65 of 66 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Exceptional Review of Persuasion Methods, January 31, 2008
This review is from: The 7 Triggers to Yes: The New Science Behind Influencing People's Decisions (Hardcover)
I wish I could rate this book five stars because it does indeed have very valuable insights on the topic of persuasion; however, the fact that the first 16 pages (all of chapter 1) were written to convince me that the rest of the book was super valuable because it was based on modern research created a foundation on which the author did not build. In other words, "Where's the research?" In the end, there was very little presented about actual research.
The continual comments saying that "until recently" we thought that persuasion happend based on rational decisions is simply not true. Robert Conklin, How to Get People to Do Things, wrote, "People do things for emotional reasons. Resistance is emotional. It's difficult to dilute it by logic. But you can replace it with positive emotions, benefits" (1979) In other words, hope.
I think it's important to keep in mind that the way we "learn" how things work is through observation. The author places great emphasis on how we can see areas of the brain light up and, since we know what those areas do, we know that function is being utilized. The reality is that we know that area is active, but we do not know that the information it provides is actually used in a the final decision. In other words, I may reference three research papers before I decide on a certain action; however, I may not use the information in the second paper as a factor in my decision. Just because part of the brain is active does not mean that I ultimately make my decision based on that part of the brain.
Now, let me be clear: I'm not saying the author is wrong when he says that decisions are made and persuasion happens based on emotions. I agree; however, we've know this for years. Anyone involved in sales knows that she gets better results when she appeals to emotions as well as logic instead of just logic alone. We have "observed" this for over a century. I have sales books written in the late 1800s and early 1900s that encourage you to appeal to the emotions or passions of the buyer and not just the intelligence.
With that said, the concepts in the book are unquestionably useful. I had actually hoped to learn more of the "whys" that make them useful. This, sadly, was not the result; however, the book stands well alongside such classics as Cialdini's. Here are the seven triggers presented in the book:
1) Friendship Trigger
2) Authority Trigger
3) Consistency Trigger
4) Reciprocity Trigger
5) Contrast Trigger
6) Reason Why Trigger
7) Hope Trigger
(NOTE: These seven triggers are listed on the dust jacket.) Let's compare these to Robert Cialdini's "weapons" of influence (as opposed to triggers):
1) Reciprocity (like this book's #4)
2) Commitment and Consistency (like this book's #3)
3) Social Proof (like this book's #6)
4) Liking (like this book's #1)
5) Authority (like this book's #2)
6) Scarcity (like this book's #6)
A) Contrast Principle (like this book's #5)
I listed the contrast principle as "A" because it is not listed as one of Cialdini's 6 methods of incluence. The point is that 75-80 percent of this book is found in Cialdini's work with very little additional information. I'm not suggesting this author stole the material - only that it's not new.
I should point out that Russell Granger has added a new influence weapon (persuasion trigger) called hope that was not directly covered in Cialdini's earlier, Influence - How and Why People Agree to Things. This concept is the positive version of using fear. For example, many books on influence speak of fear being a powerful motivator. What they mean is that, in order for people to have hope, they must first fear not having it. Instilling fear of a real or false scenario and then showing them that you have a way to avoid that scenario takes them from fear to hope. I like the positive message of 7 Triggers much better myself.
Due to the fact that this book, I feel, teaches the principles of Cialdini better than Cialdini's book, I still give it four stars. Had there been detailed research related to each of the 7 triggers as promised, I would have given it five. The early chapters do, at least, present some modern research - though this research is never clearly linked to the 7 triggers.
If you have not read a book on influence, I would definitely read this book. If you've not read Cialdini's book, I'd read this one first. Also, be sure to read Managing at the Speed of Change by Daryl Conner. Trust me, the "hope" trigger will be much clearer to you after you read the chapter in Mr. Conner's book titled the process of change. In fact, ALL persuasion is changing the mind and motivation of the other person. If not, then they would not need persuading, would they?
-Tom Carpenter
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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Influence Light, April 6, 2008
This review is from: The 7 Triggers to Yes: The New Science Behind Influencing People's Decisions (Hardcover)
Russ Granger developed a training program for insurance people called PRISMs. Because of his insurance background, and the fact that he offers a one day course on influence, I decided to read his book. If Dr. Robert Cialdini's work (Influence: Science and Practice) is Starbucks then this book is Folgers because it's a very, very light treatment of a complex subject.
The author talks about "new science" but he basically states over and over that brain scanning tells us the amygdala lights up but then doesn't really tell us much. Anyone in sales knew before brain scanning that people make decisions emotionally then try to justify with logic and reason. He barely sites social science or studies to show how much more effective you can become when applying persuasion principles correctly. Personally I found other works far more persuasive when they showed me X number of people responded a certain way then 2X or 3X responded a different way when the understanding of influence was strategically used.
He also mixes up consistency and social proof and there's a big difference. Read Cialdini's book and you'll clearly see that. And, with consistency he never taps into the power...stop making statements and start asking questions. That simple process triggers consistency because people want to remain true to their word.
The coverage of the actual 7 triggers is not even 100 pages. If you've read other works (Cialdini, Mortensen, Hogan or Levine) you know that's way too light for such an interesting concept.
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Practical Book for Persuasion Practitioners, April 8, 2008
This review is from: The 7 Triggers to Yes: The New Science Behind Influencing People's Decisions (Hardcover)
This book is ideal for "persuasion peractitioners." If you're in the business of sales, marketing, teaching/education - then this is a wonderful book for you.
Since I'm a marketing strategist that specializes in customer loyalty and differentiation, I couldn't resist this book. I have to admit the title had me at hello. The back jacket had me salivating at the shelf and the inside fold gave me the specifics I was looking for. I was sold.
If you've already read Cialdini - you'll find this has a lot of the same information, but what I like about this book is the practical applications and suggestions for sales and marketing types. If you're looking for lots of deep brain science, this might not be a good choice for you; but if you're looking for practical applications of persuasion principles, you'll find this useful.
Much of the first part of the book goes into the exciting science behind emotional triggers and how our brain reacts to emotion compared to logi But then it get's even better. Russ Granger devotes a chapter to each of the seven triggers (which are really well covered in another review here) and then he also offers a web site [...] where you can get downloadable worksheets that you can use to actually apply the triggers to your professional life.
This is what I really enjoy. Granger comes at the book from his own personal experience and use of the principles. It's written in an engaging and friendly tone and is really easy to get through quickly. It took me a couple hours to plow through it - but I've been using it as a reference tool constantly as I prepare for meetings, sales calls and even to write marketing materials.
Buy it. Read it, and most importantly use it.
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