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186. Get It Done: Surprising Lessons from the Science of Motivation with Ayelet Fishbach Jan 07, 2022

Show notes

Today I am very excited to introduce you to Dr. Ayelet Fishbach. She is the Jeffrey Breakenridge Keller Professor of Behavioral Science and Marketing at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and the past president of the Society for the Study of Motivation and the International Social Cognition Network (ISCON). She is an expert on motivation and decision making and the author of the brand new book, which just released this week called Get it Done: Surprising Lessons from the Science of Motivation.

Of course, Ayelet's insights are valuable all year round, but it is very much intentional to have this as the first episode of the year. This really is the time of year where people are thinking about goals and motivation. Your New Year's resolutions are still hopefully intact, and you can increase your chances of meeting and exceeding them with these insights from Ayelet. Regardless of when you listen, it's always a good opportunity to set and achieve a new goal. After all, tomorrow is the first day of the rest of your life. 😉 She shares so many top tips for getting it done this year…you don't want to miss it!

Show Notes:

[00:42] Today I am very excited to introduce you to Dr. Ayelet Fishbach, the Jeffrey Breakenridge Keller Professor of Behavioral Science and Marketing at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and the past president of the Society for the Study of Motivation and the International Social Cognition Network (ISCON).
[01:17] Ayelet's groundbreaking research on human motivation has won her several international awards, including the Society of Experimental Social Psychology's Best Dissertation Award and Career Trajectory Award, and the Fulbright Educational Foundation Award.
[04:18] Ayelet shares her background and how she got into the space of motivation science.
[07:02] Our circumstances often influence what we achieve in life and sometimes we are lucky to have situations where our personal interests fit what people are starting to be interested in around you.
[07:57] She started her research with an interest in self-control and the question on her mind was how people respond when they learn that there is an upcoming problem. For example, will you eat more or less when you know in advance that the food at the party will be delicious and tempting? 🤔
[09:22] Her Ph.D. dissertation research was testing if the anticipation of knowing temptation was coming made people better able to combat these temptations.
[11:05] Thinking through problems and knowing what obstacles are going to happen to allow you to create a plan to keep yourself motivated and on track.
[13:52] Ayelet's new book is called Get It Done. She shares how the book cover came about.
[17:33] Ayelet's book takes a very different approach by starting with a cautionary tale about Everest.
[19:19] Choosing the right goal is critical. Have a healthy relationship with your goals.
[21:56] We need to move from setting unhealthy extreme goals for our lives.
[22:37] Setting goals can also have downsides.
[24:58] More than half of the New Year's resolutions that people set are working out and eating healthy.
[26:04] The predictor of success for our New Year's resolution is how much pleasure we find in the path of pursuing the goal. So plan accordingly.
[26:40] It has to be somewhat rewarding as you do it and you have to find a path that is fun and rewarding along the way.
[28:47] We don't have a lot of empathy for our future selves. We think that our future self will do what is important to her.
[29:42] The number one mistake in setting resolutions is setting it to some ideal version of yourself that is not who you are.
[31:45] Do the mental simulation of how it will feel to do your resolution all year. Then think about how you can make it more fun.
[34:05] Ayelet shares why something like Pokémon GO! can be valuable for goal achievement of being healthier or walking more. It allows you to get the steps, connect with other people, and connect to your childhood.
[35:16] Make your activities rewarding in the moment so you are excited to do them.
[36:41] The problem with avoidance goals is that they are not exciting and they bring to mind the thing you are trying to avoid.
[37:28] You need to consider, "What should I do so I don't do the thing I don't want to do? What should I think about that is helpful to me?" Framing things as what you should do is almost always better.
[40:04] When people think about healthy food in a tasty way, they are better able to actually eat the healthy food.
[41:25] She shares a wine example that comes from thinking about how people resolve tradeoffs.
[43:42] Ayelet shares the four buckets all goals need to have so you have a better chance of achieving them.
[45:01] The last element is social support. Who in your life is going to help you with your goal? It is so critical that people around us are supportive.
[47:34] Melina shares her closing thoughts.
[49:53] Check out and subscribe to Brainy Bites — now on LinkedIn!
[52:16] If you enjoy the experience I've provided here for you, will you share about it? That could mean leaving a rating/review or sharing the episode with a friend (or 10!)

Thanks for listening. Don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Android. If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.

I hope you love everything recommended via The Brainy Business! Everything was independently reviewed and selected by me, Melina Palmer. So you know, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. That means if you decide to shop from the links on this page (via Amazon or others), The Brainy Business may collect a share of sales or other compensation.

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Join the BE Thoughtful Revolution – our free behavioral economics community, and keep the conversation going!

More from The Brainy Business:

🎉🎉🎉 Buy Melina's award-winning book, What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You on Amazon, Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, and Booktopia 🎉🎉🎉

Get the Books Mentioned on (or related to) this Episode:

Get It Done, by Ayelet Fishbach
How To Change, by Katy Milkman
Predictably Irrational, by Dan Ariely
The Power of Us, by Jay Van Bavel and Dominic Packer
Good Habits, Bad Habits, by Wendy Wood

Connect with Ayelet:

Top Recommended Next Episode: Temptation Bundling (episode 136)

Already Heard That One? Try These:

Other Important Links:

Brainy Bites - Melina's new LinkedIn Newsletter
Texas A&M Self-Control Research Could Help You Stick With Your New Year's Resolutions
University of Chicago, Chicago Booth School of Business Faculty Directory: Ayelet Fishbach

Check out What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You on Amazon, Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, and Booktopia

185. How to Create Remarkable Experiences with Dan Gingiss Dec 31, 2021

Show notes

Today I am beyond delighted to introduce you to my friend Dan Gingiss to talk about how to create remarkable experiences that your customers can't wait to share. Dan is an international keynote speaker and coach who believes that a remarkable customer experience is your best sales and marketing strategy.

