The Test
In Robert Cialdini’s book Pre-Suasion, a test group set up a spot to look for survey participants. The consumer product was a new soft drink, and their job was to collect email addresses to send instructions for how to get a free sample.
They started with a very intentional “opener” and they asked people FIRST if they considered themselves to be helpful. This is a great opening line, as most people would say yes, and then they’ll be more likely to comply with the email request.
In a companion study, they used an opener asking the people if they considered themselves adventurous and then asked for their email address, and half the people were simply asked if they would provide their email, without laying down an opener.
The Results
Participants who complied with the email-only request, un-introduced, and no opener: 33%
Participants who said they considered themselves adventurous: 97% said yes. And 75% of those respondents gave their email address. MIND. BLOWN.
The Lesson
The guiding factor in our decision making is what’s in front of us at the time, and not what might be the best decision. This is due to our mind’s limited ability to truly focus on just one thing.
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