coffee (Venti coffee of the day, cream and sugar). And if there happens to be a sale I’m the kind that will use the coupon no matter what.

In January I received an email with what I thought was a unique coupon from Barnes and Noble. What I thought was unique may not be to some of you more “professional” shoppers, but nonetheless it prompted me to want to write about the psychology of the sale this week.
There was the standard expiration date on the coupon, 1/30/11. That’s no big deal because we’re all used to seeing that. The expiration date incorporates scarcity, the principle of influence that tells us people tend to value things more when they believe they are rare or diminishing. The simple fact that the sale has an end date will prompt many people to stop by the store if for no other reason than to just look. Of course, a good percentage of people will end up using the coupon and buying when they might not have otherwise. This isn’t unique but it is part of the psychology of the sale.

What I found unique was the potential savings. Most of the time we simply see a percentage we can save when we get a coupon. It may be 10% off an entire purchase, 20% off of one item, or buy two and get one free. I could go on for quite some time with all the variations but you get the point. What was unique about this coupon was that it said I could save 10%, 15%, 20%, 30%, or possibly 50% off one item! The catch was; I wouldn’t know until I got to the register.

So now scarcity becomes a little more important because what if I miss out on saving 50%? That would really stink, especially for a book lover so I might as well go and see how much I could save.Would you have gone to the store to save 10%? Maybe or maybe not. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t. How about 15%? Perhaps you go. I always give it strong consideration. At 20% you might start think it could be too good to pass up, so the odds that you visit the store are pretty good. It’s not too often I miss a 20% off sale on books. When you get the 30% coupon you can imagine loads of people make it a point to stop by the bookstore. I know I’ll go out of my way to drop by. With a 50% coupon nearly every book lover will stop by because there’s always something worthwhile still on the reading list and it’s easy to justify buying a book for half price. I am definitely in that group!But still, you don’t know how much you’ll save. You know at 30%, and certainly at 50% off, you can find that book you’ve been wanting to read — the hardback edition because you like hardback books — and you can justify the additional cost because of the extra savings you’ll get…even if you’re not sure how much you’ll save.You get to the front of the line and eagerly anticipate your savings as you hand the cashier your coupon. She scans it and bingo, you saved 50%! Life is good! But wait, you know there will be very few people who get 50% off. The truth is most people will save only 10% and as the percentage of savings goes up the odds that your coupon will be one of those big winners goes down.Are you going to tell the cashier you don’t want the book after all and return that $25 or $35 book because you only saved 10%? I bet the vast majority of people won’t. First reason I bet you won’t is consistency. This principle of influence tells us people like to be consistent. Driving to the store to buy a book then not buying it feels wrong to most people. After all, you’ve spent gas money driving there and at $3.15 a gallon people are changing driving habits so you don’t want to waste that trip. In addition to the gas, you invested time driving there and browsing in the store so you convince yourself saving 10% isn’t too bad…even if knowing that ahead of time might not have gotten you out the door.The other factor that comes into play is compare and contrast. I see this happening two ways. First was the structure of the coupon. When you start by reading the 10%, 15% and so on, by the time you get to 30% and 50% the savings seems even larger by comparison and that gets your hopes up. Compare and contrast also comes into play when you save 10%, let’s say $2.50, and you rationalize that saving another $2.50 would have been nice but not necessary, especially after your time and effort are taken into consideration.So there you have it, a little bit of the psychology of the sale. There are quite a few things going on in the mind of the potential customer and the reality is, most people are completely unaware of how those outside influences are impacting their behavior. Martin Lindstrom, author of Buy-ology, says 85% of our actions are driven by non-conscious thinking. Most people don’t really know why they do what they do but having a little more insight can hopefully help you make the right decision when it comes to a sale.Brian, CMCT
influencepeople
Helping You Learn to Hear “Yes”.

