Social Proof, Do You Follow the Crowd?

Add to del.icio.us


People tend to rely upon others as a cue to how they should act. Following the leads of others is the norm especially in social settings. One fundamental way that we decide what to do in a situation is we look to see what others are doing. But, how is this applied to business?

Does groupthink really play a role in our decision-making? In a door-to-door experiment in Columbia South Carolina, researchers went door-to-door soliciting donations for a charity campaign. They first displayed a long list of people’s names that had also made donations. The long list of names had little effect on whether the homeowner would donate. Next, they approached homeowners with long lists of their “neighbors” that had donated to the charity. The researchers found that the longer the list the more likely those solicited would donate as well.

Why would who was on the list, and the size of the list matter? The homeowners were simply following the law of Social Proof, they saw that a great number of their fellow neighbors had responded a certain way, and that they too should behave in the same manner. The fact that so many of their neighbors were on the list simply reinforced their decision that this was the right thing to do.

Social Proof is more effective when it traverses a horizontal plane of individuals with similar circumstances. If I wanted to sell a software program to colleges, I certainly would not use a series of testimonials from “grade school” teachers that had used the software. I would focus on getting testimonials from college professors and universities.

Social Proof can be extremely powerful, but it can backfire on you as well if not used properly. Social proof attempts to make use of peer pressure to drive human behavior. If the action that is taking place is a negative action – and is very widespread, you may not only bring attention to the action, but also push people towards adopting the negative action. It simply validates the idea that if ‘all of these people are doing it, why shouldn’t I?”

Effective use of Social Proof can produce powerful results if applied properly to your marketing. Remember not to market “down” to your customers. Approach them on the same level. A great example used to be the “Doctor commercials”. An actor, that we know is not a doctor, begins to tell us that his patients use this drug and that millions are experiencing relief from their ailment from this drug. This is selling down to the consumer, trying to use a voice of authority, which we all know is an actor. Then the drug companies got smart, they began using everyday people in every day settings with an emotional voice over. They began by having a person (or several people) talk about their lives and how they were improved by taking this certain medication. A subtle voice over would then be added “Millions are finding relief by taking (insert name of medicine here). Some of the commercials were so good, you begin to ask yourself, do I need this medication?

Another example of using social proof in advertising is male pattern hair loss. We are led to believe that male baldness is wrong, “if” we don’t do something about it.

The build up of the commercial seems to say -

Consider the egregious mistake of hair loss! How dare you! Suddenly you are unpopular, the masses stare at you, you look older and women no longer find you attractive. Millions of men are doing something about this plight by getting hair implants! Gain a new lease on life.

The commercial begins showing a gentleman going bald, getting out of the shower and looking at himself in the mirror, burning his head at the pool, being rejected by women.

But after the hair transplant

The commercial cuts away to a guy swimming and coming out of the water shaking a full head of hair. He’s suddenly having dinner with a beautiful woman. He’s become an out doors man and suddenly he is full of life and vitality. Who knows he may even try out for the part of James Bond in the next movie.

Social Proof says, “hey our peer group is doing this, they are setting the standards, I need to act this way to fit in, to feel like I am a part of the norm”. I do not feel like the above commercial is ethical as it is extremely manipulative, but it is using some of the main sales strategies for getting consumers to take action. Social Proof, addressing a fear or a pain, making that pain or fear real, and then showing you how to alleviate that fear or pain and become a part of the norm again. Not just a part of the norm, but an elite part of the norm by taking action.

I encourage you to study human interaction in groups - and though many times they are overwhelmingly annoying watch a few commercials and try to pick out the basic elements that they use to get you to take action or in other words, spend money.


Copyright 2007 FMWebschool Inc. http://www.fmwebschool.com Written by Stephen Knight

Read more!

Business Etiquette for Consultants

Add to del.icio.us


At one time, the art of communication may have been considered simple common sense. But in the ever-shrinking world, now, more than ever we need to be sensitive to the vast array of behaviors existing in other cultures. Etiquette is a learned skill and one that must be constantly practiced. This will allow you to focus more on the deal you are negotiating or more importantly on what your client or friend is saying without worrying if you are going to do or say something inappropriate.

Simply put, being well versed in proper etiquette will give you a competitive edge in business and earn the respect of others you may meet through the course of your life. Many of our parents gave us “Etiquette Basics” or sets of rules as to what was socially acceptable. In the world of business, we need to expand beyond the basics and learn how to engage others approvingly in the workplace, social gatherings, meetings and in other countries.

The most successful people are prepared people. If you are meeting with a company that interests you as being a potential client, be prepared. Go online, and research the company. What types of things are you looking for? Articles about the company, any awards they may have won, what local community groups they support or charities, look at the company website – many times companies publish their newsletters or information about their company. Take the time to learn about their company and whom they do business with.

