Nudge

I shrunk Britain’s favourite bread and showed it to a dozen Brits from Bolton. I was experimenting with shrinkflation. Companies shrink the size of their products without changing the price, benefiting from a psychological bias that means we struggle to notice small changes. Today, chatting with Grace Forell from Which?, I figure out the psychology behind shrinkflation, why it works, and I test if anyone notices my shrunken loaf of bread.  Methods of Persuasion: https://www.kolenda.io/books Grace Forell’s podcast: https://tinyurl.com/38hu99bu

Today, I try to persuade 20 total strangers to listen to Nudge. To help, I’ve asked Brain Ahearn for advice. Brian’s Tedx talk on pre-suasion has been viewed by over 1 million people. He teaches tactics that anyone can use. So, I put his advice to the test. I’ve found 40 strangers and asked them if they’d listen to Nudge, but for 20 I used Brian’s ‘pre-suasion’. Did it work? Tune in to find out.  Brian’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfahearn/ Brian’s website: https://influencepeople.biz/ Learn more about Voxpopme: https://www.voxpopme.com/

What makes us happy? This question generates wildly different answers. I asked four Nudge listeners and got four different answers. Being the behavioural science nerd I am, I’ve always wondered if there is a scientific answer to this question. Is there a study that reveals the secrets behind the good life? Yes, there is. It’s the longest study on human happiness ever conducted. Today, I spoke to Marc Schulz, the associate director of that study, and he shared the results. What causes a happy life? Find out on today’s episode of Nudge. Marc’s book The Good Life: https://tinyurl.com/3fzcwuhp Access the Bonus Episode: https://nudge.ck.page/8c8b5f6c05

Robert Cialdini is known to most as the godfather of influence. But is his 40-year-old book still relevant? Today, with Bas Wouters, best-selling author and CEO of the Cialdini Influence, we debate whether Cialdini’s 1984 findings still apply.  How I persuaded 8 influencers to promote Nudge: https://tinyurl.com/y8dvy9xk Bas’s book Online Influence: https://www.onlineinfluence.com/book-online-influence/ Cialdini’s latest edition of Influence: https://tinyurl.com/2sdz9524 BBC’s Bickman experiment: https://youtu.be/4jcleVvgchs?si=hxG2nodA_1vAZfDS Subscribe to the (free) Nudge Newsletter: https://nudge.ck.page/profile

I’ve spent hundreds of hours playing Nintendo Brain Training. I’ve always thought it’d make me smarter. Most people agree. I asked 25 Brits, and 24 said it “helps their memory.” And yet, my guest on Nudge, Prof Dan Simons, thinks we’re all wrong. So, does Nintendo brain training work? Well, in today’s episode of Nudge, I find out.  First, I analysed the dozens of ads Nintendo had put out. I share the psychological nudges they used to persuade us and how they made their game so popular. Then, I run my own experiment. For 5 days, I play Nintendo Brain Training. I record my progress and measure if my intelligence has improved after a week. And finally, I chat with Professor Dan Simons and hear why he thinks so many people like me were lured in by Brain Training’s claims.  Subscribe to the (free) Nudge Newsletter: https://nudge.ck.page/profile Learn more about Voxpopme: https://www.voxpopme.com/

This advice has changed the way I work.  Professor Adam Alter covers the science behind creativity, Bob Dylan’s songwriting tricks, Pfizer’s profitable pivot, Pixar’s crowd-based wisdom, and one study that changed my perspective on creativity.  Adam’s book: https://adamalterauthor.com/anatomy Subscribe to the (free) Nudge Newsletter: https://nudge.ck.page/profile Mike Temple’s Blowin’ cover: https://youtu.be/tFgohZ8xtnI?si=z0LYO9E2qX5PCEEw

Professor Danny Zane told me to slightly change how I promote my products. His advice increased my sales by 600%. Today, on Nudge, I reveal what he told me.  Danny’s webpage at Lehigh: https://business.lehigh.edu/directory/daniel-zane The email engagement results: https://im.ge/i/The-email-engagement-results.fEAXyX The sale results: https://im.ge/i/The-sale-results.fEAos9 Subscribe to the (free) Nudge Newsletter: https://nudge.ck.page/profile

Tesco is the largest UK employer. They conduct almost 1 million interviews a year, yet I think they might be pointless. Today, I will share psychological studies showing common interview flaws. I explain why so many of us are bad at predicting what others think and suggest a better way to conduct interviews.  Thinking Fast and Slow: https://tinyurl.com/msd3kz9b Talking to Strangers: https://tinyurl.com/yewvrwb5 Subscribe to the (free) Nudge Newsletter: https://nudge.ck.page/profile

Fraudsters use four common tactics to con you. These tactics have been proven to work in scientific labs, adopted by the world’s best marketers, and used by scammers to manipulate and persuade. Are you being conned? Find out on today’s episode of Nudge with Dan Simons. Dan's book: https://www.dansimons.com/NobodysFool.html Subscribe to the (free) Nudge Newsletter: https://nudge.ck.page/profile