 

Influencers from Around the World – New Guest Bloggers

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I’m very excited to introduce readers to a couple of new guest bloggers for the Influencers from Around the World series that’s featured on the first Monday of every month.
Anthony McLean hails from “Down Under” and has the distinction of being Australia’s only Cialdini Method Certified Trainer (CMCT). His background is unique, having spent more than a dozen years as a police sergeant and an intelligence officer, he now uses the skills he learned on the job in his study of behavioral intelligence, the role of emotions and most importantly, influence and the science of persuasion. He’s currently the Executive Director of New Intelligence.
Dr. Cialdini had the following to say about Anthony, “In front of a group, Anthony McLean is positively magnetic, drawing from his audience’s levels of attention, comprehension, and insight that are remarkable. What a competitive advantage it is to have him as a teammate!”
Referring to the Principles of Persuasion (POP) workshop in Australia, Anthony said, “There are those in the marketplace who currently deliver Dr. Cialdini’s work as experts, albeit from an Influence: Science and Practice book bought from Amazon. Once I experienced the POP for myself, I thought it important that the Australian market be provided the opportunity to see what the Cialdini Method Certified Training is all about; and it’s important to communicate to clients that it’s beyond the book, and it brings the science to life in a process that will guide participants far beyond their persuasion endeavors. Not only do we offer access to the most comprehensive science in the field, we also have a network of like minded trainers, authors and practitioners, drawn from different cultures and localities which provide an Influence network to our clients that are not available to others.”
In addition to his CMCT certification, Anthony is one of only two accredited trainers in the southern hemisphere with the Paul Ekman Group in the field of emotion and micro expressions. Paul Ekman is the inspiration for the character Cal Lightman on Fox’s hit television show Lie to Me.

I’ve read the newsletter Anthony shares with his POP graduates and was so impressed I asked if he would share some of his wisdom from Down Under with all of us. If you’d like to learn more about Anthony you can find him on Facebook and LinkedIn.

Cathrine Moestue is an organizational psychologist who lives in Oslo, Norway. She too is a Cialdini Method Certified Trainer (CMCT) and like Anthony she is unique because she is the only person in Scandinavia to have received this certification from Dr. Cialdini.

Dr. Robert Cialdini says this about Cathrine, “She has the rare ability to deliver seminar material in a way that is both hard (because she obviously knows the facts) and soft (because of her graceful presentational style). As a result, audiences respond eagerly to her message.”

Cathrine worked many years in the advertising industry as a creative consultant then as a manager before earning her psychology degree at the University of Oslo. She has taught classes in the Psychology of Perception at Westerdals School of Communication and held seminars at the University of Oslo on conflict management, work psychology, stress and health in organizations.
Today she owns her own company, Moestue Consulting, and delivers seminars and coaching on her favorite topic – Ethical Influence – to both individuals and large international companies such as Telenor and Siemens.

As is the case with the other guest bloggers, you can also connect with Cathrine on Facebook and LinkedIn.
With the addition of our new friends you now get to hear perspectives on persuasion from Australia (Anthony McLean), Ireland (Sean Patrick), Italy (Marco Germani), Scandinavia (Cathrine Moestue), South Korea (Hoh Kim) and Spain (Yago de Marta). I know you’re going to enjoy reading what Anthony and Cathrine have to share about ethical influence from their unique vantage points in the world. Look for Cathrine’s first article on March 7th.
Brian, CMCT
influencepeople
Helping You Learn to Hear “Yes”.

Compared to What?

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I read an interesting book at the beginning of the year, the Armchair Economist by Steven E. Landsburg. I picked it up because I enjoyed another book he wrote, More Sex is Safer Sex. I have to admit, there is something to be said for a title grabbing your attention, especially when it has sex in it but purports to be a book on economics. Both books explore everyday situations from an economic perspective. I’m going to guess lots of people would disagree with many of Landsburg’s conclusions and might even find some of them offensive; like certain people having more sex makes us all a little safer or how we might be better off putting computer hackers to death rather than some murderers. Agree or disagree, his books are thought provoking and much more interesting that traditional economics where they typically just chart supply and demand.

