Tag Archive for: Cialdini

PAVE the Way to Success in the New Year

/1 Comment/by

If you’re like many people then you’ll be making New Year’s resolutions in a few days and if you’re like most people you’ll break your resolutions within a few days. According to one study, more than half the people who make resolutions are confident of achieving them, yet barely more than 10% do so. That’s amazing because most resolutions are good!

Here are a some of the most popular New Year’s resolutions:

  • Spend more time with family
  • Lose weight
  • Begin exercising
  • Quit smoking
  • Quit drinking
  • Get organized
  • Get out of debt

The list is admirable so why are these goals so difficult to achieve for 9 out of 10 people? There are probably as many reasons as there are resolutions and dwelling on those reasons would not be as beneficial as giving you scientifically proven ideas that can help make 2016 a year of positive change for you. Around this time every year I share an influence technique that can help readers PAVE the way to success in the New Year.

In the study of persuasion there’s a powerful motivator of behavior known as the principle of consistency. This proven rule tells us people feel internal and external psychological pressure to act in ways that are consistent with their prior actions, words, deeds, beliefs and values. When we act in consistent ways we feel better about ourselves and other people perceive us in a more favorable light.

There are four simple things you can tap into in order to strengthen the power of consistency in your life. These simple ideas will help you PAVE the way to success because they’ll dramatically increase the odds that you’ll follow through on your New Year’s resolutions.

Public – Whenever you make a public statement, whether verbally or in writing, you’re putting yourself and your reputation on the line. The mere fact that another person knows your intention and might ask you how you’re doing is often enough motivation for you to follow through.

Recommendation #1 – Share your New Year’s resolution with another person, or group of people, and ask them to hold you accountable.

Active – You have to actively do something. Merely thinking about a resolution, just keeping it to yourself as some sort of secret, will lead to the same results as people who don’t make any resolutions. In other words, nothing will change. This came to light in a study with a group of students who wanted to improve their college grades. One group was asked to write their goals down, one group kept their goals in their heads, and the last group had no specific goal whatsoever. As you can imagine, the group with the written goals succeeded, with nearly 90% of students increasing their grades by a full letter grade! With the other two groups the results were identical and poor. In each group fewer than 1 in 6 students improved a full letter grade. It’s worth noting, they were all given the same study materials so they all had the same opportunity to better their GPA.

Recommendation #2 – Make sure you have to take some active steps. It could be as simple as buying a book to help you learn more about the changes you’re hoping to make or writing them down.

Voluntary – This has to be YOUR goal, not someone else’s goal for you. If you’re trying to do something – quit smoking, lose weight, get in shape – it’s not likely your motivation will last if someone told you that you have to do it. The goal has to come from you because if it’s forced on you it’s not likely your willpower will last long. Samuel Butler said it best when he wrote, “He who complies against his will is of the same opinion still.”

Recommendation #3 – Make sure it’s something you really want to do of your own free choice.

Effort – It was already noted that you have to actively do something. In other words, making the commitment should require some effort on your part. The more effort you expend setting up your goal, the more likely you are to succeed. Something as simple as writing down your resolution can make a difference, even if you don’t share it with anyone. But, taking the time to share it also fulfills the public requirement, which gives you more bang for the buck! Robert Cialdini puts it this way, “People live up to what they write down.”

Recommendation #4 – A little more effort, like committing pen to paper, will increase your chance for success significantly.

So to recap the four recommendations:

  • Public – Share your resolutions with others.
  • Active – Make sure to take some active steps.
  • Voluntary – Make it your goal and own it.
  • Effort – Commit pen to paper.

None of what I just shared is new but I’m guessing many of you haven’t tried to PAVE the way to success before. If you’ve failed at your resolutions in the past then give this approach a try. If you fail again you’re no worse off but this different approach might just be your key to success in 2016. Good luck and Happy New Year’s!

What Reciprocity Is and What It Is Not

/2 Comments/by
We’re knee deep in the holiday season, the traditional time of gift giving in many parts of the world. There is also quite a bit of reciprocation that happens during this season. I write that because quite often we give gifts to other people because we know they will be giving us a gift. God forbid we aren’t ready to exchange gifts because most people feel awkward when they receive a gift but don’t have something to give in return. To avoid that feeling have you ever run out to buy a gift or holiday card from someone and quickly stuck it in the mail because they gave you a card or gift first? That’s reciprocity working its magic on you.

