Methods of Persuasion: How to Use Psychology to Influence Human Behavior by Nick Kolenda Read Free Book Online

the second envelope, I proceed to the next volunteer. Because the first volunteer didn’t select the third envelope (despite my claim that the money has frequently been in that envelope), this second volunteer now feels greater pressure to select the third envelope. If he doesn’t select it, then the third volunteer may not select it either. If I ended up with the money from envelope number three, then all of the volunteers would seem stupid, a perception that the second volunteer avoids by selecting envelope number three.
    At this point, I’ve eliminated envelopes two and three from the equation, and now I just need to influence the third volunteer’s choice of envelope. In fact, I’ve already subtly influenced him to choose envelope number four. Can you think of why? Here’s a hint: it has to do with anchoring.
    In the excerpt from my script, I mentioned that the money has been in the third envelope for the last “five” demonstrations (and I consistently remind the audience of that). Therefore, the last volunteer is more likely to choose envelope number four because I set a nonconscious anchor that was higher than the two remaining choices. When the final volunteer must choose between one and four, she is likely to start at the anchor of “five” and adjust downward until she reaches the first plausible choice (i.e., envelope four).
    Feel free to try this demonstration with your friends but do not try this demonstration with real money. Psychological tactics are never foolproof, and so I always have multiple backup plans in my demonstrations in case the psychology doesn’t pan out the way it should (which can often happen).
     

CHAPTER 3
    Convey High Expectations
    You’re walking through a subway station, and you walk past a violinist. You casually listen to him as you walk by, but you continue toward your destination without skipping a beat. Nothing really fazes you.
    Now fast forward two weeks. Your friend just gave you a generous birthday gift: two expensive tickets to a world famous violinist. Although you’ve never heard of him, you’re very excited to witness one of the greatest musicians in the world.
    The night of the concert finally arrives, and you’re seated in the theater, anxiously waiting for the performance to start. The violinist steps on to the stage, and the concert begins. As soon as he starts playing, you’re blown away. You’ve never been exposed to a quality violin performance, and so you’re truly captivated by the musician’s talent. By the end of the night, you’re brought to tears, and you give him a standing ovation for one of the best performances that you’ve ever witnessed.
    Quiz time . . . What was the difference between the first violinist in the subway station and the violinist at the concert? The musician in the subway station was only half-decent, and the musician at the concert was among the best in the world, right? What if the world famous violinist was the same person who was playing in the subway station? Surely, you still would have noticed the beauty and talent of his performance, right?
    On January 12 of 2007, a violinist played for 45 minutes in the L’Enfant Plaza subway station in Washington DC. During those 45 minutes, a few people stopped to donate a couple dollars, but nothing happened that was out of the ordinary. Nearly everyone walked by at their usual pace without stopping to listen or pay attention. Why is that surprising? The violinist, Joshua Bell, is one of the greatest violinists in the world. Two days prior to his performance in the subway station, Bell performed at a sold-out theater in Boston where tickets cost roughly $100 per seat. It was reported that he even purchased his violin at a staggering price of $3.5 million. Needless to say, Bell is considered one of the greatest musicians in the world.
    Why were people unfazed by his performance in the subway station? Why did most people simply walk by without stopping to listen to his