In the business world, I saw the impact of social proof in the story of the Tehran stock market over the past year. When the stock market was experiencing daily growth, I gathered all the energy of my knowledge to explain to my friends that this kind of growth in a market doesn’t work and is a bubble
However, the questions are designed to subtly guide you toward expressing interest in their products or services. Once you show interest in a product or service as an answer to one of the questions, they gently lead you to commit to buying that product or service. Often, they can even sell you a discount coupon right there, under the guise of a seemingly casual offer.
A mobile phone salesperson passionately explains the specifications of a new phone and spends a relatively long time with you. But even if you haven’t made your decision yet, they bring you a free phone cover in your preferred color, as a gift from the store. Immediately, the powerful energy of reciprocity is activated, and you are more likely to buy the phone.
Persuasion – First: the principle of contradiction
This principle subconsciously influences us in many situations. For example, if you are interviewing several candidates for a job, and you interview the weaker candidates first and then immediately interview a moderate candidate, that person will seem stronger than they actually are.
Entering the league of the third category comes with its own challenges, and that’s not the focus of this article. However, what can we do to belong to the first or second categories?
Now, a personal experience: reduce the number of open cases in your mind. How many emails do you have that you read several times but keep postponing responding to?
The suggestion seemed simple, but I needed to test it and see if it was right for me. "Why don’t you share your experiences on LinkedIn?" I hadn’t thought about it. "But you often do this in your personal and work conversations.
Focus and attention are not innate; they must be practiced, and the more you practice, the more aware you become. In a world full of distractions, whether you're a leader in an organization or simply trying to improve the quality of your own life, it’s essential to practice. Maybe for you, this practice is a few minutes of meditation at the beginning of your workday, or perhaps you choose a different method. But whatever it is, research has shown that focus enhances our ability to succeed.
