Using certainty in persuasion: Manipulation or leadership?
Publicado em 25/09/2015
The authors invite the reader to think about how certainty impacts the beliefs and behaviors of others while introducing us to the concept that “certainty is the catalyst that turns attitudes into action, bringing beliefs to life and imbuing them with meaning and consequence.”
Without certainty, confidence in beliefs weakens, preventing the marketer, manager or business developer from transmitting the intuitive sense that something just “feels right.” Tormala and Tucker present research conducted in the areas of consensus, repetition, ease and defense as variables that companies can implement to increase the level of certainty. Essentially, the authors use certainty to make a belief, a standpoint or an argument more persuasive, whether it is for an organization’s internal effort to increase or introduce an initiative or it is to be used in a marketing campaign for a new product.
The first element of consensus implies that when a belief is shared by the majority of people in our surroundings, it is more likely that we will adapt ourselves to see things as the majority sees things. In this case the certainty must be transmitted to the customer themselves from the seller’s side. The article mentions a study that was made by John Petrocelli, wherein undergraduates were asked to state their belief on a fictitious university policy that would require students to swipe their id cards in order to go in and out of campus buildings. The findings of the study concluded that when students were told that 89% of students shared their opinion, their level of certainty increased, while the group of students who were told that 11% of the students agreed with them had a weaker feeling of certainty. Furthermore, the article proposes that there are two methods that may be used in companies to increase consensus among customers and internal settings. The first is that through the use of customer satisfaction surveys, the survey will include a positive response to the response of the customer by giving feedback such as “Thank you for your four-star review! 85% of our reviewers feel the same way!” The second method suggests that within interpersonal and organizational settings a response from a client implying interest such as “I’ve never thought of it that way” should be responded with a natural “Another client just said the same thing yesterday,” as bridging the client’s uncertainty with validation is shown to help customers feel that they have made the right decision.
The second element that brings certainty into the mind of customers requires that the seller or the marketer repeat their message in such a way that it increases the customer’s sense of certainty in the product. By applying this method, managers must encourage “customers, employees, and other stakeholders to express positive opinions or positions aligned with corporate goals as often as possible.” Methods that are commonly used today are through social media where a customer can simply “like” or "share" a product. Similar to the consensus effect, the effect of repetition can be applied by using a survey. In the survey, instead of asking one question to the customer about their overall experience at a restaurant or at a hotel, the survey may instead have 5 or 6 questions which request deeper reflection of their overall experience. This may occur, for example, by asking “how was the cleanliness of the room,” or “how fast was the service,” as such questions give more certainty to the client. While in an interpersonal context, it may be important to endorse the message of a candidate who shares your opinion by saying a simple phrase such as “Interesting point. Can you say that again so that everyone can hear you?”
The third and fourth elements that the authors suggest will create a sense of certainty in the customer are ease and defense. How easy it is to make a decision? According to Tormala and Tucker, “A large body of research shows that the more easily an idea comes to mind, the more certain we are of it,” as defending your position on an idea strengthens certainty and advocacy in an argument.
The insight given by the professors is enticing and thought-provoking. While reading through this journal entry, one recurring thought kept prompting me to ask -- are these the secrets of the dictators who managed to extend their beliefs and convictions to entire societies to have purposefully changed the history of our world? If so, how can we draw a line between influence and manipulation, and how can leaders use their knowledge to influence others without taking advantage of people unconscientiously.
I recommend this piece to anyone interested in advocating for their product or idea. However, let us not forget to ask that when a concept for a product or idea is advocated, is this being done using moral strategies which avoid manipulating others' inalienable rights to their beliefs and positions. With this in mind I leave you with some words that someone very dear to me has ever offered me in life: “it is not about what you do, but it is how you do it that matters.”
Isabella J. Veronesi
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Other articles of the same issue:
Bernard Ramanantsoa: “Power is closely linked to the depth of human beings”
Ted Sarandos: the number-cruncher directing your viewing habits