Don’t just prepare mentally make sure you dress appropriately. Call ahead and speak to the receptionist – be sure to ask for her name. The receptionist is actually a very valuable person as she conveys information to everyone within the company. Let the receptionist know who you are, and with whom you will be meeting. Ask about proper attire, as well as proper spelling of individuals’ names. Be sure to thank her for her time and be sure to use her name when doing so.

When dressing, make sure you dress for the occasion. You need to make sure that your clothes are not over powering. You want to dress appropriately, but you want to make sure that your personality and intelligence are what they notice, not your outfit. How important is what we wear? Extremely important, whether we like to admit it or not, we quickly pass judgment on people even before they say a word. We do this within seconds of meeting an individual. Unfortunately, many times it is that perception of what is or isn’t that makes the decision for us. For example, which diamond ring do you think we would perceive having the greatest value, a diamond in a box from a chain superstore, or one from Tiffanys? It could be the exact same ring, but it is simply the box, “the dressing” where we quickly perceive the value of what’s inside.

I like you. Yes, I really like you. Aren’t those fun words to hear? Well people like to do business with people that they like – and with people with whom they feel they are alike. I’ve written numerous articles on matching and mirroring and pacing and leading. If you are meeting someone for the first time, subtly and gently, match and mirror their movements, their breathing, the pace, pitch and tone of their voice. Get them to talk about themselves by asking questions that cannot be simply answered by yes and no. Ask questions that begin with what do you do, or what do you enjoy, or tell me about this or that. Make sure when conversing that you are talking with the person, not “at” the person. We all like to talk about topics that interest us, but it is important that we don’t monopolize the conversation with stories about our interests.

A few other important points when conversing or making small talk.

· Repeat the persons name 2-3 times right away in the conversation
· Judge the persons mood, does the individual want to engage in small talk, or are they ready to jump into business. In some cultures, it is rude to begin discussion of business immediately. This tends to be an American way of doing business. Be sure to study as to what is customary in other cultures.
· Ask for a business card – out of respect hold it, study it for a moment, and then put it away. Once away from your guest, you can write a few quick notes on the back of the card. In Japan, business cards are very important, do not take a card and deface the card by writing notes on it.
· Ask good questions
· Respond with affirmative body language – nod, smile, and maintain interested eye contact – this does not mean that you should stare into their eyes – hold eye contact and look away as they look away – once again, in some cultures it is rude to keep eye contact
· Don’t interrupt or finish peoples sentences for them
· If you are sitting, stand whenever you shake someone’s hand

Social events are a wonderful place to practice meeting people. One of the most difficult things for many people is to break through their cocoon of safety. These people are usually pretty easy to pick out. They are standing by themselves (usually near the bar or food table) clutching their drink with a death grip.

Take those first tentative steps, and build up your meeting and greeting muscle! The more you work your meeting and greeting muscle the stronger it will get, and the easier it will be to meet people. One way to prepare for social events is to expand your education. I am not talking about traditional schooling here, I am talking about diversity. Take some time to read and learn about other areas of interest – there are some great magazines available that provide a plethora of interesting topics. Books such as “The Know It All” by Al Jacobs and “The Intellectual Devotion” by Kidder and Oppenheim are great sources for discussion. This way, you always have an interesting topic to discuss, and you may even learn something. One last thing to remember is in a group situation avoid sex, politics, health problems, religion, money problems and tasteless jokes.

One of the most difficult things for people to do is to listen. Many times we are so excited that someone is interested in us that we try to wrap up a lifetime of experiences in 30 minutes. Practice listening. This involves listening and focusing on what the words mean to the individual speaking. Most of us are so busy trying to come up with what we will say in response, that we are not able to apply the appropriate “listening elements” to the conversation.

Let’s move into the dining area.

Sitting at a proper table with a dignified guest can be a bit overwhelming. There are numerous utensils to deal with - multiple plates and side dishes and several glasses and cups. There are a few simple rules which can help you not only survive this meal, but enjoy the meal.

