Elevator Experiment - Social Proof in Action

Here's a really interesting social experiment that was carried out by the people at Candid Camera. It provides a perfect example of social proof, which can be useful knowledge to have when you want to influence others.

What you will see here is that people are influenced by the behaviour of the other people in the elevator, after all, they can't all be wrong can they?

The principle of social proof states that one important method people use to decide what to believe or how to act in a situation is to look at what other people are believing or doing.

Our need to revert to this behaviour usually happens in two instances. These are:

• Similarity – people are more likely to follow the lead of others that are similar

• Uncertainty – when people are unsure and the situation is ambiguous they are more likely to follow actions of others to determine what is correct

Social proof is inherent in many aspects of our life and is certainly growing with the advent of the internet and other technical advances. The use of reviews by many websites, including Amazon is an example of social proof in action. More recently, Blogs have become a method of creating a following of like-minded people.

Social proof can be an extremely powerful tool in the marketing of a company’s products and services. After all, if your current customers (who happen to be a lot like me) are so happy with your products, then surely I will be too?

This youtube clip is really helpful in demonstrating how individual's can be influenced by others and the need to pay close attention to the theory of social proof. This is covered in more depth in the Trainer Bubble training course materials, 'The Power of Influence', which is available for purchase from the Trainer Bubble website. You should buy these, everyone else is!

Worst Customer Compaints - Top Ten

All business owners have to deal with difficult customers at some point but how do your experiences compare with the 10 worst complaints one small company faced in 2009?

Clients are hard to win and even harder to keep, but there are a select few who can make life particularly difficult. Spare a thought then for online retailers Prezzybox.com, who last year had to deal with a client who wanted to return a used toilet brush – this being just one of the many zany gripes they received from clients last year.

Read on for the company's top 10 weird complaints of 2009:

• A gentleman from Leeds was keen to return the green Slanket (or blanket with sleeves) that he had purchased for his wife because her hair was ginger and it would have made her look like a Leprechaun.
  
• A toilet brush was sent back after being used to clean an especially dirty toilet.
  
• A Glaswegian male called Trading Standards after the bars of his football table went rusty. He had left it standing outside for two years without covering it.
  
• A Candy Bra was returned after already having been opened and nibbled.
  
• One unhappy customer sent back a '20 Questions’ gadget, which guesses the object you are thinking about. After answering correctly 37 times, it had failed to guess a disposable nappy during game 38.
  
• A 'Pets Eye View Camera' was returned after a female shopper indicated that the filming was not as 'exciting' as she had hoped.
  
• A 'Puppy Bumperstop Doorstop' was sent back by one client because, although it kept the door open, their pet hamster kept bumping into it when running around in his exercise ball.
  
• A lady returned her 'Henry Hoover Desk Tidy' because its smile was neither big nor happy enough to cheer her up in the office.
  
• A female customer sent back her 'Tipsy Feet' fold-up shoes because she was concerned about the fact that she continued to fall over when walking home after a night out with friends.
  
• A customer complained that the moods suggested by their 'Oggz Colour Changing Mood lights' did not reflect the atmosphere correctly.

Dealing with customer complaints can be one of the most challenging parts of customer service. Visit www.trainerbubble.com to view our training materials on customer service and dealing with customer complaints. By training your team in the art of dealing with customers, you will ensure a positive relationship with your customers and continued sales.

Influencing Skills - Social Proof

The principle of social proof states that one important method people use to decide what to believe or how to act in a situation is to look at what other people are believing or doing.

Our need to revert to this behaviour usually happens in two instances. These are:

• Similarity – people are more likely to follow the lead of others that are similar



• Uncertainty – when people are unsure and the situation is ambiguous they are more likely to follow actions of others to determine what is correct

Social proof is inherent in many aspects of our life and is certainly growing with the advent of the internet and other technical advances. The use of reviews by many websites, including Amazon is an example of social proof in action. More recently, Blogs have become a method of creating a following of like-minded people.

