Skip to main content

INFLUENCE AT WORK - INFLUENCE AT WORK- Official Site

Follow Us on FacebookFollow Us on TwitterFollow Us on LinkedInFollow Us on YouTube
Professors, Get your copy of Pre-Suasion
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Robert Cialdini, PhD
      • Dr. Cialdini’s Biography
      • Dr. Cialdini’s Books and Publications
      • Keynotes
      • Curriculum Vitae
      • Testimonials
        • Financial Services
        • General
        • Pharmaceutical/Healthcare
        • Technology
        • International Business
        • Leadership & Management
        • Sales & Marketing
      • Downloadable Photos
    • CMCT Trainers
    • Executive Leadership
      • Robert Cialdini, PhD
      • Gregory Neidert, PhD
      • Bobette Gorden
    • INFLUENCE AT WORK Staff
    • FAQs
    • Principles of Persuasion by Dr. Robert Cialdini
    • INFLUENCE AT WORK Company Information
      • Consulting
  • Speaking
    • Robert Cialdini, PhD
      • Dr. Cialdini’s Biography
      • Dr. Cialdini’s Books and Publications
      • Keynotes
      • Curriculum Vitae
      • Videos
      • Testimonials
        • Financial Services
        • General
        • Pharmaceutical/Healthcare
        • Technology
        • International Business
        • Leadership & Management
        • Sales & Marketing
      • Downloadable Photos
    • CMCT Speakers
    • Testimonials
  • Training
    • CMCT Certification
    • Certified Trainers
    • CMCT Testimonials
    • Exclusive CMCT Login
    • Test Your IQ (Influence Quotient)
    • CMCT Readiness Quiz
  • POP® Workshops
    • Corporate/In-House Customized Principles of Persuasion (POP) Workshop
      • Workshop Materials
      • Clients
      • Workshop Testimonials
      • Contact
      • Fees and Details
      • Past POP Photos
    • Public POP Workshop
      • Workshop Overview
      • Waitlist Request
      • Clients
      • What You Will Learn
      • Hotel Information
      • POP Workshop® Testimonials
      • Contact
      • Past POP Photos
  • Pre-Suasion®
    • Moment Maker™ Workshop
    • Pre-Suasion Training Early Notification
    • Corporate/In-House Training
    • Pre-Suasion Keynotes by Dr. Cialdini
    • Course Adoptions
  • Media
    • Articles and Case Studies
    • Downloadable Photos
    • Videos
    • Audio Interviews
  • Store
  • Contact Us
  • Blog
    • Subscribe to IIR Blog
Follow Us on FacebookFollow Us on Google+Follow Us on TwitterFollow Us on YouTube

To be honest this isn’t our best ever blog post but, God bless it, it could still increase your online likeability and credibility. And your business too!

Tweet

by Steve Martin

To be honest this isn’t our best ever blog post but, God bless it, it could still increase your online likeability and credibility. And your business too!

 

Recent research has found that around 7 in 10 Americans will consult the online reviews of other consumers before making a purchase. I have to admit to being surprised by this. I would have guessed it would have been more.

Numbers aside though, when making a decision, word-of-mouth communications are valuable for one very important reason; people presume them to be less biased than the carefully crafted communications created by marketers who clearly have a vested interest in influencing our decisions.

A review written by a user or consumer is more likely to be balanced, providing both negative and positive aspects of the product or service being considered. This is important because we tend to weight negative information as more diagnostic and influential than positive information.

But conveying negative information can also be problematic. It may be useful, but it comes with a social cost. No one wants to be cast as the Moaning Minnie. As a result reviewers will often soften the negative aspects of their reviews by cushioning them in phrases such as “I don’t wish to be mean but…” or “I don’t wish to complain but…” or “Bless its heart…”

To be honest this isn’t our best ever blog post but, God bless it, it could still increase your online likeability and credibility. And your business too!It has traditionally been held that these phrases, known as ‘disprefered markers’, serve to reduce social awkwardness and disagreement and have little effect on the truth or influence of a message. But new research conducted by marketing professors Ryan Hamilton, Kathleen Vohs and Ann McGill suggests that these small additions are anything but innocuous. It turns out that when reviewers use them people rate those reviewers as more likable and credible than those who don’t – even if the review itself is exactly the same!