The principle of influence known as reciprocity defines human behavior that’s been around as long as mankind: we feel obligated to give back to those who first give to us. We’ve been conditioned to give in return because over the course of evolution we learned we are all better off when we help those who’ve helped us first

I’m sure every person reading this understands the principle of reciprocity and my definition only serves to make them think, “I already know that.” What most people don’t really understand is how to engage the principle because all too often I read articles and blog posts from marketers, sales trainers, and others who like to cite Robert Cialdini’s work…but do so incorrectly!

I recently read a blog post on getting consumers to say yes using reciprocity and two examples were used:

“But 4 get 1 free”

“Free gift/shipping when purchase for $60 or more”

Neither example is an application of the principle of reciprocity. Do you know why?

As noted earlier, reciprocity is engaged when you’ve given to someone or done something for another person first.

That feeling of indebtedness makes the other person want to “return the favor” so to speak. Neither example used in the article I cited above did anything for the consumer or gave them anything in advance. In each case what they were actually offering was a reward. Rewards are predicated on an, “If you…, I will…” basis. Both of the above examples were actually rewards that could read:

“If you buy four you’ll get one more for free.”

“If you buy $60 or more in goods your shipping will be free.”

Think about it for a moment. You can’t get “one more for free” or “free shipping” unless you do something first.

Make no mistake about it; rewards motivate behavior. There are decades of studies to back that up and it’s a fact that rewards are more effective than the threat of punishment.

The word “free” is a big motivator too. Dan Ariely brilliantly points that out in a chapter from Predictably Irrational called “The Cost of Zero Cost: We Often Pay Too Much When We Pay Nothing.” All too often we’ll go out of our way to get something free. For example, have you ever purchased extra items on Amazon so you’d spend enough to get free shipping? People spend a lot more money to get “free” stuff!

Rewards change behavior but some studies show you can engage people with reciprocity by giving a much smaller gift in lieu of a large reward and get a better result. In workshops I often share a study in which owners of a construction company were either offered a $50 reward for completing a survey or given a $5 check up front in consideration of their time. Only 23% who were offered the $50 reward completed the survey but 52% who received the $5 check up front did so. And the savings was anywhere from 57% to 77% depending on how many ultimately cashed the $5 check.

As a business owner, if you knew you could more than double your response rate and save 50%, 60%, 70% or more by going the reciprocity option instead of the traditional reward route, wouldn’t you choose the reciprocity option? Of course you would…and now you will going forward.

I don’t point this out to be nit picky or combative. Rather, I point this out because when I teach people about persuasion I tell them, “If you use the principles ethically and correctly you will get more people saying yes to you.” If people think they’re using principles correctly but they’re not, then they won’t see the results they hoped for. That leads to people thinking, “It sounds good when Brian says it, or when Dr. Cialdini writes about it, but it doesn’t’ work in the real world.” It does work but only if you do it the right way.

Here’s my final thought – if you want to engage people in a low cost, easy to implement, sure fire way to motivate the behavior you want, save yourself time and money by going the reciprocity route in lieu of using traditional rewards.

Does Branding Really Influence Behavior?

/0 Comments/by

I think you’d agree that we live in an information-overloaded society. What you may not be aware of is the extent of the overload.

William C. Taylor wrote an article – “Permission Marketing” – for the magazine Fast Company and told readers, “This year, the average consumer will see or hear one million marketing messages – that’s almost 3,000 per day.” When I share that quote with audiences they’re astounded. When I tell them the quote is now 17 years old they’re blown away! That’s right, the estimate in 1998 was that you were bombarded with about 3,000 marketing messages each day. More recently a New York Times article – “Anywhere the Eye Can See, It’s Likely to See an Ad” – put the number at 5,000 a day!

With so much information assaulting our senses each day it begs the question, does branding really influence behavior? You might be surprised that it does in a big way.

I recently read Brainfluence: 100 Ways to Persuade and Convince Consumers with Neuromarketing by Roger Dooley and was particularly interested in the brain science on the age old Coke versus Pepsi debate. Many times over, in blind taste tests people preferred Pepsi…even Coke drinkers quite often preferred Pepsi. However, when people knew which brand they were drinking that changed. Dooley wrote:

“When the subjects saw which brand they were drinking, though, nearly all of the subjects said they preferred Coke. Significantly, the subjects’ brain activity changed as well.”

