On Tuesday, I shared with you what I’ve been learning from “Yes!: 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive.” Here are some more lessons:

• Research shows that those who tend to come in on time should be praised for their behavior (as opposed to chiding those who are late). Make sure people know just how much punctuality is appreciated.
• People have a natural tendency to do what most other people are doing, even when the behavior is socially undesirable.
• When lots of choices are made available, consumers often find the decision making process frustrating – perhaps due to the burden of having to differentiate so many options from one another in an attempt to choose the best one. When the Head & Shoulders company reduced its number of popular shampoo products from twenty-six to “only” fifteen, it quickly experienced a 10 percent increase in sales. (Are we offering our church members too many ways to grow instead of focusing on the most impactful few?)
• When you have to share a message that may bring fear or uncertainty, pair the fear-inducing message with a clear, specific, easy-to-follow plan….perhaps Roosevelt’s assertion should be amended to say “the only thing we have to fear is fear by itself.”

Some final thoughts from “Yes!“ tomorrow!

Nelson