His 20-year professional career included leadership positions at McDonald's, Discover, and Humana. He is the author of two books, including The Experience Maker which we will discuss today, and is the host of two shows, the Experience This! podcast and The Experience Maker LinkedIn live show.

While Dan's insights are valuable at any time, it is very much intentional to have this as the last episode of the year. This is a time many reflect on the year that has just ended and think about what they will be doing next. If your plan doesn't already include an improved customer experience and having a business that people can't wait to share about, it should. Listen to today's episode as you consider your customer experience and look to improve it in the new year.

Show Notes:

[00:39] Today I am beyond delighted to introduce you to my friend Dan Gingiss to talk about how to create remarkable experiences that your customers can't wait to share.
[03:36] Dan shares his experience speaking at Social Media Marketing World for the first time.
[04:30] Dan shares his background of 20 plus years in corporate America.
[05:04] We all know that word of mouth is the holy grail of marketing. It is much better when someone is saying nice things about us than if we are saying nice things about ourselves.
[05:29] A remarkable customer experience is your best marketing strategy.
[08:34] We have so much data on our customers that we don't use and we forget to come back to.
[11:03] Experience can happen anywhere. It is about knowing when to provide the right experience when your customers need it most or don't expect it.
[13:47] There are so many little things that we can do. Some people may advocate to only focus on one side, but Dan (and Melina!) suggest you both get rid of pain points and create positive moments.
[14:26] If we keep focusing on the little things, they absolutely add up to something amazing.
[15:48] We have got to empower all of our employees to truly believe they are in the customer experience business.
[16:56] Become a customer of your own business.
[18:49] Remove pain points and create peaks in your customer journey.
[20:08] If your customer is frustrated with your company, they are going to be more open to a TV commercial or social media ad for your competitor.
[22:16] The WISER Methodology teaches you how to create the kinds of experiences that people want to talk about. You have to be intentional about the experience to make it so someone wants to share it.
[22:55] W stands for witty, I is immersive, S is sharable, E is extraordinary and R is responsive.
[25:18] Millennials and Gen Z in particular want a relationship with the brands they spend their hard-earned money with. In order to have a relationship, you have to have human interaction.
[26:48] We don't have to delight in the same way every time.
[28:57] There is a part of every business where either you do it the same way as everybody else or the same way it has always been done and you can turn it into something that can be an experience when people least expect it.
[30:43] Whenever you can play to peoples' kids or pets, you are going to hit them in the heart.
[32:36] There are lots of opportunities, but we just have to seize them and look for chances when people don't expect it.
[35:07] With gift-giving, make sure you are giving a gift you would like to receive (i.e. don't slap a giant logo on your "gift").
[37:00] Shareable is the end goal and it has to be strategic and intentional.
[39:27] There are so many opportunities where we can kick it up a little notch and do something unique—it is a great way to stand out. You don't have to spend more, just spend differently.
[40:39] Look for ways to make work more fun and enjoyable.
[42:37] Every communication is an opportunity.
[45:36] Melina shares her closing thoughts.
[48:28] If you enjoy the experience I've provided here for you, will you share about it? That could mean leaving a rating/review or sharing the episode with a friend (or 10!)

Thanks for listening. Don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Android. If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.

Let's connect:

Melina@TheBrainyBusiness.com
The Brainy Business® on Facebook
The Brainy Business on Twitter
The Brainy Business on Instagram
The Brainy Business on LinkedIn
Melina on LinkedIn
The Brainy Business on Youtube
Join the BE Thoughtful Revolution – our free behavioral economics community, and keep the conversation going!

More from The Brainy Business:

🎉🎉🎉 Buy Melina's award-winning book, What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You on Amazon, Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, and Booktopia 🎉🎉🎉

Get the Books Mentioned on (or related to) this Episode:

The Experience Maker, by Dan Gingiss
Start At The End, by Matt Wallaert
Giftology, by John Ruhlin
Choice Hacking, by Jennifer Clinehens
Friction, by Roger Dooley

Connect with Dan:

Top Recommended Next Episode: Surprise and Delight (episode 60)

Already Heard That One? Try These:

Other Important Links:

Check out What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You on Amazon, Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, and Booktopia

184. Best of The Brainy Business in 2021 Dec 24, 2021

Show notes

So much happened in 2021 at The Brainy Business and in the Palmer household, it has been fun to reflect on it for this episode. Here are a few highlights:

In January, I started teaching a new class at Texas A&M University through the certificate in Applied Behavioral Economics via the Human Behavior Lab.
In March, we rolled out the new website and on May 1st, I launched my free global community of behavioral economics enthusiasts with (currently) over 500 members.
My first book, What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You come out on May 11, 2021, and I got to be part of some amazing events this past year sharing about it and other parts of my work.
And, while I didn't talk about it much publicly, I had a baby in 2021! The Brainy Baby, Mr. Hudson Grey Palmer, was born on August 9th and is a fantastic addition to our family.

Join me as we take a look back at all the excitement and top content of 2021. I hope you will enjoy this walkthrough of last year as much as I did.

