An(other) Overdue Fine I Don’t Regret
Robert Cialdini’s – Influence: Science and Practice
Last time I borrowed a book and hadn’t returned it on time, it was because I wasn’t finished with it. This time, I didn’t really start it, but knew I wanted to get to it. (funny how the hectic periods of life ebb and flow…) End result is the same though – I owe money to the public library, and am happy to support them for having a great book!-)
Robert Cialdini’s book – Influence: Science and Practice – explores why some decisions you carefully consider, and others come very quickly. In it he investigates why some situations allow for a quick, almost unconscious decision. Read the book for yourself and you’ll see things in a different light – whether you’re buying or selling…
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Knowing when to listen to others…
That’s what it is all about.
Under what conditions do you take advice from someone else, don’t question it, and just do what they recommend?
I made the decision to read the book based on a recommendation from Guy Kawasaki. He had reviewed it recently and it made his “Top 10” book list.
This book stood out as something that a) I would probably like to read and b) would be good for me to read, so I checked on its availability at the public library.
As it is relatively new, it was only at a couple branches, and not the one closest to me. So when I was in a town that had it some weeks back, I picked it out and kept it aside to read. One online renewal and several weeks later I’m done with the book, but not the ideas.
“Click, Whirr”
This is the author’s point – in what situations will a person forget about making a decision and unconsciously decide on the next course of action? In the animal kingdom, we see many examples of “instinctive” behavior –
We may have a much larger brain to figure things out, but sometimes that is a lot of work and we have ways of determining if the work needed is necessary each and every time. These ‘short cuts’ to saving mental energy fall into several categories, the most common are:
- Reciprocation – If Fred has helped me run the food pantry in the past, I ought to help him when he asks me to sort cloths in the annual drive…
- Commitment and Consistency – “In for a dime, in for a dollar”. If we are involved a little, we are likely to protect our mental investment in the project and make sure it is complete.
- Social Proof – If everybody else is doing something, that must be a good thing to do
- Liking – It is a whole lot easier saying no to someone you dislike than to someone you like.
- Authority – When the PA announces that the store is closing in 5 minutes, you better make a decision!-)
- Scarcity – Only 3 left in stock!
Shortcut to thinking
Having these ‘short cuts’ to help us, let’s us quickly decide something is a ‘good thing’ – but we need to understand that each of us has our own version of these rules. Know yourself, and then be understanding when people “appear” to make strange decisions.
Intent is everything
The world has long known that sales people use our ‘short cuts’ to induce us to buy what they’re selling. We’ve all been subject to these selling tactics and may even have used some of these ourselves.
If a con-man used one of these tactics to swindle a little old lady out of a large sum of money, we would all be upset, and rightly so. If a supermarket used them to get you to try a new brand of ice cream that you ended up liking better than the one you previously purchased, wouldn’t you be glad?
One more check-off
And so the author suggests that given the amount of information and decisions each of us makes in the course of a day, having a group of ‘short cuts’ to help us, is an ok thing. Just know that you do this, and know to think “is the other guy unduly influencing me on this” – so that you can spot the egg that isn’t your own that was just dropped in your nest…-)