I’m actually a little hesitant about sharing this one with you as it’s been a good source of blog posts but anyway …
If you haven’t encountered it yet, Yes! 50 Secrets from the science of persuasion, is an insightful and challenging read that will change the way you look at your business, your marketing and how you engage with those around you.
On the whole, I’m fascinated by the question why do people do the things they do? – persuasion, sales, psychology, whatever. In Yes!, Noah Goldstein, Steve Martin and Robert Cialdini, explain exactly that – why and how people are influenced to take action – to say ‘Yes’.
If you’re in business, you’ll no doubt constantly be in situations where you need to persuade people to do what you want. Agree to a price, agree terms in a negotiation, get excited about your latest endeavour.
The key question is: What makes people more likely to say ‘yes’ to your requests?
Of course, there isn’t just one answer or one principle at work. You might consider how people compare one product or situation to others, how they relate with the people doing the persuading and in a “keeping up with the Jones’” type-fashion, view themselves in relation to the wider community.
Which is why you get 50 well-explained, fascinating examples along the lines of:
- How can the word because make you more persuasive?
- Why are even paid endorsements more believable than self-promotion?
- And why exactly, might people in marketing be statistically more likely to be named Mark?
Often counter-intuitive, and all the more enlightening for it, the examples in this book are based on years of scientific research into the psychology of persuasion. Personally, it’s one of the few books that I’ve returned to time and time again in search of inspiration.
Make sure to check out the Yes! Website: www.scienceofyes.com
{ 1 trackback }
Comments on this entry are closed.