Show Notes:

[00:06] Today's episode is showcasing the best content from The Brainy Business in 2021.
[02:12] My very first book, What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You came out on May 11, 2021!
[03:49] Melina had a baby in 2021! The Brainy Baby, Mr. Hudson Grey Palmer was born on August 9th. Look how cute he is. :)
[07:51] Top Countries Downloading The Brainy Business: The US is first, followed by UK, Canada, Australia, India, Germany, Brazil, Mexico, the Netherlands and Spain.
[09:02] Top Ten States: Coming in at number 10 Pennsylvania then New Jersey at number 9, Virginia at number 8, Illinois at number 7, Ohio at 6, Florida as number 5, New York at number 4, Washington at 3, Texas at 2, and California still with the top most downloads of 2021.
[10:32] Of the 470,000 total downloads of the show so far, 250,001 have come from the US. That means nearly half of our downloads are international, which is so cool.
[12:53] Of those more than 175,000 downloads of the show in 2021, and now with 184 episodes of content to choose from, we get our top 10 episodes of the year, starting with episode 136 on Temptation Bundling.
[14:20] Next we have episode 165, when Matej Sucha of Mindworx and insideBE came onto the show discussing research they have done and the case studies of insideBE, which launched in 2021 as well.
[15:32] At the number 8 spot we have episode 158 with Matthew Confer letting you know the three things everyone needs to do before you decide.
[16:12] Next, at number 7 we have episode 160, an interview with Matt Johnson, coauthor of Blindsight.
[17:20] At number 6, we have the only foundations episode to make the top 10 this year, and it was a relatively new one which is pretty cool. This is episode 171 on The Paradox of Choice.
[18:33] Our top 5 kicks off with episode 164, an interview with Amy Bucher about her fantastic book Engaged, and so much more about her work in applying behavioral economics.
[19:32] At number 4, is episode 140, an interview with Benny Cheung where we talked about some research he did at Dectech that was also featured in chapter 28 of my book, which showcases the importance of testing.
[20:55] At number 3 we have episode 159, a behavioral economics analysis of Amazon and coming in at number 2 is episode 144, a behavioral economics analysis of Disney.
[22:22] Our top most downloaded episode of 2021, which was episode 157, my interview with Robert Cialdini on his new and expanded edition of Influence, which includes a whole new 7th principle of persuasion.
[23:27] One of my main tips is to play the long game and form great relationships so pitching is easier.
[26:33] There has never been a month of the podcast where every episode didn't get at least 1 download.
[27:24] Let's dig into that top 10 of all time list starting with number 10, which was episode 111, Avoiding everyday work disasters, with Gleb Tsipursky.
[28:24] Next is episode 62 on Game Theory and the 8th most downloaded episode of all time, is number 102 on Confirmation Bias.
[31:00] The 7th most downloaded is episode 83, How to organize your brain with behavioral economics followed by episode 61 on Color Theory.
[33:37] The episodes with the fifth and third most downloads are both analyses of companies again, like I already talked about for the top downloads of 2021. However, these are different profiles, including number 86 with a behavioral economics analysis of Peloton, and episode 73 with a behavioral economics analysis of Starbucks.
[34:57] In that number 4 spot we have episode 5, The Truth About Pricing.
[35:37] Number two is episode 2, The Top 5 Wording Mistakes Businesses Make.
[36:37] The most downloaded episode of all time is the very first one, Unlocking the Secrets of the Brain.
[39:55] The final top 10 list are the most read articles from my Inc Magazine column in 2021. For the full list, check out the blog post linked here with the summary of all three top content areas!
[42:50] The 7th most read article is called, "Dread going to work every day? The culprit may be hanging in your office."
[43:16] The 6th most read article on Inc is the first one I wrote for them. It is called, "1 Simple Brain Trick That Can Help You Overcome Self-Doubt Forever."
[44:57] The fourth most read article is on one of my very favorite things. It's called, "Forget brainstorming. Try questionstorming."
[45:38] The third most read article is, "Feeling unproductive? This brain bias could be to blame."
[46:07] In our still Zoom-filled virtual world, it isn't surprising that the second most read article this year was, "Why you hate seeing your face in video meetings."
[47:02] "Don't ask 'What are you thankful for?' Try this instead" is my most read article of 2021.
[48:22] What's ahead for The Brainy Business in 2022?
[51:22] Thank you again for making 2021 such an amazing year and for listening, subscribing, sharing, rating, and reviewing The Brainy Business podcast. I appreciate you all, and can't wait to see what 2022 has in store.

Thanks for listening. Don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Android. If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.

Let's connect:

Melina@TheBrainyBusiness.com
The Brainy Business® on Facebook
The Brainy Business on Twitter
The Brainy Business on Instagram
The Brainy Business on LinkedIn
Melina on LinkedIn
The Brainy Business on Youtube
Join the BE Thoughtful Revolution – our free behavioral economics community, and keep the conversation going!