Did you catch that last sentence? They didn’t just say they preferred Coke, their brains actually preferred it! What we think about brands actually changes how we experience the product or service! Here are a few examples of incredibly strong brands:

  • Southwest Airlines – Despite the “cattle call” for seating, people love to be “free to roam about the country.” Passengers’ passion has resulted in 42 consecutive years of
profitability for Southwest in an industry that’s struggled mightily to achieve profits.
  • Apple – Apple consumers are religious in their zeal for the brand making it the most profitable company in the world in 2014. Other phones may have better features at times but it’s nearly impossible to get Apple lovers to make a switch.
  • Harley Davidson – If people are willing to tattoo your company logo on their body you know you have a good thing going! I remember hearing someone say, “I can accept the fact that someday I might die and my wife may remarry. What I can’t accept is another man riding my Harley.”
  • Starbucks – The coffee giant transformed coffee drinking and doesn’t even advertise. That’s because their customers do it for them. The familiar Starbucks logo on the cup is all they need to spread the word and you probably see it more than you realize each day.

Of course very few brands have the cache of Coke, Southwest, Apple, Harley Davidson, Starbucks or many other successful brands. But, the science shows that a strong brand impacts people’s brain activity resulting in behavior changes even when people are not aware of it.

So what does this mean for you? You’re probably not competing on the scale of the aforementioned companies but what current and potential customers think of you and your company matters.

Each of us can brand ourselves to a great degree. Here are several ideas based on some things I do.

If you call my office you’ll hear this at the start of my voicemail message – “Wouldn’t you agree that much of your professional success and personal happiness depends on getting others to say ‘yes’ to you? Ask me about The Principles of Persuasion Workshop where you’ll learn to hear ‘yes’ more often.” People ask about the workshop and I’ve had compliments on my voicemail.

My email autosignature always has my branding message at the bottom – Helping You Learn to Hear “Yes.” Again, it’s not uncommon to get a comment but what’s more important is people see the message and even if it doesn’t consciously register it impacts their brain.

I wear shirts with the Influence PEOPLE logo prominently displayed. When people ask about it I have a platform to share what I do. Nobody can sell me better than me and nobody can sell you better than you.

Does it work? Absolutely! Before starting Influence PEOPLE my personal brand was – When it needs to be done well. That was on my email and voicemail and I regularly had people say, or write, “I need something done well so I thought I’d contact you.” When someone repeats your branding slogan back to you it’s working! I’ll never forget the first time I met Gerald Ladner, a State Auto regional vice president at the time. His first words to me as he shook my hand and let out a laugh were, “I have to meet the guy who advertises he’ll do it well!”

Make no mistake; a catchy slogan won’t make up for a poor product or service. However, when the differences between you and a competitor are seemingly small, when people don’t always know why they do what they do, a well-crafted, consistent brand can be the difference in choosing you over the competitor. I encourage you to give it serious thought because as we approach the New Year, there’s no better time to make a change than now.

Don’t be so Quick to Restock that Shelf

/0 Comments/by

My daughter Abigail’s good friend, Maxie, used to work at a bakery in our hometown of Westerville.  One Saturday morning Abigail and I stopped by to say hello and get a sugary treat after having coffee. I noticed Maxie was busy replacing donuts and making sure the pastry trays were completely full. Unfortunately, it was a bad persuasion move on her part.

I asked Maxie why she was so quick to restock the trays after a few donuts or pastries were purchased. She said the bakery owner liked the trays to be full and he believed they looked better that way. I told her that approach is actually working against the bakery making more sales. Let me explain.

Two principles of influence were potentially at work in the bakery if the situation was handled correctly. The first was consensus – we look to others to see how we should behave in certain situations. The second principle was scarcity – we value things more when they’re rare or diminishing.

When people walk into a bakery and see a tray with very few donuts left, consensus kicks in as the first thought is – those must be good donuts because everyone seems to be buying them. Next comes scarcity – with so few donuts left, if I don’t get one soon I might not be able to get one. Both principles become a huge draw do make a purchase!

I’m pretty confident the owner of that bakery has many things for employees to do other than constantly restocking the shelves. One big thing would be having them engage customers to share what items are “selling like hotcakes.”

Have you ever been to a store where you obviously needed help but employees seem more concerned with stocking the shelves? That’s frustrating. Some of that may be due to their hesitancy to interact with people but I’m sure some of the pressure comes from managers who believe fully stocked shelves are a high priority for the store. Not smart if you want to sell more goods.

Think about where you work. Are there things you have that people actually see? If so, don’t be so quick to “restock the shelves” because doing so reduces the impact of consensus and scarcity. Rather, manage the process so you convey what other people are buying and get your customer to “act now” so they don’t lose an opportunity. If you’re worried about employees standing around, teach them how positively engage customers in such a way that customers enjoy the buying experience and keep coming back.