There’s a strange ritual Messi does at the start of every game that helps make him great. This ritual also helps job candidates succeed in interviews, sketch comedians create better jokes, and helped A-ha write Take On Me. To hear what it is, listen to bestselling author Adam Alter teach me the science behind beating procrastination.  Adam’s book: https://adamalterauthor.com/anatomy Subscribe to the (free) Nudge Newsletter: https://nudge.ck.page/profile

Whether clinking a glass with a friend, blowing on a cake, touching wood for good luck or tapping the plane before boarding, most of us have at least one weird ritual. Today’s guest, Harvard Professor Mike Norton, studied them for years. In today’s Nudge episode, he shares his findings. It turns out that those odd rituals are more important than we think.  Mike’s book Ritual Effect: https://tinyurl.com/mwbvws3n Subscribe to the (free) Nudge Newsletter: https://nudge.ck.page/profile

I didn’t pay them. I didn’t force them. I didn’t even try to persuade them. No, to convince these 8 influencers I used an extremely powerful psychological bias. This same bias has been used to sell one thousand pounds of cheese in three hours, turn greedy bankers into charitable donors, and (potentially) save us from nuclear war. Listen to find out how I persuaded 8 influencers to promote this podcast.  The (free) Science of Persuasion course: https://nudge.ck.page/persuasion-course The Science of Marketing course: https://nudge.ck.page/persuasion-course Robert Cialdini’s new edition of Influence: https://tinyurl.com/2pn23p83 Subscribe to the (free) Nudge Newsletter: https://nudge.ck.page/profile

I interviewed a (former) mind reader. He still reads minds today, but not for gimmicks. Instead, he uses his powers to help companies increase their sales. Today on Nudge, he shares 21 psychology-inspired tips that are proven to increase revenue. Nick's newsletter: https://www.kolenda.io/ Subscribe to the (free) Nudge Newsletter: https://nudge.ck.page/profile

The bestselling author of The Power of Habits and Supercommunicators shared his top communication advice. Today, on Nudge, I tested Charles Duhigg's advice on four strangers. Will his advice make me more popular? Access the bonus episode: https://nudge.ck.page/72cea6802d Charles's book Supercommunicators: https://tinyurl.com/447wkpmz Subscribe to the (free) Nudge Newsletter: https://nudge.ck.page/profile

Facebook has developed AI that’s smart enough to manipulate and persuade humans. Political spinsters have used it to persuade voters. Scam artists used it to con thousands of people at scale. Yet, I’m most worried about how AI might take my job, how AI is almost certain to become a better podcaster, writer, and marketer than me. Today, I share what happens when AI can persuade humans, and I suggest a way for all of us to keep our jobs in an AI-dominated world of work.  The Coming Wave: https://tinyurl.com/pvsbvhuh Subscribe to the (free) Nudge Newsletter: https://nudge.ck.page/profile

What do Maradona’s Hand of God and Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream” have in common? Both might be due to cognitive biases. Today, on Nudge, Nuala Walsh shares seven cognitive biases that shape our decisions and might ruin my life.   Nuala’s book: https://www.nualagwalsh.com/ Nuala’s TED talk: https://youtu.be/xLSAkVxPOk0?si=PPjFSAO7tk8VszPM Subscribe to the (free) Nudge Newsletter: https://nudge.ck.page/profile

He lied to his students, his friends, and his family. He fabricated data in 57 separate studies. He publicised racist views as scientific fact. And for a decade, he got away with it. Today, I share how one of the world’s most popular behavioural scientists fooled the world. Nobody’s Fool: https://tinyurl.com/yv6pf93v Influence: https://www.influenceatwork.com/store-new/ Subscribe to the (free) Nudge Newsletter: https://nudge.ck.page/profile

In today’s episode of Nudge, Rory Sutherland explains how to Sell a £500 hoover Make a flight delay pleasurable  Improve the London Tube map  Persuade more effectively Make any cafe more popular  Stop drink drivers  It’s a cracker.  (A version of this episode was released in 2021, but it’s been heavily edited so still worth tuning in to). Access the bonus episode here: https://nudge.ck.page/a48dd10ceb Rory’s book Alchemy: http://tinyurl.com/3ucjy6rz Sign up for the Nudge Newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list

What do election winners have in common? What makes a speech more persuasive? Are there tactics that every politician follows? And can we use these same tactics in our day-to-day work? I’ve spent the past week listening to nothing but election winning speeches. Today, I share what makes an election winning speech.  Derek’s book Hit Makers: https://tinyurl.com/yeymzds8 Jonah’s book Magic Words: https://jonahberger.com/magic-words/ Follow the Nudge Newsletter (it’s free): https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list

In today’s episode of Nudge, Rory Sutherland explains: The reason behind Brexit  How doormen were undervalued  What bees teach us about creativity  The problem with R&D  Amazon’s two way door  Don’t miss this.  (Warning this episode contains explicit language). Access the bonus episode here: https://nudge.ck.page/a48dd10ceb Rory’s book Alchemy: http://tinyurl.com/3ucjy6rz Sign up to the Nudge Newsletter: https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list