Get the Books Mentioned on (or related to) this Episode:

The Paradox of Choice, by Barry Schwartz
Never Go With Your Gut, by Gleb Tsipursky
Influence (New and Expanded), by Robert Cialdini
Engaged, by Amy Bucher
Blindsight, by Matt Johnson and Prince Ghuman

Top recommended next episode: The Best of The Brainy Business in 2020 (ep 133)

Already heard that one? Try these:

The Best Content from the Brainy Business in 2019 (ep 82)
Dr. Robert Cialdini and the (Now!) 7 Principles of Persuasion (ep 157)
Behavioral economics of Disney (ep 144)
Behavioral economics of Amazon (ep 159)
Unlocking the Secrets of the Brain (ep 1)
The Top 5 Wording Mistakes Businesses Make (ep 2)
Starbucks (ep 73)

Other Important Links:

Check out Melina's award-winning book, What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You on Amazon, Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, and Booktopia

183. The Power of Fast-Choice & Implicit Testing with CloudArmy's Keith Ewart Dec 17, 2021

Show notes

Today rounds out this miniseries of companies providing testing opportunities for businesses with a conversation about fast-choice and implicit testing with CloudArmy's Dr. Keith Ewart.

During our conversation today, Keith starts by telling us all about testing and project work he did during his 24 years at Proctor and Gamble – the positives and the pitfalls – and the work he now does as VP of Insights at CloudArmy.

He will share about some of the issues in testing at large organizations, including being stuck executing projects that you know won't work well because the testing took too long to come back and being too far down the track to implement something new. (So frustrating!) That's why the super quick and incredibly effective fast-choice and implicit testing that CloudArmy does is such a great solution, which he will also give insight on. Listen now to learn all about it (and best next steps for starting your own project).

Show Notes:

[00:42] I am so excited to introduce you to Dr. Keith Ewart, partner and VP of insights at CloudArmy.
[03:35] Keith shares about where he lives and his background.
[05:04] He actually started off in microbiology. After working in microbiology for about a year and a half he saw the wonderful world of insights and requested a move.
[06:38] A key part of his life at Proctor and Gamble was in packaging and developing better packaging solutions.
[07:47] The importance of understanding the packaging impact in the zero moment of truth all the way to the purchase in store.
[09:18] They were encouraged to think about multi-sensory signals.
[10:36] The third moment of truth is asking if that whole experience was so good that you want to tell your friends about it. It is important to have testimonials and brand advocates.
[12:46] The third moment of truth is not talked about in many companies.
[13:57] We want to drive the habits and at the same time we uncover what those barriers are. If we can uncover those barriers, we can put solutions in place.
[14:51] One of the biggest barriers to innovation is speed.
[16:05] Keith is a massive fan of fast cycle learning, rapid prototyping, bringing ideas to life very early on, and getting the voice of the consumer in the room as quickly as possible.
[18:15] What you really want is an individual's true response and ideally more than one or two focus groups.
[20:01] You can start to think about concepts, positioning, and using imagery to convey those brand positioning or benefits you want to get across.
[22:40] CloudArmy is a software company and programmers who have a background in the whole field.
[24:19] The beauty of a true implicit methodology is that consumers don't even realize that they are being evaluated. It is based solely on reaction times.
[26:28] They are using implicit tests for packaging, messaging, advertising, and across the board. They are getting a true unconscious response to a set of stimulus.
[28:31] If you want to design your own test, it is not a problem. The key thing is what is the objective of the client and what is the best tool to understand and utilize.
[31:03] Context is key. Defining what you are really trying to get at and what success looks like. Make sure your problem statement is defined and can be measured. Take the data and translate it to actionable insights.
[33:15] Keep things simple. People's brains are tired and they can't cope with so much information.
[34:00] How many people can truly say they know what their brand stands for? What does the consumer really think is the most important component of their brand?
[36:27] Everyone should spend more time understanding the problem.
[38:20] The more constraints you put in place the longer time it will take. It is often beneficial to keep the sample broad.
[41:14] When you get everyone in the room together all trying to create and you get the toolkits around to help evaluate these things, you can make decisions quickly
[44:21] Melina shares her closing thoughts.
[47:24] Shop at The Brainy Business shop for that perfect brainy gear.

Thanks for listening. Don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Android. If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.

Let's connect:

Melina@TheBrainyBusiness.com
The Brainy Business® on Facebook
The Brainy Business on Twitter
The Brainy Business on Instagram
The Brainy Business on LinkedIn
Melina on LinkedIn
The Brainy Business on Youtube
Join the BE Thoughtful Revolution – our free behavioral economics community, and keep the conversation going!

More from The Brainy Business:

🎉🎉🎉 Buy Melina's award-winning book, What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You on Amazon, Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, and Booktopia 🎉🎉🎉

Get the Books Mentioned on (or related to) this Episode:

Neuro design: Neuromarketing insights to boost engagement and profitability, by Darren Bridger
Decoding the Irrational Consumer: How to Commission, Run and Generate Insights from Neuromarketing Research, by Darren Bridger
Soul of the New Consumer: Authenticity-What We Buy and Why in the New Economy, by Darren Bridger
How Brands Grow, by Byron Sharp
Choice Hacking, by Jennifer Clinehens

Connect with CloudArmy:

Top Recommended Next Episode: What Problem Are You Solving? (episode 126)

Already Heard That One? Try These:

Other Important Links:

Check out What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You on Amazon, Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, and Booktopia

182. Using Biosensors to Unpack Human Behavior, with iMotions' Jessica Wilson Dec 10, 2021

Show notes

How often does your business run tests?

Testing is so important. You don't need to do fancy stuff every time and there are so many types of testing. If you don't take the time to test, you can't know what is working and there is a good chance you are wasting time on stuff that isn't going to help you reach your goals.

Today, I am so excited to introduce you to Dr. Jessica Wilson, technical director at iMotions who got her Ph.D. in neuroscience from Northwestern University. As you will hear in the episode, she and I have been working together on a project for quite some time now and I am very excited to have results to share with you now. This episode will talk about that study we did together for The Brainy Business as well as some of the other awesome work iMotions is doing.