What’s Your Why?

/0 Comments/by
Why? That’s a deep, powerful question that can apply to almost anything. Kids ask why the sky is blue. Sports fans ask why the coach called a certain play. Citizens ask why politicians make the choices they do. You get the point. I’d like to focus the question on you. What’s your why? Or put another way, why do you do what you do?

I’m intrigued by the question of why having reread Simon Sinek’s book Start with Why. I encourage you to take a look at Simon sharing some thoughts on this in one of his Ted talk presentations.

Sinek builds a case that most companies lose sight of this important concept but great companies know their why and it becomes their culture. Apple, Costco, Southwest Air and Harley Davidson are a few of the great companies he refers to in the book. His perspective reminded me of Steven Covey’s idea of a personal mission statement. Covey’s idea applies to individuals because too often people go through life not knowing why they do what they do. This post isn’t about the value of a personal mission statement but if you’d like to learn more about that, read this article.

With Influence PEOPLE, my why is to help people achieve professional success and personal happiness. When it comes to professional success much of that depends on getting others to say yes to you.

That yes could be tied to a new product, procedure, strategy or any number of other initiatives in which people need to be onboard. Whatever it may be, business leaders, managers and salespeople need to get people doing what they need them to do.

On a personal level, I’m a firm believer that your home life will be much more peaceful and happy if family members willingly do what you want. Wouldn’t it be nice if your kids did their homework or chores with less resistance? Wouldn’t it be great if your spouse more willingly did what you asked? Both could lead to less stress and more happiness.

I believe professional success and personal happiness can be achieved with a lot less effort than you might imagine. If you understand how people typically think and behave and you’re willing to adjust your communication accordingly you’ll move more people to voluntarily do what you want. A big part of that communication change comes by ethically and correctly using the principles of influence.

The principles of influence are psychological triggers that are scientifically proven to move more people to a yes response. Think of it this way, if you knew the best way to hear “Yes” more consistently, wouldn’t you communicate that way more often? It would be foolish not to.

When I speak on this topic the word audience members use most often to describe me is passionate. They can tell I passionately believe what I’m saying. And I do because I’ve seen it work firsthand at home and the office. I’ve also heard from others. Here are a couple of examples:

“Brian Ahearn’s communication and teaching of Dr. Cialdini’s principles of persuasion into business applications specifically for our industry were extremely relevant and applicable in both of my work and personal life.”
– Greg Wilkerson, Sr. Vice President, Frost Insurance

“The class was so powerful for me personally, that it has extended past any particular work situation or sales situation. It has influenced almost every aspect of my life.”
– Christian Fanetti, Sr., Vice President, Consumers First Insurance

So let’s circle back to you. What is your why when you head to work each day? If it’s just a paycheck you’ll never put as much time and effort into your work as you would if you passionately believed what you do makes a difference.

Even if you don’t love the daily grind, can you see how the end results of your efforts and your organization make a difference for others?

I can’t answer your why for you. Nobody can. But taking time to really reflect might make the difference for you. Wouldn’t it be great to go to work each day with a little more energy, excitement and passion? It’s possible if you know your why and believe in it.

Why Thankfulness Matters

/0 Comments/by

This week people across America will be celebrating Thanksgiving. While this holiday has its origins going back to the 1600s with the Pilgrims it wasn’t until Abraham Lincoln that we formally acknowledged the last Thursday in November as the day of celebration. Franklin D. Roosevelt altered that in 1939 when there were five Thursdays in November. FDR declared the fourth Thursday to be the official day and the Senate ratified his decision in 1942, officially making the fourth Thursday Thanksgiving in the United States.

The truth is we should be thankful every day and multiple times each day because there’s so much to be grateful for. If

Viktor Frankl could find reason to give thanks while held prisoner in Nazi concentration camps then we can all find reasons to be thankful each day. Unfortunately it’s human nature to take things for granted so it’s not until something is missing that we appreciate it more. That’s the principle of scarcity in action.

Speaking of being thankful, here’s an example of the wrong way to go about it. Many years ago a colleague needed help with something. What was asked not only required my time but the time of several others as well. It forced us to put things on hold for other people but nonetheless we “stopped the presses” and accommodated the request. This person got what they needed and went about their business the next day. What stood out to me was this – never did they thank us in person, by phone, or in writing. I remember thinking, “I don’t work for thanks. I get paid well to do my job,” but I also knew in my heart I wouldn’t extend myself for that person again and I certainly wouldn’t ask others to do so.

