Essential reading for the weekend…
They say money can’t buy happiness, but can science get you to a happier state? Lots of researchers are working on that, so the answer may be “yes.” Dr. Jeremy Dean (@PsyBlog) shares some of the latest work in Happiness: 10 Fascinating New Psychology Studies Everyone Should Know.
Here’s a fun fact about the ubiquitous “sales funnel” – it was invented 116 years ago. And, according to Liz O’Neill (@LizKONeill), this traditional model used by marketers, conversion experts, and others is showing its age. Liz explains in Why It’s Time for Marketers to Rethink the Sales Funnel. Goodbye sales funnel, hello Persuasion Slide? 😉
If you ever give presentations and speeches, be aware that you are being judged before you even open your mouth. And, as you talk, there’s a second channel of communication as your listeners subconsciously process your gestures and body position. Richard Feloni (@RichFeloni) explains how to keep our words and body from getting out of sync in The 10 Worst Body Language Mistakes People Make While Giving Presentations.
We all strive to be productive, and we are all looking for tricks to boost our output without increasing the time we spend on those tasks. We often try to mimic other people who seem highly productive. But, according to Dan Ariely (@danariely), the key to getting more done lies partly within ourselves. Dan asks and answers, is there A Secret Ingredient in the Recipe for Productivity?
Who doesn’t want to be more persuasive? Steve J. Martin (@scienceofyes) gives us 5 Easy Ways To Become A Highly Persuasive Person. Regular Neuromarketing readers will probably be familiar with at least a few of these, but it’s a quick reminder of a few scientifically proven persuasion boosters.
There are a million social media experts who will tell you how to maximize your social reach, but very few who actually base their recommendations on serious research. My friend Dan Zarrella (@danzarrella) is one of those who does the heavy lifting. In this infographic, Dan shares what he found about the wildly popular photo-sharing service: The Science of Instagram.
While we’re on the topic of optimizing our return on social media, here’s a different way of looking at it. Urooj Kazi (@TheUrooj) explains The Psychology Of Making It Big On Twitter.
What does ritual bring to mind for you? A religious ceremony? Some kind of obsessive-compulsive behavior? Think again… Dr. Art Markman (@abmarkman) explains The Importance of Ritual to the Creative Process. (Also, check out my very recent interview with Art in Smart Thinking, Smart Change with Art Markman.
If you have gotten this far, I will assume these two things are true: 1) You can read. 2) You have an interest in persuasion psychology and related topics. Assuming I’m right, now check out this compilation by Gregory Ciotti (@GregoryCiotti): 25 Books on Persuasion, Influence and Understanding Human Behavior.
My Stuff
Last Sunday’s Dilbert comic strip (by Scott Adams) caught my eye, as it had Dilbert’s CEO encouraging the use of “psychological manipulation” to sell more product. Is neuromarketing manipulative? Is the use of psychological tactics unethical? You’ll get a chuckle from Manipulation vs. Customer Focus, Dilbert-style, but we look at the bigger issue of ethics, too. Some good comments on that post, add your own thoughts!
This week’s Brainfluence podcast features the world’s first Chief Content Officer, Ann Handley (@MarketingProfs). We have a lively chat that will help you create amazing content… Ann and I discuss business story-telling, the advantages of working with a co-author vs. flying solo, and lots more. It’s all in Episode #23: Creating Compelling Content with Ann Handley (listen or read)!
If you missed our picks last week, it’s not too late. They included articles about brain-focused landing pages, coffee naps, career advice from Dan Pink, proof that EEG studies can predict mass market behavior, and lots more. It’s all in The Perfect Daily Routine, Landing Page Secrets, more – Roger’s Picks.
Did you find (or create) something great this week? Share it in a link!