Show Notes:

[00:40] Today, I am so excited to introduce you to Dr. Jessica Wilson, technical director at iMotions who got her Ph.D. in neuroscience from Northwestern University.
[03:31] Jessica shares more about who she is and what she does. Her background is in research and neuroscience.
[03:58] iMotions is a software company that provides a platform that can integrate and synchronize different neuroscience tools.
[05:28] There are so many different applications; iMotions does product testing, ads testing, sensory work, and more.
[08:23] The most basic setup includes eye-tracking, facial expression analysis, and skin conductance. Those three work really well together and they are also very easy to get started with.
[10:23] These tools are really helpful in certain ways, but at the end of the day the research question is king and it will help dictate what tools you use.
[12:10] Jessica shares details about video testing and applying test results.
[14:54] The data to help you make the best design decisions at the time when it counts.
[15:16] Jessica shares a study using video testing from the University of South Florida.
[16:52] The common theme in all these methods is that the most effective projects have a distinct research question and distinct variables.
[19:01] For the first phase of The Brainy Business website project, we looked at where people naturally gravitated to on the website. For the second phase of the study we adopted more of a task-based approach.
[20:47] Melina was doing a redesign of the website so she did a study with iMotions that she talked about in her book. They did two tests.
[23:21] The first thing they had people do was just a free one-minute navigation. They wanted to see if there were things they attended to more than others, if things got ignored, or if they were scattered all over the place with their attention. Just looking at the one-minute navigation both sites did pretty well.
[24:23] The differences started to happen when the task components were introduced.
[26:23] There were two tasks for the study, each with its own scenario.
[28:39] One of the best things about running a test like this is that you are really forced to narrow it down to one thing.
[31:03] The best research looks at one or two things.
[33:21] With the old website there was a 12% success rate of actually clicking on the pricing course and the success rate went up to 70% with the new website design.
[35:38] For the corporate page, it was found that it was giving too much information, reducing the effectiveness.
[36:48] Melina was able to use insights from the two tests to help with the full redesign and integrate it into other areas of the site as well.
[38:51] You don't have to use the whole testimonial. It can be much more impactful if you call out the little highlights that can get buried in a paragraph.
[39:48] In the second test, the difference between the two prototypes was how they framed the testimonials.
[41:30] People will start at the very top of web pages and you will see a lot of aggregation from the left to the right on the top and on the left side going down and slowly fading over time as people start skipping past things.
[43:23] Across most of the different measures of eye-tracking it looked like less was more in this case. Just taking the highlights from the testimonials goes a long way in being able to direct attention to the area and people will spend more time looking there.
[45:40] Melina will be including pictures and other information about the test on the Apply It page.
[46:38] Once the pandemic hit, people weren't collecting data anymore because you can't bring people into a physical lab space. They started looking at online data collection and remote options.
[48:03] You get research unrestricted by the bounds of geography. There are now more possibilities than ever for how we can collect this data.
[50:07] Melina shares her closing thoughts.
[52:37] Shop at The Brainy Business shop for that perfect brainy gear.

Thanks for listening. Don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Android. If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.

Let's connect:

Melina@TheBrainyBusiness.com
The Brainy Business® on Facebook
The Brainy Business on Twitter
The Brainy Business on Instagram
The Brainy Business on LinkedIn
Melina on LinkedIn
The Brainy Business on Youtube
Join the BE Thoughtful Revolution – our free behavioral economics community, and keep the conversation going!

More from The Brainy Business:

🎉🎉🎉 Buy Melina's award-winning book, What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You on Amazon, Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, and Booktopia 🎉🎉🎉

Get the Books Mentioned on (or related to) this Episode:

Ripple, by Jez Groom and April Vellacott
Engaged, by Amy Bucher
Marketing to Mindstates, by Will Leach
Designing for Behavior Change, by Stephen Wendell
What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You, by Melina Palmer

Connect with iMotions:

Top Recommended Next Episode: What Problem Are You Solving? (episode 126)

Already Heard That One? Try These:

Inside the Texas A&M Human Behavior Lab (episode 33)
Social Proof (episode 87)
The Power of Metaphors with Olson Zaltman's Malcolm & Hannibal Brooks (episode 181)
Cloud Army (episode 183)
How To Set Up Your Own Experiments (episode 63)
Priming (episode 18)
What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You: All About Melina's First Book (episode 147)
What is Behavioral Baking? (episode 155)
How Businesses Can Design for Behavior Change, with Dr. Amy Bucher (episode 164)
Designing for Behavior Change, Interview with Dr. Steve Wendel (episode 116)
Planning Fallacy (episode 114)
Time Discounting (episode 51)
Framing (episode 16)

Other Important Links:

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181. The Power of Metaphors for Brands with Olson Zaltman's Malcolm and Hannibal Brooks Dec 03, 2021

Show notes

You are familiar with metaphors...you likely learned about them in elementary school. But do you know how important they are in your business?

Well, it turns out that metaphors are way more important in understanding the mind of your consumer than you could have possibly imagined. There are two associates from the firm Olson Zaltman here today to share the power of metaphors and how they use them in their Zaltman Metaphor Elicitation Technique (ZMET) process. The ZMET was created by Dr. Gerald Zaltman at the Harvard Business School in the 1990s and is still incredibly relevant for brands today.

