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There are six mental shortcuts that universally guide human behavior. |
Management by Coaching
Getting people to say yes
Understanding the science of persuasion
By Kimberly Paterson, CEC
Whether you're leading an organization, bringing in new business, negotiating with a carrier or trying to encourage your 13-year-old daughter to spend less time on Facebook, your ability to persuade others plays a critical role in your success. Persuasion is at the heart of much of what we do every day.
Before we get to the techniques that will enhance your powers of persuasion, let's be clear that we're talking about persuasion, not manipulation. Persuasion is the art of getting people to do things that are in their own best interest that also benefit you. Manipulation gets people to do something that is not in their own interest.
Can you persuade someone to change his mind?
The fact is, it depends. The younger someone is, the more open they are to changing their ideas and habits. Once people hit their 30s, beliefs, values and habits are tough to dislodge.
Once people have a strong set of beliefs, convincing them that they should see things differently is challenging—even when the evidence contradicting their beliefs is strong. They simply tune out any information that doesn't support their thinking. To make matters worse, they reinforce their beliefs by seeking out facts and people that agree with their point of view.
That said, minds can be changed. The key is knowing the pathways into the brain and staying aware that it may take longer to get the job done than you anticipate.
Build a compelling argument from your audience's perspective. Present your case clearly and confidently; then people will see the logic and respond by saying yes. If only it were that simple. Well-documented scientific studies on persuasion conducted over six decades reveal that it is a more complex process.
There are two different routes to persuasion—the central route and the peripheral route. The central route is the direct approach and relies on a solid and persuasive argument to make your case. The peripheral route focuses on automatic acceptance without much thinking. With the peripheral route, people are influenced by the likeability of the individual or the feel-good quality they get from the company's marketing. (Think the GEICO gecko or just about any Super Bowl ad.)
The central route tends to be the most effective when the decision carries with it a significant impact. (Think buying a car or making a significant business investment.)
Getting through
Logically, it's the route we typically take when selling insurance/risk management services. The problem is, the central route works only when the audience is interested and willing to think about an issue. In a time when our audience is increasingly distracted, disengaged and just plain too busy to hear a message, central route persuasion is becoming less and less effective. Just how do we get through?
Dr. Robert Cialdini, a respected and well-known researcher on the science of persuasion, reveals that there are six mental shortcuts that universally guide human behavior. Understanding and using these mental shortcuts in an ethical manner will significantly increase your chances of persuading others.
• Reciprocity—People feel obligated to give back to others the behavior, gift or service they receive first. Think about how reciprocity works in your own life. If a business associate does you a favor, you feel obligated to return the favor. In the context of a social obligation, we are more likely to say yes to those we feel we owe.
This principle was repeatedly documented in a series of research studies conducted in restaurants. The experiment tested the impact of a small gift on the tips received by wait staff. Placing a single mint for each customer on the table when the check was delivered resulted in a 3% increase in tips. Two mints increased tips by 14%. The real pay-off came when the waiter left the check and walked away but then paused, turned back and said, "For you nice people, here is a mint." In this case tips increased an average of 23%.
People feel obliged to repay in kind what they receive. Be mindful that the way in which we give matters more than the value of what we give. Be the first to give and ensure that what you give is personalized and unexpected.
• Scarcity—People want more of what they can have less of. When the daily transatlantic flights from New York to London on the Concorde were cut from two per day to one, ticket sales soared. The only thing that changed was the availability of flights; everything else remained the same. Human nature prizes what is scarce.
In insurance, where there is an abundance of brokers eager to work on new business and competition is fierce, it's vital to create scarcity around your services and in your approach to marketing. Proprietary products, unique kinds of niche expertise or concierge type services for a limited and exclusive group of clients can play a role in creating scarcity.
• Authority—People follow the lead of credible, knowledgeable experts. Consider two examples. When physical therapists posted their medical credentials on the walls of their consultation rooms, clients were significantly more likely to follow the exercise plans recommended to them.