In one of their experiments the researchers asked participants to read an account of a conversation between two friends in which one (Friend A) opines about her car to her pal (Friend B). In one condition Friend A remarks that she has owned her car for “going on 3 years, gets good mileage and it still rides nice but the thing is you cannot have the radio and the air conditioner on at the same time.”

In another condition, participants read the exact same remarks but on this occasion Friend A adds a disprefered marker by remarking that her car “gets good mileage and it still rides nice but the thing is, God bless it, you cannot have the radio and the air conditioner on at the same time.”

The results demonstrated that simply adding the words ‘God Bless it’ made a big difference to the communicator’s credibility and likability. In fact adding this disprefered marker led to a likability rating that was higher even than a message that didn’t include any negative information at all!

Across a number of studies Hamilton and his colleagues found consistent effects. Softening a negative comment by first adding a disprefered marker like “I’ll be honest…” or “I don’t wish to be difficult but…” increased the liking and credibility of the communicator. Interestingly their research suggests that this phenomenon is not just an English speaking idiosyncrasy but is effective in different cultures and countries too.

Of particular relevance to marketers, brand managers and businesses is the finding that not only can the addition of a couple of words serve to increase a messenger’s likability and credibility, they can also spillover into greater positivity for particular brand attributes and even increase consumers’ willingness to pay more.

In another study participants were directed to read a description of a luxury brand watch that included a customer review based on real reviews posted on Amazon.com. The review included a balance of positive information about the watch (e.g., the color and finish are perfect) and negative information (e.g., the band can sometimes pinch and rub). For half the study participants the negative information was preceded by the words “I don’t want to be mean, but…” whereas for the other half it was not. Afterwards all the participants completed Aaker’s Brand Personality Scale (a measure of brand traits such as sincerity, excitement, competence, sophistication, and ruggedness). They were also asked how much they would be willing to pay for the watch.

The results showed that including the disprefered marker had a significant influence on consumers’ perception of the sincerity of the brand. But most impressive of all was the impact of including the phrase “I don’t want to be mean, but…,” on how much participants were willing to pay. Those who read the review that included the disprefered marker were willing to pay an average of $135.58 for the watch compared to just $94.67 without it. That’s a pretty big difference for the small act of simply presenting a negative in a polite way!

To be honest this isn’t our best ever blog post but, God bless it, it could still increase your online likeability and credibility. And your business too!

 

In fact the researchers go on to suggest that businesses that rely on online reviews to attract and market their goods and services should actively consider ways to attract a polite customer base due to the great benefits that polite customers who engage in word of mouth communication can bring. One wonders if a brand could go even further by actively encouraging customers to post both the positive and negative aspects of their experience. At first glance soliciting both the positives and negatives in a review might seem self-defeating, but given that many people will naturally use disprefered markers to soften the negatives they do report this approach might serve to enhance reputation and sales further, rather than scupper them.

And from the perspective of the alleged 70% of us who do read reviews before making purchasing decisions, such a strategy could prove a pleasant alternative to the more common one that companies will often adopt—namely attempting to drown any negative reviews in a sea of gushing (and possibly manufactured) positive ones.

I’m sure our audience of overwhelmingly polite INSIDE INFLUENCE readers will have opinions of their own which they should post below – both positive and negative.

Source:

Hamilton, R., Vohs, K. & Mcgill, A. (2014). We’ll be honest; this won’t be the best article you’ll ever read: The use of Disprefered Markers in Word-of-Mouth Communication.

Journal of Consumer Research – (In Press) DOI 10.1086/675926

PBS Quiz
Dr. Cialdini’s Books are Available Individually on Amazon.com.

Pre-Suasion

Influence

Influence

50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive

Small Big Changes Influence

Influence Science Practice Comic

Cialdini Certification
Readiness Assessment

Latest Blog Posts

  • Cialdini Asks: Richard Thaler
  • Cialdini Asks: Adam Grant
  • Cialdini Asks: Dan Ariely
  • Cialdini Asks: Amy Cuddy
  • Influenced or Influencer? Take This Quiz to Find Out.

