Invisible Influence

Think about a choice you made recently.  Any choice.  Which breakfast cereal to buy, movie to see, or a more important decision, like which political candidate to support or career to pursue.    Why did you pick the particular option you ended up choosing?  Seems like an easy question.  The nation that our choices are driven by our own personal preferences and opinions seems to obvious that it's not even worth mentioning.   Except that it's wrong.  

Author Dr. Jonah Berger believes and has researched what makes us really make certain choices, and in his book he uses stats and stories to show how our decisions work, particularly in the area of social influence.  He gives us:

*  Strategies for motivating yourself  (and others):

Berger explains what motivates us - at the office, at the gym, or during a study session - and how peers can help us achieve our goals.  He sheds light on why losing can lead to winning and how a power company is using these insights to reduce household energy use.

*  Why new products should be different, but not too different:

Being different isn't the key to success.  Being optimally distinct is.  Similar enough to be familiar, but different enough to feel new.  Berger shows how popular products like the iMac and TiVo leveraged this idea to drive their success and explains why the "Horsey Horseless" - a life-size replica of a horse head that was attached to the front of buggies over 100 years ago - helped make cars seem less threatening

*  How to make better decisions - both on our own and in groups:

Others can lead us to make better choices but they an also lead us astray.  How can we ensure social influence guides us in the right direction?  From being the first to order at your table when out to eat with friends to avoiding group think at the office, Berger reveals hidden ways others influence our choices - and what we can do to have more control and better results.

*  Use mimicry to turn strangers into allies;

When pitching a project, negotiating a new contract, or interviewing for your dream job, Berger explains how subtly imitating the language, behavior or facial expressions of others smooths interactions and facilitates desired outcomes.

* Benefits of recognizing "social influence" in your own life:

Choosing a career.  Buying a new car.  Deciding who to marry.  Without realizing it, others have a huge influence on everything we do.  Berger demonstrates how by understanding how social influence works, we can harness its power.