One need not have "official" credentials to be viewed as a credible expert. Another study showed that when the receptionist in a real estate office introduced her colleague as the expert in the service the client was looking for, such as new home sales or commercial property, the agent's appointments increased by an average of 20% and signed contracts by 15%. It didn't matter that the person promoting the professional was a colleague and someone who stood to gain from the transaction.
Positioning oneself as a knowledgeable expert is already common practice. What Cialdini's research shows is how important it is to make sure your credentials are visible and clear before you attempt to persuade someone. Don't assume that a CPCU or CIC credential on your business card will get the job done—especially when the designation is unfamiliar to the person you're working with.
• Consistency—There are two concepts here worth remembering. First, people tend to honor the public commitments they make. Second, a small commitment paves the way for a larger one.
Consider this classic persuasion experiment. Researchers posing as drive safely volunteers asked Californians to permit the installation of unsightly "Drive Safely" signs in their front yards. Only 17% consented. A second group of home owners was first approached with a small request: "Would you display a postcard-sized 'Be A Safe Driver' window sign?" Nearly all readily agreed. When approached two weeks later and asked to post the large ugly "Drive Safely" signs in their front yards, 76% consented.
As part of your persuasion process, look for and ask for small, active, voluntary public commitments along the way. Compliance breeds acceptance. Each public commitment you get increases the chance that the person will comply with your next request.
• Liking—It's no surprise that people prefer to say yes to those whom they like. What makes a person likable?
While no one wants to admit it, physical attractiveness plays a key role. Being pretty pays—even in the world of business. To make the link between attractiveness and financial success, researchers studied 737 MBAs. Using yearbook photos, researchers rated each individual using a scale of 1 (homely) to 5 (strikingly attractive). Then they correlated the attractiveness ratings with salaries. For each additional scale unit of rated attractiveness, men earned $2,600 more per year and women $2,150. Appearance counts; make the most of what you've been given.
Beyond good looks, we're attracted to people who are similar to us. A study of insurance company demographic records showed that prospects were more willing to purchase a policy from a salesperson who was akin to them in age, religion, politics, or even cigarette-smoking habits. Take the time to seek out the common ground between yourself and the person you are trying to persuade.
Find something that you can genuinely like about the person. We are drawn to people who like us. Praise both charms and disarms. In their book Interpersonal Attraction, Ellen Berscheid and Elaine Hatfield Walster presented experimental data showing that positive remarks about another person's traits, attitude, or performance reliably generate liking in return, as well as willing compliance with the wishes of the person offering the praise.
• Consensus—People allow the example of others to validate how to they think, act and feel. Consider the towel experiment. To save money and reduce environmental impact, hotels are increasingly encouraging their guests to reuse their towels. The typical approach is a card in the bathroom pointing out the positive environmental impact when guests reuse the linens. This is relatively effective with 35% of guests complying.
Researchers set out to discover if using the concept of consensus would persuade more guests to reuse their towels. Building on the fact that over a four-day stay 75% of guests reuse a towel, researchers developed a new message for the card. It said: "75% of our guests reuse their towels, so please do as well." Think changing a simple sign won't change behavior? Think again. That version generated a 26% increase in reuse. The researches went one step further. By changing the message to "75% of the guests who have stayed in this room reuse their towels," there was a 33% increase in reuse.
Consensus is an especially important concept in insurance. When people are uncertain and differences between products/providers are unclear, people look to the actions of others. Pointing out what others are doing can be extremely effective— especially when others are similar.
Small changes that pay big dividends
It is important to build a convincing case for your point of view or the product you are selling. That alone won't get you where you want to go. Understanding and using these six shortcuts skillfully and persistently will dramatically improve your power to persuade.
The author
Kimberly Paterson is a business and Certified Energy Leadership Coach. She is president of CIM (www.cim-co.com), where she works with insurance organizations to build the vision, strategy, customer insight and leadership skills to energize people and achieve outstanding results. She can be reached at kpaterson@cim-co.com. |