Testimonials

"These were two days extremely well spent. This workshop is the perfect mix of theory and practice. Big Ideas and real world application."
Daniel Pink, Author of Drive
"…one of social psychology’s true pioneers."
Daniel Gilbert, Professor of Psychology, Harvard University, and author of Stumbling on Happiness
“Robert Cialdini is the Benjamin Franklin of research on influence–a keen observer of human nature, great writer, minter of pithy phrases, and clever experimenter who’s able to capture lightning in a jar.”
Chip Heath, Professor, Stanford Graduate School of Business
“We’ve had Dr. Cialdini speak to ERA three times. Because of his depth of knowledge and passion for relating the ethical business applications, he was the top rated speaker of at each of these events. He is a critical business asset.”
Ms. BRENDA W. CASSERLY, President and CEO, ERA Franchise Systems, Inc.
“This program will help executives make better decisions and use their influence wisely… Robert Cialdini has had a greater impact on my thinking on this topic than any other scientist… The best popular book that demonstrates six or eight ways in which the quirks of your own mind will frequently prove dysfunctional to your best interests is Cialdini’s Influence.”
CHARLES T. MUNGER, Vice Chairman, Berkshire Hathaway, Inc.
“Dr. Cialdini amazed our audience with his immense knowledge on the psychology of persuasion. His presentation style is relaxed, intense and ‘pleasantly confronting’. A brilliant mix! Over 350 managers could not get enough of Dr. Cialdini’s highly interesting lectures. After his last talk, he received a standing ovation, which is very rare in Holland. It was a sign of deep appreciation for his contribution to the success of the day.”
HANS JANSSEN, Denk Producties
“Dr. Cialdini’s program at the Training Leadership Summit was most impressive. His passion for translating science into ethical business actions gave these industry leaders powerful tools to use immediately. This program is a must for those serious about effective ethical influence.“
Julies Groshens, Nielsen Business Media
“Dr. Cialdini held our audience ‘spellbound’ for hours. His advice was both strategic and practical, and was geared perfectly for our audience from about 40 countries. His principles were put into practice by the delegates immediately.”
CATHY KERNEN, Global Director of Product PR, AstraZeneca Alderley Park, UK
“Dr. Robert Cialdini has played an integral role in the development of our high-potential leaders. His practical insights and real-world perspectives have challenged our executives to step back and reassess their global leadership and influence skills. He provides an important link in the development of our future leaders.”
GREGORY J. SMITH, PH.D., Administration & Finance Division, Organizational Development & HR Research, Bayer Corporation
“Dr. Robert Cialdini literally touched thousands of lives and you met all facets of our mission statement. He helped solidify an outstanding Day, and helped create the significant impact we were seeking for our diverse audience.”
MARK JONES, Main Platform Chair, Million Dollar Round Table
“This book is the de facto standard to learn the psychology of persuasion. If you don’t read it, I hope you enjoy pounding your head against the wall and throwing away marketing dollars.”
GUY KAWASAKI, CEO, Holy Kaw
“The Principles of Ethical Influence, as taught by Bob Cialdini, needs to be a part of every salesperson’s toolkit. What strikes me is not only the simplicity of his message but the power it provides in practice.”
R. CRAIG WILSON, Sr. Vice President, Sales Manager, Northern Trust
“Cialdini is the most brilliant student of influence and negotiation I’ve encountered. I can’t think of anyone I’d rather have advising me.”
TOM PETERS, The Tom Peters Group
"If the President had to have one advisor with him at all times my nomination would be Bob Cialdini, the world’s most practical social psychologist, and the master of "influence".
Richard Thaler, author of Nudge
"Dr. Cialdini is the great guru of social influence!"
Richard Thaler, author of Nudge
“Dr. Robert Cialdini is the seminal expert in the rapidly expanding field of influence and persuasion.”
www.goodreads.com
Cialdini, one of the greatest social thinkers of our time.
Adam Grant, Author of Give and Take
"Anybody writing about persuasion and influence today stands on Cialdini's shoulders."
Daniel Pink, author of To Sell is Human
"If the President had to have one advisor with him at all times my nomination would be Bob Cialdini, the world’s most practical social psychologist, and the master of "influence."
Richard Thaler, author of Nudge
“If you want to know how to influence people, just read Robert Cialdini’s classic book on the subject, INFLUENCE: The Psychology of Persuasion. It’s brilliant and effective, full of time-proven ideas.”
Steve Krug, Author of Don’t Make Me Think

Connect With Us

Follow Us on FacebookFollow Us on TwitterFollow Us on LinkedInFollow Us on YouTube

Headquarters Office

Tempe, AZ 85282
480.967.6070
© 2018 INFLUENCE AT WORK
All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy
Website Designed By VIEO Design