from the book: 50 proven ways to be persuasive
TRANSCRIPT
Whatwe
have learned?
• “More work” for customers
• Look outside to other people in uncertainty
• Imagination: people crazily calling
• Social proof
Your heritage is vandalized everyday by theft losses of
petrified wood of 14 tons a year, mostly, a small piece at a time.
Persuasion Can Backfire
300 California households Their weekly energy use recorded
End of each week Average of the neighborhood is hung on the front door of each one
Houses that use more energy than average Reduced their usage by 5.7%
More interesting…
Houses that use less energy than average Increased their consumption by 8.6%
This is called “magnetic middle” effect Regardless of their socially desirable or undesirable ways
Houses tend to stay in line with the norm
Avoiding the “Magnetic Middle”
How to avoid the magnetic middle and tell “already below usage average” houses that they are ok?
Along with the average, now they put also a or along with the neighborhood average.
If they are using more than average, it is , else
And the results…
Houses with still reduced their energy usage.
Houses with stayed in the same level Didn’t increase their usage
To avoid the magnetic middle, we should convey approval for desirable actions.
“Magnetic Middle” Examples
In a company, if we say: “Average employee arrives late for work 5.3% of the time.”
The late-comers will try to adapt themselves.
But the early-comers will also try to adapt themselves.
We should praise early-comers to avoid this.
In conclusion… To prevent a good apple from getting spoiled by a bunch of bad
ones, remember to show your appreciation for it.
Offering more will make them want less
Company offered retirement programs to their 800.000 workers.
For every 10 additional funds offered as an option
Participation rate of the employees dropped by 2%
Specific number: 2 funds
Participation: 75%
59 funds
Participation: 60%
Offering more will make them want less 2
Jam kiosk in a supermarket
Customers are offered with 6 flavors
30% bought jam
24 flavors
3% bought jam
There may be exceptions Ice cream stores etc.
Where people specifically go for a large number of variety.
Bonus to Onus
What do you think of gifts given with purchasing a product? The gift is obsolete or out-of-style
The gift is junk
The gift is not valuable, otherwise they wouldn’t give it for free
A bonus gift is given with a featured liquor A pearl bracelet
Two groups of people are asked to evaluate the pearl bracelet’s cost
1) as a standalone product
2) as the gift with the featured liquor
People are willing to pay 35% less in second condition.
If you sell a service independently, and give it for free along with another service
Think again about its value in customers’ eyes
Bonus to Onus Examples
Instead of saying “Receive free break inspection”
Say “Receive 200$ break inspection at no cost to you”
Instead of saying “Send your children to this free after-school club”
Say “This after-school club would cost you 2000$ if your children are in a
private school.”
Increasing Sales of an Old Product
People “compromise choices” What they need at minimum vs. what they could spend at maximum
If offered two products (A=$1000, B=1500$) Often go for the less-expensive one: A
However, if a third one is offered, more expensive then these two (C=$2000)
This time, they go for the second one: B
Which is not the highest product any more
Increasing Sales of an Old Product -Example
Williams-Sonoma sells bread-making machines
There was a best selling one (Model A)
They introduced a far-more-superior new product (Model B) Which has more functionality,
And more expensive
Model A sales nearly doubled.
Increasing Sales of an Old Product -Practical
If you are going to an educational conference in a cruise ship And want to stay in a room with a window
Don’t just go to your supervisor and ask for a room with a window
Go with a set of alternatives, where windowed room is the second best one
A room without a window ($500)
A room with a window ($800)
A room with balcony ($1300)
You will most likely get the room with the window among these choices
The choice is usually Not the highest, but the one before.
Effect of Fear
Students are given a pamphlet detailing a tetanus infection. With/without frightening details
With/without specific plans of how to arrange to get a tetanus injection
High fear motivated the students to get tetanus injection only if There is a specific plan attached to it.
Just “fear” paralyzes students not to take any action
Always present a solution along with a fear
The Renowned Post-it Note
A survey sent out to people
These are the options A) One with handwritten sticky note on the cover, requesting the
completing of the survey
B) One with similar handwritten message, but this time on cover page
C) One only with the cover and survey alone
The results (completion ratio): A: 75%
B: 48%
C: 36%
Is it because these post-it notes are so attention-grabbing with their colors?
