What Influences People to Buy?
These are the basics. Next week you will see some advanced technology. I’ve written one article about each of these questions.
Score your current knowledge of what influences people to click, buy or simply cause people to say “yes.”
Use pen and paper to write down your answers, and after you have completed the quiz, check and see how well you understand the applications of influence with the answer guide that follows.
1. An American lingerie company did market research in order to determine the differences in online purchases of lingerie controlling for models’ posture, hair color and numerous other factors.
Which hair color got the most sales?
A) Blonde
B) Brunette/Brown
C) Red
Which got almost no sales?
D) Blonde
E) Brunette/Brown
F) Red
2. Given a gift card for a pastry and a cup of coffee at a nearby bakery, 2/3 said they’d use the card when it was noted that the card would be valid for two months. Half said they would use the card when it was noted the card would be valid for the next three weeks. What actually happened in practice?
A) Neither card was used by more than 1% of participants.
B) 5 times as many people used the 3 week gift card.
C) 5 times as many people used the 2 month gift card.
D) Both cards were used by almost all participants in the study.
3. Restaurants serve desserts because they increase profits. It’s very important to:
A) Include the desserts in a prominent location on the menu.
B) Subtly cloak them on the menu.
C) Have a separate menu for desserts.
4. In restaurants, prices given with and without a dollar or pound sign ($47 vs. 47) generate different food choices. Which triggers customers making higher priced food choices, using the dollar/pound sign or not?
A) Using the dollar (or pound) sign causes higher priced items to be selected.
B) Using just the number causes higher priced menu items to be selected.
5. Influencing your own life is just as important as others’. In a massive study, pessimists were roughly defined as having a dark outlook on their own future. Optimists were roughly defined as those having a bright outlook on their future. How you think, it is clear from this 40,000 person study, plays a significant role in your future. Which of the following are true?
A) Pessimistic people live longer than optimistic people.
B) Very optimistic people live longer than pessimistic people.
C) Very optimistic people are more likely to have disabilities in 10 years.
D) Pessimistic people are more likely to have disabilities in 10 years.
E) Low expectations for a healthy future suffer significantly more compared to those with positive expectations.
F) Low expectations for a healthy future suffer significantly less when compared with those with positive expectations.
6. Restaurants can place the price of an item first on the menu and then the menu description; or the menu description and then the price. Which causes higher priced entree choices?
To generate higher priced menu selections, prices could be shown in the left hand margin or after the menu item description. Which is more effective?
A)
17 Hamburger
24 Asian Salad
37 Steak
48 Kobe Steak
vs.
B)
Hamburger 17
Asian Salad 24
Steak 37
Kobe Steak 48
7. The shape of a glass holding 12 oz. of beer determines how long it takes to consume that beer. Restaurants and bars desiring to bring in more revenue are now discovering everything matters in influencing the behavior of customers.
Which of the following (on average) is correct?
A) A straight glass requires 11 minutes to drink, a curved glass requires 7 minutes to drink.
B) A straight glass requires 17 minutes to drink, a curved glass requires 12 minutes to drink.
C) A straight glass requires 12 minutes to drink, a curve glass requires 17 minutes to drink.
D) A straight glass requires 7 minutes to drink. A curved glass requires 11 minutes to drink.
8. The Menu is the profit ballgame at a restaurant.
A) When people open a standard two page menu, the owner should place the highest profit items in which positions below?
Left Page Right Page
A F
B G
C H
D I
E J
B) How do the majority of customers “read” most menus laid out in the above scenario? Where do they begin? Where do they go next and ultimately finish?
A) A, F, E, J, C
B) A, G, J, E, C
C) F, A, E, J, C
D) B, F, J, A, E
E) G, B, E, I, J
F) G, A, E, F, J
9. Emailing an acknowledgement to a student who is a stranger to the subject, asked by a professor to give feedback on a cover letter and then asking the same stranger (by email) for a second favor to help edit a cover letter leads to 1/3 of those people saying yes. i.e. 1/3 of those who helped the first time, also helped a second time.
When the recipient sends a message saying, “Thanks for giving me feedback I am grateful, would you help me edit my next letter?” what happens?
a) The person says yes they will help edit the second cover letter in about 1/3 of cases.
b) The person says yes they will help edit the second cover letter in about 2/3 of cases.
10. Does expressing thanks and gratitude matter?
Same scenarios as #9 EXCEPT in this case the stranger is now asked by another student for a favor.
The request by the student for feedback follows only if the student helped someone else yesterday and either a) received an email saying feedback was received or b) received an email saying, “Thank you I am really grateful!”
When group a) participants were asked to give feedback on a cover letter for a different participant the following day, what percentage of subjects agreed to help the student?
a) 25%
b) 50%
c) 75%
When group b) participants were asked to give feedback on a cover letter for a different participant after they had received an email expressing thanks and gratitude from the first student, what percentage of participants agreed to help?
a) 15%
b) 35%
c) 55%
d) 75%
12. How important are bonuses and extras in marketing?
Would-be marketers face an expert pricing panel. Their task is to either bundle a hotel night highlighting the hotel’s 5 star pool, or highlighting both the 5 star pool and a 3 star restaurant.
Which is correct:
a) The panel priced the room highlighting the pool at $92 and the room highlighting the pool and restaurant at $108
b) The panel priced the room highlighting the pool at $108 and the room highlighting the pool and restaurant at $92
13. How many things does your product do? The benefits list…
You are a campaign manager for a politician (or you sell online or in person). You have to come up with the best mix of claims. Which of the following works best and why?
a) honest
b) honest, cares
c) honest, cares, responsible
d) honest, cares, responsible, hard working
e) honest, cares, responsible, hard working, gets results
The Answers and Explanations to Part 1 of The Persuasion and Influence IQ: Applications Quiz 2018
1. An American lingerie company did market research in 2014 to determine the differences in online purchases of lingerie controlling for models’ posture, hair color and numerous other factors.
Which hair color got the most sales?
B) Brunette/Brown
Which got almost no sales?
D) Blonde
SCORE 1 point if you got both B and D correct.
2. Given a gift card for a pastry and a cup of coffee at a nearby bakery, 2/3 said they’d use the card when it was noted that the card would be valid for two months. Half said they would use the card when it was noted the card would be valid for the next three weeks. What actually happened in practice?
B) 5 times as many people used the 3 week gift card.
People complain about shorter usage periods. They also say they probably won’t take advantage of these kinds of offers. In fact $50,000,000 of gift cards expired worthless in 2018 in the United States. Why? They almost always have a one year window. If they had a 21 or 30 day window, companies would end up fulfilling with products and services a big chunk of that 50 million.
SCORE 1 point if you answered B.
3. Restaurants serve desserts because they increase profits. It’s very important to:
C) Have a separate menu for desserts.
That little TINY menu is like a nice tie on a good suit. It’s tiny. The first sale has been made. The $200 you spent on your night out is gone. When the waitress asks if you want dessert, you look pretty cheap if you say no to a couple of $12 desserts.
SCORE 1 point if you answered C.
4. In restaurants, prices given with and without a dollar or pound sign ($47 vs. 47) generate different food choices. Which triggers customers making higher priced food choices, using the dollar/pound sign or not?
B) Using just the number causes higher priced menu items to be selected.
People prefer, if at all possible, to spend numbers instead of money.
SCORE 1 point if you said B.
5. Influencing your own life is just as important as others. Which of the following are true? In a massive study pessimists were roughly defined as having a dark outlook on their own future. Optimists were roughly defined as those having a bright outlook on their future. How you think, it is clear from this 40,000 person study, plays a significant role in your future.
A) Pessimistic people live longer than optimistic people.
C) Very optimistic people are more likely to have disabilities in 10 years.
F) Low expectations for a healthy future suffer significantly less when compared with those with positive expectations.
SCORE 1 point if you said A, C, F
6. Restaurants can place the price of an item first on the menu and then the menu description; or the menu description and then the price. Which causes higher priced entree choices?
To generate higher price menu selections, prices could be shown in the left hand margin or after the menu item description
Menu A)
17 Hamburger
24 Asian Salad
37 Steak
48 Kobe Steak
vs.
Menu B)
Hamburger 17
Asian Salad 24
Steak 37
Kobe Steak 48
SCORE 1 point if you said B. .
7. The shape of a glass holding 12 oz. of beer determines how long it takes to consume that beer. Restaurants and bars desiring to bring in more revenue are now discovering everything matters in influencing the behavior of customers.
Which of the following (on average) is correct?
A) A straight glass requires 11 minutes to drink, a curved glass requires 7 minutes to drink.
SCORE 1 point if you said A.
Drinking beer is correlated to increased variety of sexual partners. And it’s very difficult to judge how much beer is left in a curved glass when compared to a straight class. Both influences make the curved glass empty more quickly.
8. The Menu is the profit ballgame at a restaurant.
A) When people open a standard two page menu, the owner should place the highest profit items in which positions below?
Left Page Right Page
A F
B G
C H
D I
E J
B) How do the majority of customers “read” most menus laid out in the above scenario? Where do they begin? Where do they go next and ultimately finish?
A) A, F, E, J, C
B) A, G, J, E, C
C) F, A, E, J, C
D) B, F, J, A, E
E) G, B, E, I, J
F) G, A, E, F, J
A) SCORE 1 point if you said positions A, E, F, G, J
B) SCORE 1 point if you said option F
9. Emailing an acknowledgement to a student who is a stranger to the sender, asked by a professor to give feedback on a cover letter and then asking the same stranger (by email) for a second favor to help edit a cover letter leads to 1/3 of those people saying yes. i.e. 1/3 of those who helped the first time, also helped a second time.
When the recipient sends a message saying, “Thanks for giving me feedback I am grateful, would you help me edit my next letter?” what happens?
b) The person says yes they will help edit the second cover letter in about 2/3 of cases.
SCORE 1 point if you said B.
Gratitude and appreciation matters when influencing others. It doubles responsiveness in this situation!
10) Does expressing thanks and gratitude matter?
Same scenarios as #9 EXCEPT in this case, the stranger is now asked by another student for a favor.
The request by the student for feedback follows only if the student helped someone else yesterday and either a) received an email saying feedback was received or b) received an email saying, “Thank you I am really grateful!”
When group a) participants were asked to give feedback on a cover letter for a different participant the following day, what percentage of subjects agreed to help the student?
a) 25%
b) 50%
c) 75%
When group b) participants were asked to give feedback on a cover letter for a different participant after they had received an email expressing thanks and gratitude from the first student, what percentage of participants agreed to help?
a) 15%
b) 35%
c) 55%
d) 75%
The answer for (Group A) is a) 25% and the answer for (Group B) is c) 55%.
SCORE 1 point if you said a) and c)
BONUS: Agreement is more than doubled for the person who comes after you if you say thank you … and it’s doubled for you if the person before YOU said thank you!
SCORE 1 point if you said a)
12. How important are bonuses and extras in marketing?
Would-be marketers face an expert pricing panel. Their task is to either bundle a hotel night highlighting the hotel’s 5-star pool or highlighting both the 5-star pool and a 3-star restaurant.
Which is correct:
b) The panel priced the room highlighting the pool at $108 and the room highlighting the pool and restaurant at $92
This study corroborated the previous study. Extras aren’t always a good thing. Show people your very best stuff. You don’t need a laundry list of benefits, you need your best stuff up front.
SCORE 1 point if you said b)
13. How many things does your product do? The benefits list…
You are a campaign manager for a politician (or you sell online or in person). You have to come up with the best mix of claims. Which of the following works best and why?
a) honest
b) honest, cares
c) honest, cares, responsible
d) honest, cares, responsible, hard working
e) honest, cares, responsible, hard working, gets results
This is perhaps the single most important item on the quiz. Three is the peak number for gaining agreement, a vote or a sale. Too few or too many claims/promises/benefits KILLS the product.
SCORE 1 point if you said (C)
This is a critical concept.
Total Score:
11 – 12 points show an excellent understanding of influence in action and test question framing. Well done. You are at a point where you could dramatically improve your persuasiveness in what might reference as a quantum leap.
8 – 10 points Very good score. You are in the top 20%. You have a solid understanding of what works in persuasion and influence, in the real world.
5 – 8 points The average of Coffee with Kevin Hogan readers. These good solid scores show you are keeping up.
1 – 4 points These scores reveal your eyes will be shifting how you see the world very soon!
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