I don’t think I’m different than the average person in this regard. When I go out of my way to help someone – even when paid – if I don’t get some acknowledgment of appreciation I know I won’t try as hard the next time. Contrast that with people who offer genuine thanks and appreciation. I bet most of you would go above and beyond for such people.

Giving thanks is a form of reciprocity. This principle of influence tells us people feel obligated to give back to those who first give to them. According to the French social psychologist Marcel Mauss, every human society teaches its people the way of reciprocity. We see this as we raise our children because one of the first things we teach them to say is, “Thank you,” when someone has done something for them.

Because we’re all brought up in the way of reciprocity most people are somewhat offended when the person they helped cannot take a moment to say thanks. Beyond offense, people are less willing to help thankless people as time goes by. It’s a natural human response.

Here’s why thankfulness matters. When you do express sincere appreciation people are more likely to help you – and others – in the future. Think about it; you help someone, they express gratitude, and you feel good about the action you took. You’re naturally more likely to repeat behaviors in the future that made you feel good about yourself. And the person you helped is more likely to help others too. That’s called “paying it forward.”

As we approach the day that commemorates giving thanks pause to reflect and see if you’re someone who regularly gives thanks when someone does something for you. If you don’t, or don’t as regularly as you should, make a commitment to start. I think you’ll be amazed at how people respond to you and you’ll be thankful you changed your ways.

 

V = WIG/P … What?

/0 Comments/by

Don’t worry; this post isn’t about algebra or calculus. This week we’re going to look into the value proposition and how salespeople can use the principles of influence to make sure their product or service offering shines.

First, let me say my introduction to the value proposition came nearly 20 years ago when John Petrucci joined State Auto. I learned more about sales from John in his first year with the company than I had in my previous 10 years in the industry. One concept he shared with me, and others throughout the company, was the following formula for the value proposition:

V = WIG/P

Value equals What I Get divided by Price

Let me illustrate. Let’s say currently you can buy 12 widgets for $6. That means the value of each widget is 2. At some point in the future, if you can get 18 widgets for $6 then the value of each widget is 3. Or, maybe you can get still get 12 widgets but now they’re only $3, which makes the value of each widget 4. In each case the value of the widget has gone up which is a better deal for you!

Conversely, if you can only get 12 widgets but the price has gone up to $8, then the value of each widget is only 1.50. Perhaps the price stayed at $6 but now you can only get six widgets. The value you get from widgets has dropped to 1. In both cases, not as good a deal as it once was.

Bottom line; if you can get more and pay the same OR if you get the same but pay less, you’ve received more value. On the flip side, if you get the same and pay more OR get less but pay the same as you always have, then you’ve received less value.

Oh if life were only so easy as a formula! If it were, we would just plug in the numbers and always make the best choice. But here’s the problem – rarely do things play out in real life like they do in the classroom or on paper. Most of the time what we’re offering, be it a product or service, has many components that become hard to value in a formula. Here’s an example from the insurance industry. Many people assume one automobile insurance policy is like another. To some degree that’s true but here are factors that may account for much of the price difference:

  • Coverages – Not all policies have the same coverages and not all have the same coverage limits. More coverage or higher limits means paying more.
  • Bells and whistles – Many policies have extra coverages that are intended to make the policy more valuable. While these may be free (you can’t remove them and save money) they add value to the policy.
  • Claims – Not all companies handle claims the same. Those with better claims service usually charge more because they have more and better staff.

As you can see, it becomes hard to measure value when there are so many factors involved. However, if you’re in sales you’d better know how your product or service is different from your competitors. Your offering may not appeal to everyone but you may have a niche market you go after. That usually makes highlighting value easier.

So how you do use some of the principles of influence to highlight value? Here are three easy-to-incorporate examples.

Authority – People look to experts for guidance when they’re not sure what to do. Can you point to unbiased sources that show the superiority of your product or service in certain areas? Can you fall back on your expertise (years in the business, training, breadth of experience) to make a potential customer feel more comfortable?

Consensus – Humans are essentially pack animals. The vast majority of people feel better knowing what others have said about a product. Can you incorporate information about what the masses think about your product? Is there an opportunity to narrow the focus to people just like the person you’re trying to sell to?

Scarcity – People are much more motivated by what they may lose versus what they might gain. Talking about saving $100 (if your product is less expensive) will not be as effective as telling the prospective customer what they’ll will lose out on by overpaying.

