Today’s blog post is from: Yes!  50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive
By Goldstein, Martin, and Cialdini

 Small little changes to your message can have drastic improvements in results.
Persuasion is science, not art.  And Cialdini is the master of studying and teaching that. 

Some hotels – when doing the towel reuse program- put a note in the room that a % of the energy savings would be donated.  Seems logical, but didn’t improve any.

Seemed like a small shift needed to occur to make it more persuasive.  There is little social obligation to comply with something that relies on YOU to initiate the sequence.  That kind of exchange is simply an economic transaction.  But, there is a powerful sense of obligation in the sense of reciprocation for favors already performed.

So, reverse the sequence.  Hotel to give the donation with “no strings attached.”  Put cards in room that said there was a donation to the non-profit, but said they already did the donation on behalf of its guests – and asked for reciprocation by re-using towels.  This was 45% better than the previous incentive based.

Findings show that when trying to solicit cooperation from others, we should offer help without promise of repayment or no-strings-attached.  This should increase cooperation in the first place, and insure that you build trust.   Will be longer lasting too.  If you expect payment, will break down the trust.