☝️ Use this 1 startlingly simple word to get people to do what you want
In 1977, relatively unknown psychologist Ellen Langer and her Harvard research team conducted a study that would change how we understand human behavior. And knowing the outcome of this study WILL work wonders in both your remote work journey and your everyday life.
The Copy Machine Study Here’s what they did… A researcher who was in on the study would walk up to a student in line for the copier and pose one of these three questions:
- Version 1 (request only): “Excuse me, I have 5 pages. May I use the Xerox machine?”
- Version 2 (request with a real reason): “Excuse me, I have 5 pages. May I use the xerox machine, because I’m in a rush?”
- Version 3 (request with a fake reason): “Excuse me, I have 5 pages. May I use the xerox machine, because I have to make copies?”
Take a stab at what you think happened because I think you’ll be blown away. Here’s how it shook out:
- In Version 1 (request only), 60 percent of people let the researcher skip the line.
- In Version 2 (request with a real reason), 94 percent of people let the researcher skip the line.
- In Version 3 (request with a lame reason), 93 percent of people let the researcher skip the line!
What this tells us is that people – over 9 out of 10 times – will agree to your request as long as you provide a reason… no matter what that reason is. So the takeaway, therefore, isn’t in finding a great reason for your requests to clients, employers, or anybody you may need something from in your everyday life…
The real takeaway is the power of the word because. The trigger in the mind of the other person is the word because regardless of what follows. I read about this study in a phenomenal book called Influence: The Psychology Of Persuasion, by Robert Cialdini. So let’s let him sum it up:
Seriously, when you ask for anything from this point on, use the word because and provide any reason that comes to mind… you’ll see firsthand the power of this persuasion secret in the drastic uptick in positive responses you get.
P.S. This is exactly the kind of stuff we discuss in The Remote Work Wealth Club. Not only will you discover the power of “price anchoring,” the “comparative effect,” and many others, you’ll also get fast-tracked to making money online in a way you love. Check it out:
