Small Words, Big Power

In their book, Yes: 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive (New York: Free Press), authors Noah J Goldstein, Steve J Martin, and Robert B Cialdini talk about the way Colleen Szot shattered the twenty-five year sales records of a home shopping channel by changing just three words in her infomercial. In place of the usual, “Operators are waiting; please call now,” she wrote, “If operators are busy, please call again.”

The authors argue that this is an instance of the power of social proof. It makes the readers feel that a lot of people are buying, and therefore it must be very good. If they can’t get through when they call, they have been told that this might happen. So they try again.

I find it an excellent example of smart framing, the heart of persuasion. If I call in response to the invitation, “Operators are waiting; please call now,” and I find the line engaged, I get annoyed. If the line is engaged the second time, I may give up. When, however, I see the request, “If operators are busy, please call again,” I immediately sense that a large number of people out there are buying this product. I expect the line to be busy. It confirms my inference that a lot of people are trying to buy the product. If I get through without having to redial, I consider myself lucky like finding a parking space being vacated by someone just as I come into a chockfull car park during peak hours.

The lesson is simple. We may be able to do a lot more about persuasion by tweaking our words a bit. Of course that little change represents a big creative effort and deep understanding of the psychology of customers.