The Renowned Post-it Note –cont’d
A new survey
With these options: A) One with a handwritten request on a Post-it note
B) One with an empty Post-it note
C) One with no Post-it note
And the results: A: 69%
B: 43%
C: 34%
So the Post-it itself is not the main factor.
It is the personal touch and extra effort that does the trick.
This is called “reciprocity” “You did something special for me, I didn’t forget it”
Reciprocity
The more personal your requests are, The more detailed, effortful, attentive replies you will get.
If you are sending a survey out, Don’t be too lazy and put your recipient name in the request.
Even ask some personal questions to him first.
Your response rates will be higher.
An ounce of personalized extra effort Is worth a pound of persuasion.
Mints in a Basket
Restaurants are giving mint or chocolate on a silver platter along with the bill
How do you think this effects the tip they give?
An experiment in a restaurant. 1) No candy with the bill
2) A single piece of candy with the bill
Modest increase in tips: 3.3%
3) Add two piece of candies with the bill Increase tips 14.1%
Reciprocity: The more we are given, the more we give.
Mints in a Basket – cont’d
Another option: Gave the customer one piece of candy
And after slightly leaving the table, the server just turns back
Reach into his pocket
Place a second candy on the table
The meaning: “….oh, for you nice people, here is an extra candy each.”
The result: 23% increase in tips
Three Factors to Make Something More Persuasive
1. Significance 1 candy is normal, but 2 candies are significant
2. Personalized The handwritten post it notes are specific to each person
3. Unexpected The last candy from the pocket wasn’t something the customer
expects
No Strings Attached
Back to our towel reuse example
Let’s apply reciprocity principle to our environment giving example
So instead of saying “If you reuse towels, we will donate some amount to this fund”
We can say “We had already donated some amount to this fund for you. By reusing towels, you be a part of this donation.”
Something is given first, with no strings attached.
Then, we can ask the customer to cooperate in this effort by reusing towels.
By just changing the strategy and our signs like this, Towel reuse increased 45%.
One Small Step to A Giant Leap
Imagine: Someone from local Road Safety Committee
Wants to put a large, unsightly sign to your lawn
Stating “DRIVE CAREFULLY”
Their workmen will do all the job.
How would you react?
17% agreed to that in a posh neighborhood.
But at the end, we will see a 76% agreement after a couple tweaks.
One Small Step to A Giant Leap – cont’d
Two weeks before, residents are asked to Display a very small sign in their window
Saying: “BE A SAFE DRIVER”
Almost all residents agreed to that.
Two weeks later, they were asked the same question with the same large billboard.
Now 76% agreed to put the billboard.
What happened?
Foot-in-the-door Technique
After agreeing with the small request, They see themselves as a part of the cause now.
They think they are concerned citizens about this safe driving issue.
When we ask them about bigger billboards, They feel acting consistently with their previous behavior
As concerned citizens.
General idea is: “Pave the way for full-line by starting small…”
Foot-in-the-door Technique Example
In sales business, one person is a prospect if they have never bought anything yet.
But when they buy a small stuff, they are now customers.
If you are sending out surveys, You can start with a smaller survey first.
Then they will do the bigger survey with pleasure.
Foot-in-the-door Technique Survey
A survey in the house of someone. 5 or 6 man will arrive.
In 2 hours, they will enumerate all households you have.
They will have full freedom to move in your house.
Then, this info is used in the writings of the reports for our public service publication.
A bizarre request, isn’t it?
But 22% of households agreed.
Let’s increase this number.
Foot-in-the-door Technique Survey – cont’d
Three days before the request: A call is placed to households, and said:
If they want to answer a few questions about which household products they use.
For their guide to have report about this.
Would you be willing to participate?
Most agreed.
Then three days later, 53% agreed with the previous bizarre request.
A small but realistic goal finally can lead to bigger and bizarre goals.
Confucius: “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”
Labeling Technique
When a customer buys a plane ticket from company A: A representative from company A tell this to customer:
“We know you have many airlines to choose from, so we thank you for choosing ours.”
Reminding the customer that he selected company A for a reason, even though there may not be.
Similar lines: “I know there is good in you”
“You can do this, like as you did many times before”