#121: Reactance Theory, Rider and the Elephant & the Chris Discount
#121: Reactance Theory, Rider and the Elephant & the Chris Discount
3 Ideas in 2 Minutes on Persuasion
I. Reactance Theory
We do not like the feeling of being controlled; the lack of freedom and autonomy. Imagine you’ve rented a Porsche 911 Convertible over the weekend. But now the rental agent tells you that you must not go over 80 km/h (50 mph). She implores you not to open the roof either. For safety reasons. This unspeakable infringement on your freedom will probably invoke a strong motivational force of opposition; a reactance.
In social psychology, Reactance Theory (aka Boomerang Effect), is all about the unintended consequences of attempting to influence people. When rules, people or offers make us feel that our choices are being limited, we resist. The harder we try to change people’s minds, the more our efforts may lead to a different reaction. Having said that, whether you want to become a paid subscriber is entirely up to you. Just letting you know there’s a 10% discount on yearly plans at the moment.
II. Rider and the Elephant
The Rider and the Elephant is an analogy popularised by social psychologist Jonathan Haidt. It addresses a common misconception about behaviour change and originated in Haidt’s book The Happiness Hypothesis.
The mind is divided like a rider on an elephant. The rider represents your conscious verbal reason, the stuff that you’re aware of, the stuff that uses logic. Everything else is the elephant. It’s the automatic processes, it’s the 99% of what’s going on in your mind that you’re not aware of. […]
Most of us spent all lot of our time trying to persuade other people’s riders. We give them all these reasons: “Here are the seven reasons why you’re wrong or why you should see it my way.” When in fact the way to pursuade people is to speak to the elephant first.
The elephant is a lot stronger than the rider. You get someone feeling the truth of what they’re, or feeling that they like you, or like what they’re saying and the elephant kind of wants to go in your direction. Then it’s effortless to pursuade the rider to go along.
III. The Chris Discount
Don’t you hate it if a salesperson keeps using your name to build rapport? The Chris Discount is based on the reverse idea. Use your own name to introduce and humanise yourself in a light-hearted way. Like in this anecdote by negotiation expert Chris Voss:
I was in an outlet mall […] and picked out some shirts in one of the stores. At the front counter the young lady asked me if I wanted to join their frequent buyer program.
I asked her if I got a discount for joining and she said, “No.”
So I decided to try another angle. I said in a friendly manner, “My name is Chris. What’s the Chris Discount?”
She looked from the register, met my eyes, and gave a little laugh.
“I’ll have to ask my manager, Kathy,” and turned to the woman standing next to her.
Kathy, who’d heard the whole exchange, said, “The best I can do is ten percent.”
—Chris Voss, Never Split the Difference
🐘
Have a great week,
Chris
themindcollection.com