Social proof can be an extremely powerful tool in the marketing of a company’s products and services. After all, if your current customers (who happen to be a lot like me) are so happy with your products, then surely I will be too?

Social proof and it's application for influencing skills is discussed in some depth in our training materials,'The Power of Influence', which you can purchase from our website Trainer Bubble.

The Grandfather - An Inspirational Story

The Grandfather

Author Unknown

A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four-year-old grandson. The old man's hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered. The family ate together at the table. But the elderly grandfather's shaky hands and failing sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor. When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth.

The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess. "We must do something about Grandfather," said the son. "I've had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor." So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner. There Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner.

Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl. When the family glanced in Grandfather's direction, sometimes he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone.

Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food.The four-year-old watched it all in silence.

One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor.He asked the child sweetly, "What are you making?" Just as sweetly, the boy responded, "Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and Mama to eat your food in when I grow up." The four-year-old smiled and went back to work.

The words so struck the parents that they were speechless. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done. That evening the husband took Grandfather's hand and gently led him back to the family table.

For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the family. And for some reason, neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled.

Children are remarkably perceptive. Their eyes observe, their ears listen, and their minds process the messages they absorb. If they see us patiently providing a happy home atmosphere for family members, they will imitate that attitude for the rest of their lives. The wise parent realises that every day the building blocks are being laid for the child's future. Let's be wise builders.

Social Proof - Influence through people power

The following video has a humorous edge. However, I think it provides a really interesting insight into the workings of the human mind and how we are influenced by 'social proof' i.e. when others do something, I must do it too.

This concept is discussed in our training material, 'The Power of Influence' Visit us at Trainer Bubble to find out more...everybody else already has!

Influencing Sales via 'The Contrast Principle'

My partner and I had taken my son, Quinn, out for a trip to the zoo recently and as we entered we came across the usual ‘souvenir’ store complete with an array of animal related toys. Of course my son went crazy at this point and wanted everything. I explained that we could return after our walk around the zoo and that I would consider buying him something then. Although disappointed, he seemed to agree that this was fair and we managed to prise him away and into the zoo.

We had a fantastic time, looking at all the animals and stopping for a bite to eat. However, as we drew closer to the exit I began to remember my promise about the souvenir store. It seems Quinn had not forgotten either. “Dad?” He said, as he finished the remains of an ice cream “How much money can I have for toys?” I contemplated this for a second or two and said, “I think £5 should be enough”. “£5!” He said, “That’s nothing, how about £200?” “£200 is a lot of money for toys son, even for you. In fact, that would buy up the whole souvenir shop. How about £10?” His response was immediate “Ok dad”.

It was only when I reached the souvenir shop that I realised my mistake. I had been duped by my son and what is known as “The contrast Principle”. Of course, after my sons initial request of £200, the £10 counter offer didn’t seem so bad, yet he had managed to double his initial request.

The contrast principle is a powerful way to increase the odds of getting what you want. In fact, once you recognise it, you realise it is used in many different scenarios and is yet another example of our brain using a mental shortcut i.e. ‘The offer must be fair, it is much less than the other’.

Car salesmen demonstrate an example of the contrast principle used in a business context. They will sell us a car and only after you have accepted the purchase will they start trying to sell you the extras (Metallic paint, Sat Nav etc.)

This can also be seen in a clothing retailers, common sense would tell us that it would be easier to try and sell a customer a small item (like a belt) and then ‘once they are warmed up’, try to sell them a larger item. However, this actually works better in reverse. The idea is that once the customer has bought the expensive sweater, the cheaper belt and t-shirt don’t seem as much...in contrast.

This excerpt is included in the Trainer Bubble training course material 'The Power of Influence'. Download this fantastic training resource at Trainer Bubble

The Silent Negotiator - By Wolfgang Halliwell

A few years ago my friend Jane sold her house. She decided not to use an estate agent and advertised in the local press.

Before long a mother and her young daughter came to visit, and it was obvious they were interested in buying. So Jane offered them a cup of coffee and the three of them sat down at the kitchen table.