Most people only have a vague idea about the value of what they’re getting even when they do a little research. For more on that just go back and reread my article on buying something as simple as an iron. Do we really know the value of the work done on our car? How about buying a lawnmower? Hiring a personal trainer? The list could go on and on with products or services where we can only “ballpark” to get an estimate of value.

A good salesperson will ask lots of questions to identify someone’s needs. From there they’ll begin to point people to products or services that best meet those needs. While doing so they will look for ways to ethically incorporate authority, consensus and scarcity to the degree that each is available. Doing so will help highlight the value of their offer and lead to a better buying experience for the customer.

So remember, even if you’re not a math whiz, V= WIG/P is a formula you want to know cold if you hope to succeed in sales.

What’s Your Goal?

/1 Comment/by

I work with lots of people in different roles when it comes to teaching ethical influence. Over the years, I’ve worked with senior leaders, middle managers, supervisors, claim reps, underwriters, field sales reps, insurance agents, business owners, financial reps, and many others. I’m always amazed at how often people try to persuade without a clear goal in mind.

You may think a salesperson always has a clear goal—i.e., to make the sale. True enough, but that’s still a little vague in my book. Let me share an example to help you see what I mean.

During the Principles of Persuasion Workshop©, we have an activity where participants work in teams to come up with a persuasive argument to get a high school student, Jimmy, back in school after he’s been expelled for foul language and insubordination. Participants generally do a good job applying the principles of influence to persuade the school board to let Jimmy back in—but very few clearly state when they want Jimmy back in school. That leaves the final decision up to the school board, which could opt for another week or two out of school.

Participants would do much better to conclude with something like,
“It’s our sincere hope that you’ll let Jimmy back in school tomorrow.”

Why is this so important? Because if the board says “no,” there is a moment of power the teams can leverage.

Studies show that when someone says “no” to you, if you make a concession and ask for a smaller request immediately, your odds of hearing “yes” increase significantly. This is an application of the principle of reciprocity—when we give a little, people often feel compelled to give a little in return.

Robert Cialdini had his research assistants run an experiment that shows how powerful this concept can be in real life. These students randomly asked people around the Arizona State University campus if they’d be willing to be a chaperone on a day trip to the zoo for a group of juvenile delinquents. As you might expect, very few people wanted to spend a day at the zoo with those kids, so only 17% said yes.

Later, the research assistants returned to campus and started with a much bigger initial request. They asked people if they’d be willing to be a big brother or sister to some juvenile delinquents—a weekly two-hour commitment for two years. No one was willing to give up that much time. But as soon as people said no, the assistants followed up with:
“If you can’t do that, would you be willing to chaperone a day trip to the zoo?”
It was the same request as before—but this time, 50% said yes. That’s triple the original response rate!

Two things were at play in this second scenario:

  1. The contrast phenomenon: Compared to a two-year commitment, a single day at the zoo seemed much more reasonable.

  2. The principle of reciprocity: When the assistants made a concession, many people felt inclined to respond in kind.

Let’s go back to Jimmy. By clearly stating what the team wants—to have Jimmy back in school tomorrow—they become more effective persuaders. They might hear a “yes” to that initial request, but if not, they can make a counteroffer that’s more likely to be accepted. That’s a far better approach than leaving the decision entirely up to the board.

How does this apply to you? Two ways:

  1. Clearly state what you want.
    Think about times when you left the outcome up to someone else. Maybe you interviewed for a job but didn’t clearly state the salary or benefits you wanted. Or perhaps you were trying to make a sale but didn’t make the first offer.

  2. Don’t censure yourself.
    For example, let’s say you want a job and hope to earn $95,000. But thinking they might say no, you ask for $85,000. If they say no, you may end up settling for $80,000—or less. Instead, ask for $95,000. You might just get it. If not, you can retreat to $90,000, which is more likely to be accepted than if you’d started there.

Next time you enter a situation where you’re trying to persuade someone, don’t just focus on building your persuasive communication. Give serious thought to your ultimate goal. What outcome would you want if everything worked out exactly as you hoped?

But don’t stop there—clearly communicate that desired outcome. And be ready in case you hear “no.” That means having multiple fallback positions prepared. This allows you to leverage the moment of power that follows a “no.”

Do these few things, and you’ll be well on your way to becoming a much more effective persuader.

Ironing out the Buying Thought Process

/0 Comments/by

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

/0 Comments/by

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.