I don’t agree with all of Landsburg’s theories and that’s what prompted this post. In the Armchair Economist he wrote about a game college students could play to learn about life. He concluded writing, “They [students] would learn that your success in life is measured not by comparison with others’ accomplishments but by your private satisfaction with your own. They would learn that in the Game of Life there can be many winners, and one player’s triumphs need not diminish anybody else’s.”Oh if we only lived in such a world. But the reality is we don’t and that’s evidenced by the fact that dissatisfaction quite often comes because we compare ourselves to others. We are a world full of “haves and have nots” and that causes problems. The Apostle James addressed this nearly 2000 years ago when he wrote, “You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel.” (James 4:2-3) All this taps into what Robert Cialdini calls the contrast phenomenon. Everything is relative based on what you compare it to and how you position that comparison. The key is to understanding this is to ask, “Compared to what?”For example; you might be perfectly happy with your salary…until you find out the person sitting in the cubical next to you makes $10,000 more! On the flip side you might be unhappy with your pay…until you learn you’re the second highest paid person in your position in your department or company. Compared to what?Or maybe you’re happy with your car because it’s so much nicer than that old clunker you were driving. You were perfectly happy…until you saw your neighbor’s fully loaded brand new BMW. Compared to what?I saw a commercial for the
movie Hall Pass that illustrates this well. In one scene a group of guys are staring at a group of girls. One girl stood out because she was taller and prettier than the others. Then one of the guys tells the others, “Tall blonde, right here. She surrounds herself with less attractive women to make her look like a 10.” As the guys move their hands so they can’t see the other girls the tall blonde doesn’t look so hot after all. Of course the film makers use make up to emphasize the point but don’t think there aren’t some people out there who wouldn’t purposely hang out with other less attractive people just to stand out. Compared to what, or who?We would do well to always ask ourselves what we’re comparing to and whether or not it’s a valid comparison or the best comparison. For example, I heard on a conservative news channel the Illinois state legislature was considering a 66% increase in the state income tax. Wow, that should be cause for revolt in this economy! But here’s the perspective from the other side; the state income tax would only go up 2 percentage points. And here’s where both comparisons come from; the tax will go from 3 percent to 5 percent. That’s 2 percentage points, a 66% increase. I’m sure those opposed to the tax talked about a 66% increase whereas those in favor focused on the 2 percent change. Both are valid and both will elicit completely different responses! Compared to what?
I wrote a blog post last year called The Secret to Happiness where I shared this bit of wisdom, “Happy is the man who wants what he has.” Happiness comes not from looking at others and desiring what they have but looking and what you have and learning to appreciate it. Always remember to ask, “Compared to what?”
Brian, CMCT
influencepeople
Helping You Learn to Hear “Yes”.

 

Influencers from Around the World – The Unavoidable Influence of Death

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This month’s Influencers from Around the World article is from Yago de Marta. If you’ve been a reader of Influence PEOPLE for any length of time then you’ve no doubt read some articles by Yago. I think you’ll find his perspective on influence and death intriguing. I encourage you to check out his website and reach out to him on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Brian, CMCT
influencepeople
Helping You Learn to Hear “Yes”.