After exchanging a few pleasantries the visitor explained that she was interested in buying and made an offer of £170,000. This was £10,000 below the asking price and was a little less than Jane was hoping to get. Nevertheless, the offer was not unreasonable so Jane spent a moment or two thinking before responding.

Whilst she was deciding how to reply she heard her visitor say, ‘Or perhaps I could meet you half way.’

Up to this point Jane had said nothing in response to the offer and yet it had just been increased by £5000. What should she do now?

Once again, Jane suspended her reaction. This gave her valuable thinking time. During this time she pondered how readily her buyer had moved on her initial offer. It occurred to her that this person was very keen to buy. With this thought firmly in mind, Jane was now ready to speak. She explained that she had only just placed the house on the market and was expecting a lot of interest. In view of this she was not ready to reduce her asking price quite yet. The buyer instantly responded by agreeing to pay the full price, and the sale was finalised a few weeks later.

At this point, it is worth mentioning that Jane is a very experienced negotiator who is very aware of just how useful silence can be. On this occasion, she chose not to reply instantly to the first offer. She had two reasons for this.

1. She wanted to take a moment to consider what was being proposed.
2. It was obvious that the buyer was keen to buy and she did not want to frighten her off by responding immediately and negatively.

She was also aware that many people are uncomfortable with silence and will often fill a quiet spell with words. This often results in them modifying their original offer, as happened on this occasion. This was not the effect that Jane was trying to achieve this time, but she was certainly not unhappy that it happened.

All too often negotiators are too quick to respond. The pace of their negotiations get faster and faster and before they know it they have reached a deal they are not really happy with.

We could probably all take a leaf from Jane’s book and slow down a little. Silence at the right time in a negotiation can be a very powerful tool.

Visit Trainer Bubble, where you can download the full training materials for 'The Art of Negotiation' for just £49.

Influence - The Human Shortcut, powerful but imperfect

Psychological research has shown that the human brain often uses shortcuts to solve problems. Rather than fully digesting all information before producing an exact answer, the brain sometimes uses tools to quickly generate an estimate. These estimates, however, aren’t always accurate.

This picture is a good example of how shortcuts can cause the brain to be tricked. Although the lines are identical in length, the line on the right appears to be longer because the brain uses a shortcut that leads it to believe it is solving a three-dimensional problem. The brain is tricked into believing the line on the right is farther away. And in a three-dimensional problem, items that are farther away appear longer than items that are closer.

Vision is not the only problem that the brain solves by using shortcuts, psychologists have also realised that we make use of shortcuts in our everyday judgements. Consider, for example, a plane crash in England in 1989. The plane, a Boeing 737 was in trouble due to its left engine not working, which in itself is not an insurmountable problem as a plane could still be landed safely on just the one engine. However, the black box flight details from the plane tell us an interesting story.

Shortly before crashing, the captain, when asked which engine is not working, is heard to say: “It’s the le…...right one”. The right engine (the only good one) was then switched off and the plane crashed.

Now this story does over simplify what was a complex issue. However, we can draw an interesting line of thought. In the cockpit with the captain were several other members of the crew who would have been well aware that it was in fact the left engine that was not working. So why did they follow the orders of the captain?

This demonstrates the shortcut rule that goes, “If an expert said so, it must be true.” In human interactions there is an unsettling tendency for people to follow orders simply because somebody in perceived authority tells them to.

This is a snippet from Trainer Bubble training materials. Look for the 'The Power of Influence' in our trainer resources section of Trainer Bubble.

Two new courses added!

Trainer Bubble today proudly announce the addition of two more training course materials to our growing selection.

These courses are; Time Management and The Power of Influence.

The first of these, 'Time Management', looks practically at the topic of personal effectiveness and how you can help your participants stop and take stock of how they are working and then make the best use of their time.

The second is 'The Power of Influence', which has been developed to help your participants understand the core principles of influencing and how they can be practically applied.

Both courses are priced at just £68, have never been available before and will make an excellent addition to your training resources. Visit us at http://www.trainerbubble.com/ to view the contents of these and our growing selection of Trainer Resources.