Motley Fool Hidden Gems Investing - Change One Word to Win Support For Your Idea

Episode Date: August 25, 2020

Looking to get support for your ideas? Dr. Robert Cialdini, author of the best-selling book Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, recommends using a key word when making the request.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With a Motley Fool Money Extra, I'm Chris Hill. So maybe you've got an idea you want to pitch your boss. Do it the right way and you might get the support you're looking for. For tips on how, we turn to Dr. Robert Cialdini. A long-time professor of psychology and marketing, Cialdini says a subtle approach can boost the odds in your favor. Let me give you an example of subtlety by changing one word in what you ask your boss for when you have a new plan or an initiative or an idea that you want support for from

your superiors. So typically what we do is we develop the blueprint for our plan, perhaps a draft of And then we give it to the boss and say, I'd love to have your opinion on this. Could you give me your opinion? That's wrong. Because psychologically, when you ask for someone's opinion, that person takes a psychological step back from you and into him or herself. They look inside and separate from you. If instead of asking for an opinion, you ask for that person's advice, psychologically, that individual takes a step towards you.

Because advice causes people to go into a cooperative, collaborative partnership kind of mindset. It's a teamwork kind of mindset. And that person steps towards you and your idea. And the research shows if you ask for advice instead of an opinion, you get more support for whatever it is that you propose. So here's a subtle thing we can do. You're not coming on more strongly by saying advice as opposed to opinion, and yet it works significantly better. If you want to learn more, check out Cialdini's bestselling book, The Psychology of Persuasion.

I'm Chris Hill, thanks for listening, we'll see you next time.