The Unavoidable Influence of Death

Some months ago a very popular person from my hometown died. His name was Jose Antonio Labordeta. The purpose of this article is not to remember his life because media all around the world, especially in Spain, have already done that. The article that appeared in The Guardian (UK) made me ponder the following questions about death’s influence on the living:
What involves death that makes it so influential? Why does death go beyond our daily affairs and routines? What is the mechanism of death’s influence?In Labordeta’s case there is an element which allows us to follow his influence. In 1975 he composed “Song to Liberty” (Canto a la Libertad). At that moment and many times since there were people who proposed this song as the regional anthem of this area, Aragón. And from that time forward the song was sung in different historical events.
However, on September 19 Labordeta died and from that moment on everything changed. Google tells us about the great number of people who attended his funeral. Maybe some of them had never heard of his songs but the crowd of people shows us the way individuals and associations mobilized to make “Canto a la Libertad” the anthem of Aragón.At this moment the song hasn’t officially become the anthem so it’s difficult to give a final valuation on the way Labordeta’s death will influence his works. Nonetheless, we do observe most of Robert Cialdini’s principles of influence in death and that’s what this article is really about.
Reciprocation: Yes, it’s true that the dead cannot give us anything to invoke reciprocity but in some way, if we show ourselves to be understanding and kind with the dead, we hope others will show empathy with us when we die. One of the most common activities of the human mind is to wonder, “Who will come to my funeral?” Taking this idea, if we are kind with the dearly departed then we think people will be kind with us when we pass on.Commitment and Consistency: From childhood on, we are told to be respectful of the dead. This has happened since the origins of humankind. This expectation causes a kind of fixed attitude toward death in our minds throughout life. Even when we are older, if somebody dies we show ourselves to be sad and sorrowful. We are that way partly because we are expected to act like that.Social Proof (Consensus): This is very remarkable in the case of film or pop stars. Regardless of whether you liked or disliked Michael Jackson’s music, or regardless of the fact that some months before he died many people thought he was a pedophile, when he died almost everyone felt something different; they felt a little sad and depressed. And most people around the world felt similarly. Knowing and seeing how others felt was like a multiplier effect.Liking: We are going to die, every single one of us. Such is life. This obvious idea is what makes us identify with a person who dies. We don’t always identify in the same way, but every time somebody dies around us we get this feeling. Further, the mirror neurons come into effect, when we identify with the person who has just died. We tend to be more empathetic, softer and kinder.Authority: Myths are built in death. It happens this way with famous painters, writers and even politicians. Death tends to make the principle of authority grow. When somebody dies, his or her personality reaches highest levels because we are more respectful with the dead. It could also be because of traditions or culture, but respect is a form of authority.Scarcity: There’s nothing in our whole life that creates more scarcity than death. When we die everything we could have said, made, painted or sung seems to be not enough. Life is short and limited. Before dying we can keep on painting, singing or doing whatever we please but from the moment of death it is no longer possible. And so there you have from my perspective, how we are all influenced by death. Death’s influence, like death itself, is unavoidable. Yago

 

Does Celebrity Advertising Really Work?

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A few weeks ago a friend, Paul Hebert, tweeted me to get my opinion on what Robert Cialdini might say about an article from The Consumerist titled “Study: Putting Celebrities in TV Ads only Makes them Worse.” Some of the ads featuring celebrities that scored worst included:

  • Tiger Woods “Did You Learn Anything” (Nike)
  • Lance Armstrong’s “No Emoticons” (Radio Shack)
  • Kenny Mayne’s “Good Segment” (Gillette)
  • Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s “Coverage at the Right Price” (Nationwide)
  • Donald Trump’s “Making Timmy a Mogul” (Macy’s)

The end of the article stated, “The bottom line is that good ads stand on their own, and this study empirically shows that a celebrity has little to no impact on an ad’s effectiveness. In fact, regardless of gender or age, ads without celebrities out-performed ads with them.” Why does Madison Avenue typically use famous people when advertising? Generally, because it works. And let’s not forget that ads are ultimately rated on one thing – sales. Now that’s not to say that some ads don’t fail because there are always winners and losers, but I think it would be a mistake to conclude from the report, at least based on these ads, that celebrity endorsements don’t impact our buying decisions. As I looked at the list a few thoughts hit me. First, Tiger Woods has virtually no appeal at the present time, so I discount that ad entirely. Prior to his fall from grace, I’m sure many of the ads featuring Tiger were very successful because people either wanted to be like Tiger or at least play golf like Tiger. What stood out about the other ads was what I’ll call a lack of connection. What I mean is, I’m not going to see myself as Dale Earnhardt Jr. because I buy Nationwide’s auto insurance. Nor am I going to feel like Lance Armstrong if I shop at Radio Shack. I think the appeal of celebrity advertising comes primarily in a couple of ways:

  1. Association through the liking principle. Again, I won’t feel like Dale Earnhardt Jr. because I buy the same auto insurance, he does but I might feel a connection with him if I wear the same ball cap, use the auto parts he does, or put on the Wrangler jeans he wears. If I see him as cool, then I might just feel a little cooler myself wearing what he wears or using some of the products he uses. The same can be said of Lance Armstrong. I’m not going to feel like Lance because I got my batteries or iPod from Radio Shack, but I might associate with him if I drink the same energy drink during a hard workout or follow his training routine and diet (at least a little).
  2. Authority comes into play big time when persuading. Going back to Lance, he’s an expert when it comes to fitness, endurance and more specifically biking. If he endorses products in those areas, then I assume he uses them and because of that I assume they’re probably really good. After all, he’s the greatest biker of all time so there’s very few others whose word carries as much weight as his. End result, I buy what he uses and recommends. But again, I don’t see him as having expertise in electronics. And the same goes for Kenny Maynes; I don’t view him as an authority when it comes to razors.

So, my point is this; I believe celebrity advertising can be extremely effective if it’s done right. Throwing famous people in ads for no reason other than their celebrity is a recipe for failure. However, choose a celebrity for a product where people want to feel like the celebrity in some way and you might have a winner on your hands. By the same token, if the celebrity has credibility with certain products, then I think you’re on your way to a winning campaign going that route too.

Brian Ahearn, CMCT
influencePEOPLE
Helping You Hear “Yes”

“I Know, I Know” – The Illusion of Knowledge

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If you have a teenager, or have raised one, then no doubt you’re familiar with the phrase, “I know!” It seems like no matter what you say the response is almost always the same, “I know!” You might say, “Clean your room,” and it’s met with, “I know!” Or how about this, “You need to study before you can go out,” and they say, “I know!” If only we were as smart as our kids because they seem to know everything. I recently read an interesting book, The Invisible Gorilla, by Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons. In it they talked about something called “the illusion of knowledge.” This describes the tendency of people to think they know more than they really do. For example, almost everyone who drives a car would say they know how a car works, but they really don’t. It’s readily apparent when raising teenagers that we are all subject to the illusion of knowledge to one degree or another. When it comes to getting people to do what you want – and hopefully avoiding the dreaded “I know!” – I have a persuasion tip that can help. Here it is; stop making statements and start asking questions. Pretty simple and yet very effective. Questions are more effective when trying to persuade another person than making statements, because asking questions engages the principle of consistency. This principle of influence tells us people generally feel better about themselves when their words and deeds match. Psychologically it’s hard on most people when they appear inconsistent to others and as a result they feel bad. Have you ever had to back out on your word and felt bad? We all have and we sometimes feel a little bad even if our reversal is completely justified. We usually go to great lengths to avoid feeling bad so we live up to our word. When you ask someone a question and they say “yes,” social psychology studies show the likelihood that they’ll do what they said they would goes up significantly. And it’s not very hard to do. Here are some examples: Statement – I need the board report by Friday.
Question – Can you get me the board report by Friday? Statement – You need to empty the dishwasher.
Question – Will you empty the dishwasher? While it’s a simple concept it’s sometimes hard to put into practice. In fact, most of the principles of influence are easy to understand because people can easily recall a time when they unknowingly used a principle successfully or responded to someone who used a principle on them. However, knowing and doing are two different things and when I lead the Principles of Persuasion workshop, participants always struggle to actually put the principles into practice. My advice is to take some time periodically to think about how you’re communicating; analyze a conversation after the fact to see where you might have used some questions rather than making statements. Or better yet, before you hit the send button on your next email do a quick reread specifically to see where you could change statements to questions. I started this post talking about kids and the illusion of knowledge. While the point of this week’s article wasn’t the illusion of knowledge, reading about it triggered my thoughts for this post and I can highly recommend the book. One last thing to tell you, engaging consistency through questions will also make it much harder for your teenager to say “I know!” in response to your questions. If you’re like me that alone would be worth the price of admission. Brian, CMCT
influencepeople
Helping You Learn to Hear “Yes”.