During the conversation, Malcolm and Hannibal Brooks will share how they have used the ZMET for brands like Harvard, Tropicana, a funeral company, and more. Plus, insights into the 16 deep metaphors they work with at Olson Zaltman and why they matter for all companies who want to appeal to their customers (i.e. everyone!).

Show Notes:

[00:06] In today's episode we are digging deep into the power of metaphors with two associates of Olson Zaltman.
[02:53] Malcolm and Hannibal share about themselves, their background, and how as twins they ended up in the same field and working together.
[03:44] They both graduated with degrees in food science and went to a master's program focused on marketing, management, and consumer psychology.
[05:57] At Olson Zaltman, they do research that is focused on understanding the unconscious through metaphor. Their process is focused on using imagery and verbal metaphors to understand emotions.
[06:40] We think in images, not in words; metaphors are our way of describing the world.
[09:28] Metaphors really affect the way we perceive the world around us.
[11:04] Part of what makes these metaphors universal is that a lot of them originate in the experiences we have in life that exist before we can even verbalize.
[12:25] There are 16 deep metaphors that define our experience.
[14:48] Different groups of consumers might have different metaphors or understandings of a product or service.
[15:24] For women, clothing is a form of self-expression and freedom. For men, clothing is often about a form of control.
[18:12] They share examples of the types of business problems they are solving.
[19:42] With ZMET they want to understand with your particular consumers, are they getting something out of your product and your brand?
[22:44] Prior to the ZMET process the business only needs to know the problem that they are having.
[25:08] The ZMET process can help answer a lot of questions for businesses.
[25:57] They share their findings from a case study with Harvard.
[28:17] Helping to trigger the unity piece can be very valuable (as was the case for Harvard). They have found that there are core principles that they stumble upon time and time again.
[31:12] Deep 1-on-1 guided conversations help them unpack what is the best way for the business to move forward.
[33:20] You want to understand your brand's core assets and what fits with the mindset people have around it.
[36:19] One of their most fun cases to talk about is the research they did for the Funeral Service Foundation. They found that people would look at their funeral almost as a performance. People don't want to be remembered in a way that is sad. They want to be remembered for who they were, with a celebration.
[38:57] Their recommendations included creating this online experience that is more fun, including the most fun things about the person and how they want to be remembered. It gets people thinking and talking about their death while they are still alive by making it less scary.
[41:33] Their real work is understanding stories and connecting with people.
[42:23] Melina shares her closing thoughts.
[44:28] Shop at The Brainy Business shop for that perfect brainy gift.

Thanks for listening. Don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Android. If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.

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Get the Books Mentioned on (or related to) this Episode:

How Customers Think: Essential Insights into the Mind of the Market, by Gerald Zaltman
Influence, New and Expanded: The Psychology of Persuasion, by Robert Cialdini
The Life-Saving Skill of Story: The Life-Saving Skill of Story (Resilience), by Michelle Auerbach
Blindsight, by Matt Johnson and Prince Ghuman
Marketing to Mindstates, by Will Leach

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Top Recommended Next Episode: A Guide for You to Create a Brainy Brand (episode 43)

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Deep Metaphors from Olson Zaltman

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180. Unboxing Videos: Why Do They Work? Nov 26, 2021

Show notes

If you're a human person with any access to the internet, you are likely familiar with unboxing videos. Maybe you like and watch them yourself, maybe your kids love to watch other people open up boxes of toys, or maybe you avoid them at all costs. Whatever camp you are in, at one point or another, you probably thought something like, "Why do so many people watch these?" or "Why do these work?"

Today's episode is dedicated to talking through the brain science of what is going on behind the scenes of an unboxing video. In this episode I talk about why they work, what to keep in mind if you ever decide to make your own, and some insights on the various types of "unboxings" out there (anything with a reveal pretty much counts). We will dig in on mirror neurons, anticipation/dopamine, priming, the senses, and more! Listen now to get the scoop on unboxing videos.

Show Notes:

[00:06] Ever wondered why unboxing videos are a thing? That's what we're focusing on in today's episode.
[03:19] There are countless ways to do these unboxing or reveal videos.
[04:01] In this episode, I am going to talk about four main things that are happening with unboxing videos, or that you should keep in mind when you create these yourself. We are going to talk about mirror neurons, dopamine created by anticipation, priming, the senses, and more.
[04:35] Mirror neurons are the key to empathy and our ability to learn from observing others instead of only by doing things ourselves.
[06:20] Mirror neurons greatly impact our lives every day. They have done some amazing things for all of humanity, the first of which is our ability to learn by observation and the second is our ability to empathize.
[07:31] In an unboxing video, when someone else is opening the box, it is like we are doing it ourselves. We are able to live vicariously through that experience. Because of the dopamine release, it is very exciting for our brains even if we can't have and will never have the item that is being opened or revealed.
[08:50] Dopamine is tied to anticipation, and so when there is a moment where you aren't sure what is going to happen -- where you are waiting for that reveal and don't know what is coming out of the box -- you are getting a kick of dopamine.
[10:24] Once you know what is in the box (or how the movie ends), the joy for your brain is over. It is about savoring the anticipation that the brain loves.
[10:50] Our brains love that uncertainty and expectation.
[11:38] If you want someone to be excited about the unboxing process, you should prime them for that excitement.
[13:07] Your excitement breeds more excitement in the viewer.
[13:43] If you have too much of a lull, people might get bored and leave. You can play the B-side for a while, but you need to mix in some hits here and there to keep it interesting.
[14:15] When you create an unboxing video, it is important to try and incorporate all five of the senses whenever you can to help get those mirror neurons firing.
[16:31] Descriptive priming words that evoke the senses are critical when doing any video, and in an unboxing, they can get people excited.
[17:54] The internet is full of unboxing videos for a reason, find some and take notes. Be sure to watch good ones, sure, but also find and watch some bad ones. What did they do wrong? When did your attention wane? How can you apply that to your future videos?
[18:43] If you have never done an unboxing or reveal video before, what could you do one of? Plan in advance how you might incorporate all our main aspects from this episode: mirror neurons, anticipation, priming, and all five senses...and hit record!
[20:33] As it is the holidays, it is a perfect time to pick up some Brainy Gear for you or a friend at The Brainy Business shop.