· Work out to in (meaning you work from the furthest utensil inward)
· Utensils with four letters go to the left (‘left’ hand four letters, ‘fork’ four letters)
· Utensils with five letters go to the right (‘right’ hand five letters, ‘knife’ and ‘spoon’ five letters) The knife blade always faces the plate
· The bread plate will be to your left – a quick hint, take a small serving of butter from the main butter dish and place that on your bread plate. Butter and eat your bread in small pieces, don’t pick up the entire piece and start chowing down.
· Your drink should go to the right side of your plate
· The small plate at the top of your plate is your dessert plate. The server should remove your dinner plate and move the dessert plate to take its place. At this time you would move your fork and spoon down to the appropriate sides of your plate. (Unless your server does this for you)
· When served desert, your server will most likely offer coffee. If you deny coffee do not turn your cup over to show that you do not want coffee. Simply tell the server and they should remove the cup. When stirring do not clink the side of the cup, and do not pour it into the saucer.
· Your napkin should rest in your lap
· If you leave to go to the washroom, place the napkin in your seat so the server knows you are returning
· When you are finished eating the napkin should be folded and placed to the left of your plate.
· If you drop a utensil, leave it on the floor and bring it to the servers attention, they will bring you a new one
· When someone asks for the salt, pass the pepper as well
· Men don’t place your briefcase or cell phone on the table, likewise, women do not place your purses or cell phone on the table
· Avoid foods that are messy or hard to manage
· When you are finished eating, place your utensils side by side on your plate (with the knife blade turned in towards the center of the plate) at a 10:20 angle.
· When a server pours a glass of wine for you to sample do not smell the cork – many wines use synthetic corks now. What you want to do is “smell’ the wine. Gently swirl the wine in the glass, and inhale the aroma, a good wine will have a nice aroma, generally fruity, flowery or spicy. If the wine smells musty or like wet paper, politely refuse the bottle and ask for another.
· If you are not sure what to order, point at a price that you are comfortable spending, and tell the server you would like something like this. The server should bring you their “select” wine for that dollar amount.
· Turn your cellphone to silent or vibrate at the table

Many of us send dozens of email messages every day. Emails are a powerful and unique way to keep in touch with friends, clients and potential clients. Since emails can be extremely powerful, it is important that we understand the responsibility we embrace when we press the ‘send’ key.

Here are some great guidelines and ideas as to how you can provide a positive email experience.

· Include a descriptive subject line. Don’t waste people’s precious time trying to figure out an ambiguous subject line. Many people also sort or file emails, and having a descriptive subject line is very helpful when it comes to organization.
· Use email as an introductory tool. If you have two clients who have the same interest, it may be beneficial to introduce them via email. You can send an introductory email from yourself to both parties, and they can pursue the opportunity if they desire.
· All of our inboxes are overflowing with SPAM and Jokes, think twice before you hit the send button
· Respond in likeness, if the person you are communicating with is very formal and uses “Dear” you should address them with “Dear”. If they address you as Hi, Hello, or Greetings, you should respond likewise. Not until the person has relaxed their method of greeting should you relax yours.
· Don’t use all caps
· Keep your emails simple
· If it is private, use a phone. Too many people have learned from this mistake!
· Be sure to spell check
· Use BCC, never assume that others wont mind having their emails passed out
· If you send an email and do not hear back in a reasonable amount of time, email again. If still, you have not heard anything, call them. Many harmless emails get filtered out as SPAM.
· Let the person know that you have received their email. If you don’t know the answer to a question, let them know that you will research it and get back to them.
· Ask before sending attachments – many companies will strip attachments or disapprove of their employees opening emails with attachments.
· Out of office auto-responders can be wonderful but they can also be downright annoying if you belong to email lists or forums. Imagine every time someone fires an email off to the email list and your auto responder fires back that you are away on vacation or maternity leave!
· As pointed out earlier, always make sure you have the correct spelling of the recipient’s name. Call and find out how their name is spelled before you email them.

If you have guests from another country, or you will be visiting another country on business, take some time to learn about the culture. Visit Wikipedia for a rich resource of other cultures. The better prepared you are the more efficient and successful you will be. Things that you may want to learn before traveling abroad or hosting a guest from another country are:

· What kind of greeting is expected
· Very important, is “who do you greet first”?
· Introduce from higher to lower. You would introduce the President of a company to a client, not the other way around.
· What kind of attire is appropriate for casual wear and business wear
· Watch your gestures! What may be considered polite in the US may be rude or offensive in other cultures
· Do they exchange gifts?
· Americans like to quickly discuss business, many times other cultures like to spend quality time getting to know you before business is even addressed. Don’t seem impatient, and follow their lead.
· If you lose a bid, or the client decides not to move forward with you, send them a handwritten note of appreciation. Let them know that you are available and would be honored to be considered if things do not work out with the other company.
· Think before you speak. Be sure to ask intelligent questions. American humor and slang may be totally misunderstood in other cultures.
· Learn as much as possible about the culture
· Learn as much as you can about the company you will be visiting – find as much information on the web as you can.

What do I do with all of this information?

There are numerous Contact Management Systems available, or you can build a simple solution yourself using a database program such as FileMaker Pro. Beyond the obvious, make sure you include birthdays, children’s names and hobbies or special interest the individual may have.

Communication is extremely important, it allows us to have quality relationships with other individuals. By learning proper etiquette, you can communicate your desire to take that extra step, raising the relationship to an even higher level. Proper etiquette is timeless and will help you succeed in life and business.



Copyright 2007 FMWebschool Inc. http://www.fmwebschool.com Written by Stephen Knight

Read more!