Changes Coming to Influence PEOPLE

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I decided to have an extra post this week to let you know about a few things to keep an eye out for on Influence PEOPLE this year. I hope you’ll find them interesting ways to continue learning about ethical influence.
First is something that’s not entirely new but will be presented in a different manner. For quite some time now I’ve been recording influence tips and blog posts on a site called CinchCast. I realize different people have different learning styles so I started these recordings for those of you who are auditory learners. What I’ll be doing differently this year is embedding the audio recording into the blog post. If you scroll down past my signature you’ll see the CinchCast recording for this post. Just click on the button and you can listen to the blog rather than read it.
In the near future I’m hoping to post some video clips from the presentation I gave at Franklin University on Influential Leadership. That will give you an opportunity to see and hear why influence is all about people as well as learn a little bit about each of the six principles of influence. On the topic of video, I’m also planning to do a video blog at least once a quarter.
Finally, I’m looking at the possibility of adding a few more guest writers from around the world so we can continue learning how influence and persuasion work in other cultures.
I hope you find these changes interesting ways to keep things fresh while you continue to learn about influence and persuasion. If you have ideas for the blog or would like to see certain topics or questions addressed feel free to leave a comment below.

Brian, CMCT
influencepeople
Helping You Learn to Hear “Yes”.

The Upside and Downside of Fixed-Action Patterns

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I’ve been having a hard time with something lately — brushing my teeth. Some of you are thinking that’s gross but don’t worry, I brush several times a day and floss too. I guess my problem is really with the toothpaste container. Jane bought Colgate Total, fine toothpaste by the way, but it comes in a stand up tube. While it seems convenient to have the tube on the countertop so I can quickly grab it I don’t find myself doing that. It seems like every time I go to brush my teeth I open the left drawer at the bathroom counter. It’s a small irritation except that I make the same mistake over and over and over. Fortunately there’s a bright side — it inspired this week’s blog post.
Why do I keep making the same mistake time and time again? Simple; I have a set way of going about brushing my teeth that’s served me well for a long time and it’s a hard habit to break. You might say I have “fixed-action pattern.” A daily ritual like this makes my fixed-action pattern very apparent but lest you laugh at me beware because you have them too.In his best-selling book Influence Science and Practice, Dr. Cialdini talks about fixed-action patterns in the animal kingdom which are inborn to ensure survival. When it comes to people he wrote, “The automatic behavior patterns of humans tend to be learned rather than inborn, more flexible than the lock-step patterns of the lower animals, and responsive to a larger number of triggers.” He goes on the say, “we, too, have our preprogrammed tapes; and, although they usually work to our advantage, the trigger features that activate them can dupe us into playing the tapes at the wrong times.” In humans these patterns are developed because we eventually find what works best for us (toothpaste in the left drawer) and stick with it. It makes life easier because it simplifies decision making and saves time. They trigger an almost automatic response in many cases. For example, if you are looking to buy a new computer you might turn to someone you know (liking) because they know much more about computers (authority) than you or most salespeople do. Something like this usually works out well because it saves time, headaches and money. We’ve probably all done this at one time or another when looking for a computer, car, phone or some other relatively expensive item where you feel you lack sufficient knowledge.Of course there can be a downside too. As I wrote, the toothpaste thing is just a minor irritant but there are some people who prey on these automatic responses because they know they can get what they want before you realize what happened. One example was in the Influencers From Around the World article a few weeks ago by Marco Germani. He shared how the Italian prime minister used liking to sidestep criticism over allegations of improprieties with a 17 year-old girl. From what I gather Silvio Berusconi didn’t seem to suffer much for his actions. I’ve taken taekwondo for many years but I don’t intend to go beat up anyone. My goal was to learn how to defend myself because I know there are bad people out there who might just try to harm me or my family. Understanding the principles of influence, and your own mindless tendencies, can be your self defense against unethical people who would try to take advantage of you.As you read Influence PEOPLE, keep an eye on how you can ethically utilize the principles to create a win-win situation for you and those you deal with. At the same time keep an eye out for those who would seek to do you harm. In the end you might just help a lot of people and keep yourself safe.Brian, CMCT
influencepeople
Helping You Learn to Hear “Yes”.