There are many places where we can learn lessons about being more influential and persuasive, but one of the least obvious places is our gas bill. Or, rather, what our gas bill might look like in the future.
It is common practice these days for online retailers to inform their customers of the choices that other customers like them have made. If you purchase a book online, you will probably see a message saying, "Other customers who purchased your chosen book also bought this one too." Persuasion researchers have a name for this 'other people like you' approach. They call it social proof. If lots of people like us have chosen a particular product, then there is a good chance it will probably be a good choice for us, too.
The fact that the actions of others can have a significant influence over our own might be fine for small decisions like a book. But how about bigger decisions such us how much energy we consume?
In a fascinating series of studies, researchers working on behalf of several utility companies sent what looked like a regular gas bill to hundreds of householders. However, along with the usual information one would expect to see on the bill, there was one additional and rather unexpected piece of information. The householder was told how their energy use compared to that of their more efficient neighbours.
The effect was immediate — and also unexpected. Those households who were consuming more energy than their neighbours immediately reduced their consumption to fall into line with the social norm. But what of those households who were already using less energy?
They actually increased consumption. In effect, the overall outcome was nothing. Those who used more now used less and vice versa.
Perplexed, the researchers tried to find a way of reducing consumption in the less efficient households without increasing the consumption of the already efficient ones and the answer was surprisingly simple. When the efficient households' bill included a smiley face showing approval for their efforts, they stayed efficient.
There's a lesson here for those of us in business. Informing your prospects and targets of other companies like them who are already doing business with you is an increasingly important and persuasive part of any pitch. And for those that are already working with you? It turns out that a simple signal of appreciation, such as an occasional and unexpected 'thank you', can go an awful long way to securing future business.
Steve Martin is co-author of Yes! 50 Secrets from the Science of Persuasion. Test your persuasive skills at scienceofyes.com
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