Thanks for listening. Don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Android. If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.

Let's connect:

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Get the Books Mentioned on (or related to) this Episode:

What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You, by Melina Palmer
The Experience Maker, by Dan Gingiss
The Hype Handbook, by Michael Schein
The Life-Saving Skill of Story, by Michelle Auerbach
Marketing Mess to Brand Success, by Scott Miller

Top recommended next episode: Mirror Neurons (episode 31)

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179. Sludge: What It Is and How to Reduce It, a Behavioral Economics Foundations Episode Nov 19, 2021

Show notes

The internationally acclaimed book, Nudge, has shaped a lot of the field of behavioral economics. It has also spurred a whole other area which one of its co-authors, Cass Sunstein, has written a new book about, called Sludge: What Stops Us From Getting Things Done and What To Do About It, which released in fall 2021.

Sludge is everywhere in our lives. So what is it and how do we reduce it? This episode of The Brainy Business podcast is dedicated to all things sludge to help you identify and reduce it in your business. In this episode you will learn about: what sludge is and isn't; a customer facing example of sludge; a back-office example of sludge; how to quantify sludge; and how to get others on your team on board with finding and removing sludge.

No matter your size or industry, I guarantee sludge is a problem in your business. Find it, remove it, and enjoy the benefits. Listen to learn more about sludge...

Show Notes:

[00:06] Today's behavioral economics foundations episode is all about sludge.
[02:23] Context and the way choices are presented make a huge difference in what we find to be most appealing. When the choices are presented in a different order we might choose something else entirely.
[03:32] When you use a tactic to influence choice, we call that a nudge.
[05:45] "Sludge is built into the human condition, and we need to start to remove it, piece by piece."
[07:02] "Sludge hurts all of us, but if you are sick, old, disabled, or poor, or if you don't have a lot of education, sludge is a curse."
[08:07] Sludge is everywhere in our lives. Melina shares examples of sludge.
[10:34] "If sludge is understood to consist of frictions that separate people from what they want to get, the concept is not entirely mysterious."
[11:16] Much sludge involves confusing administrative burdens requiring people to obtain information, to figure out whom to call, to find out exactly what they're supposed to do.
[13:01] Sometimes it is good for people to be confronted with a little sludge to prove they qualify for a benefit or that they care enough to earn whatever is presented, or that they are a good fit for a position.
[13:30] In this episode I'm going to give you a back-office example, a customer-facing example, and some ways to think about quantifying the problem of sludge so you can know its real impact
[13:50] When it comes to customer-facing examples, I like to start with the "buy now" button from Amazon.
[15:12] In the buying process, questions like "Are you sure?" or extra fields or steps can act as partitions. Each new partition is a point where someone will evaluate if this is worth it or if they should bail completely or plan to "come back later." Unfortunately, later often never comes.
[17:09] Removing the sludge so you only ask what is absolutely necessary can help a lot more people get over that first hurdle. Focus on each micro moment as it exists and what is absolutely necessary.
[18:23] You can turn the sludge up or down as needed, but again I want to stress that most companies have way too much sludge in the way of people doing business with you.
[19:41] My main piece of advice: find the least amount of items you need to get someone to move forward in this singular situation.
[20:21] Melina shares back office examples including expense reports, checking tools in and out, and signing off on a change.
[21:55] Melina shares her experience when she first started at the credit union and changes required a physical form to be completed by hand. (So sludgy!)
[24:15] In the back office, when you trust your employees, you can reduce the sludge and things get done faster, for a lot less money than if you don't have trust. Work on trust and get rid of that sludge.
[24:47] Because people get stuck in the status quo, they often don't feel like they can give up sludge.
[25:11] Sunstein gives an example of quantifying sludge with TSA Precheck and shares how quickly the value can add up.
[26:40] When you take a minute to quantify the lost sales or the minutes wasted by key staff members, the initiatives that couldn't be completed because of wasted time, or anything else. It can add up incredibly quickly.
[27:21] Sludge is a huge problem in your business, I promise, no matter your size or industry. Find it, remove it, and enjoy the benefits.

Thanks for listening. Don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Android. If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.

Let's connect:

Melina@TheBrainyBusiness.com
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Join the BE Thoughtful Revolution – our free behavioral economics community, and keep the conversation going!

Get the Books Mentioned on (or related to) this Episode:

Sludge, by Cass Sunstein
Nudge, by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein
Friction, by Roger Dooley
The Speed of Trust, by Stephen M.R. Covey
The Paradox of Choice, by Barry Schwartz

Top recommended next episode: Friction, an interview with Roger Dooley (episode 72)

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178. The Power of Us with Dr. Dominic Packer Nov 12, 2021

Show notes

It's November – a month where many begin to reflect on the year and (at least here in the states) consider the things we are thankful for. It kicks off the holiday season and we may begin to think about those around us whom we may see in person or virtually this holiday. Because of that, it seemed like the perfect time to discuss The Power of Us, a new book from coauthors Dr. Jay Van Bavel and Dr. Dominic Packer.

