Ever order food in a restaurant only to have the server respond by saying "ok" or "coming right up?" How does this make you feel? At first glance, you may think you feel indifferent about receiving either one of those responses but subconsciously you would probably prefer if they repeated the order back to you. […]
Influence Academy Blog
A Logical Explanation For Illogical Behavior
According to the Triune Brain Model which was popularized by a physician and neuroscientist by the name of Paul MacLean in the 1960's, there are 3 major regions to the brain: The Reptilian Complex - Also known as the R-complex or the "reptilian brain" is the oldest part of the brain and is what MacLean […]
Case Study: Maximizing The Reciprocity Factor
Ever notice that bowl of mints near the cash register at the restaurant? This is usually the restaurants way of giving you something to freshen your breath after eating a meal. Some restaurants however, have become a lot more savvy in the way they utilize their mints. Check out this video for details on how […]
Trust And Loyalty
Persuasion is a mind game. First, you must work on your state of mind and then your target's. Your target's mindset and decisions are dictated by their belief systems, which can be altered by their emotions. But in order for you to determine how to stimulate that emotion, you must first know about the belief […]
Does Admitting Mistakes Hurt Your Credibility?
I’ve never been a fan of blaming other people for my mistakes. It just seems cowardly and childish. Now I’m not saying I’m perfect as I have PLENTY of faults. Take for example my habit of sneaking to my favorite roast beef joint 3 nights a week with my friend and completely destroying whatever work […]
Persuasion Key Number One: Begin With The End In Mind
One of the greatest books I ever read in my life is called “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” by Dr. Stephen R. Covey. In his book, Stephen mentions habit number two, which is “Begin with the end in mind.” This is one of the most powerful habits that anyone could ever have, because […]
Case Study: People Make No Sense
Researchers at Princeton University conducted a study on the effects of framing to see how it impacts people’s responses. They divided students into two groups. Group 1 was asked to imagine scenario in which they were on their way to a show only to realize that they had lost their tickets once they arrived at […]
Case Study: More Choices Equals More Problems
Researchers at Stanford University conducted a study at a grocery store where they set up tasting booths that offered selections of jam for people to taste. One table featured 24 different types of jam while the other only featured 6. Here are the stats for tasting: 60 percent of people who stopped at the table […]
Five Ways To Repel People (What To Avoid)
Influence is really all about connecting with other people. Many times however, people think they are connecting, engaging, intriguing or entertaining but in reality, they are repelling their target without even realizing it. Here's the deal, whether you choose to realize it or not, there is a formula for effectively influencing others and it involves […]
The Role Of Environment In The Influence Process
Believe it or not, a person's environment has a huge impact on the way he or she thinks and behaves. Now, you may think that you think and behave the same way no matter what environment you're in. But if you think about it, you act much differently when you're at work, then when you […]