Today, Dr. Dominic Packer is here to talk about this fantastic book and their years of research together. The insights in the book come together to help people harness their shared identities to improve performance, increase cooperation and promote social harmony. I'm guessing you can see why I chose to have this episode come out now, even though it is a couple of months after we recorded and when the book was officially released. It just seemed like the perfect time to share and help everyone to reflect upon the power of "us." Listen to the episode now to see how this can be leveraged in your life and business...

Show Notes:

[00:07] In today's episode I'm excited to introduce you to Dr. Dominic Packer, coauthor of The Power of Us.
[03:10] Dominic shares about himself and his background. He is a social psychologist and professor.
[06:01] The book is about group identities. The groups we belong to can become part of who we are.
[06:56] When we take on a group identity, we are very likely to be influenced by the norms of that group.
[07:59] There is a second kind of influence which is informational influence. We look to other people to see what is a sensible thing to do. The norms through those groups become a way we express those identities.
[09:36] Dominic shares about the 20 statements task.
[11:22] For many of us, some really key aspects of ourselves come from these groups. They drive a lot of the way we think of the world, the emotions we feel, and the decisions we end up making.
[13:02] During the course of a single day different aspects of a single person's identity will come in and out of focus. Our behaviors are not exactly the same at different parts of the day when we operate through these different identities.
[14:52] One of the fascinating things about identity is that it is flexible, malleable, and adaptive to current circumstances.
[17:08] Group-based divisions might arise by politics, fights over resources, or major political differences.
[18:26] Groups are a tremendously useful tool for human beings. They are fundamental to our survival. Humans have succeeded by getting together.
[21:35] In many corporate situations you have different divisions and units and people confirm identities at that subgroup level. People can get a lot of sense of connection and be very motivated to do well on behalf of their subgroup.
[22:25] Identities are often multi-leveled. If you shift their focus from their lower-level identity to their higher level and especially if you create conditions where they need to work together it can bring them together.
[23:50] You need to create the conditions by which people can see themselves as part of something larger than their immediate sub-group. People need to see that there is an organizational identity.
[25:11] We need to incentivize collective identity instead of individual identities. Setting universal goals can also help.
[28:07] "Dissent is quite hard and people only do it because they care deeply about a group."
[29:59] Both the people who are the most likely to conform to group norms most of the time are also the most likely to dissent when they see something as problematic or needing change in their group. This is because they care a lot.
[30:50] To speak out is to take a risk and to take that risk is that you need to have some level of identification and care about the group.
[32:24] You do want a culture where the people that are strongly identified with the group do feel like they can speak up when they see something as problematic or see something that has the possibility of change or improvement.
[32:53] A psychologically safe environment is one where people feel comfortable speaking up and speaking out, being critical, and being divergent. They feel comfortable because they know it will be okay.
[34:03] You want an organization where your people are identified and they really value the collective goals but they are engaging with them creatively.
[35:24] If you are trying to cultivate a group where people can share their ideas and can have better ideas than you, it is really important that you don't squash them even when they are not good ideas.
[36:49] As a boss, take time to reflect on what you are good at. Validating yourself and the contributions you make to free you up to be less threatened with other people bring good things to the table as well.
[38:27] A fundamental task of a leader is to manage the social identities of the people they are leading.
[39:37] As a boss you have to be careful to not engage in behaviors that differentiate you too much from the group because then you no longer seem like one of us and you are not going to be followed as energetically or enthusiastically.
[41:24] Consider how to manage this group's identity so people understand what we are collectively trying to achieve and create a level of solidarity.
[42:39] As you rise up in leadership positions it does oftentimes require a total shift in orientation.
[45:23] Melina shares her closing thoughts.
[46:02] Dissenters care so much that they are unwilling to let the little things slide that they think are reflecting badly on the whole group. They care so much that they will stand up against the herd and encourage change.
[47:50] Check out Melina's Setting Brainy Goals course and shop at The Brainy Business shop for that perfect brainy gift.

Thanks for listening. Don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Android. If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.

Let's connect:

Melina@TheBrainyBusiness.com
The Brainy Business® on Facebook
The Brainy Business on Twitter
The Brainy Business on Instagram
The Brainy Business on LinkedIn
Melina on LinkedIn
The Brainy Business on Youtube
Join the BE Thoughtful Revolution – our free behavioral economics community, and keep the conversation going!

More from The Brainy Business:

🎉🎉🎉 Buy Melina's award-winning book, What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You on Amazon, Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, and Booktopia 🎉🎉🎉

Get the Books Mentioned on (or related to) this Episode:

The Power of Us: Harnessing Our Shared Identities to Improve Performance, Increase Cooperation, and Promote Social Harmony by Jay Van Bavel & Dominic Packer
Influence, New and Expanded: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini
A More Beautiful Question: The Power of Inquiry to Spark Breakthrough Ideas by Warren Berger

Connect with Dominic:

Top recommended next episode: Biases Toward Others – Including Group (episode 46)

Already heard that one? Try one of these:

Other Important Links:

Check out Melina's award-winning book, What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You on Amazon, Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, and Booktopia. Also, be sure to register for her upcoming Setting Brainy Goals course!

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