YES!: 7 Ways to Get People to Do What You Want

There will come times in our careers as marketers where we are trying to convince people to do things we want. Whether it's purchasing a particular product, asking for a referral letter from a boss we don't care for, or even getting the CFO to sign off on additional marketing funds.

Sometimes, making such requests can be daunting. The thought of being shot down can lead a lot of people to find an alternative solution. Fortunately for us, YES! teaches several techniques to persuade people to, well, say yes, even the request seem big.

Here are 7 tips for getting people to say yes to you:

1. Make the Message Positive
Instead of designing your marketing message around a negative point that you're hoping will scare people into doing what you say. Focus on the positive. For instance, let's say you're in charge of a stop smoking campaign. Traditionally, people focus on the negative, saying, "X amount of people died last year from smoking." Focus on the positive. "X amount of people quit smoking and lowered their risk for lung cancer." The more positive message still includes a large number, and it makes people want to be a part of the mentioned group.

2. Reverse the Traditional Incentive
The traditional incentives commonly used in marketing ask people to complete a task in order to receive a reward. However, a study on hotel towel recycling reversed this and provided an incentive then made a request. Guests were more likely to comply with requests to reuse their towels when they saw a positive action being taken by the company asking something from them. Translating this to my job. Instead of asking people to take a pictures of their orders and post it to Facebook to get a coupon code, we randomly selected winners to receive free products based off comments posted on a status update.  We sent a package to the winners with their product, in which we included an insert asking them to take a picture of the item they won along with a specified hashtag. We received much more participation in the second request than the first.

3. Get your Foot in the Door
Looking for customer feedback? Maybe your survey is a little lengthy. Here's a trick: start with a smaller survey or poll, then send the lengthy survey to those who participated in the smaller poll. Studies show that those who honor a small request, are likely to honor a larger request following the small one. This technique is called getting your foot in the door. It can also translate to sales. Those who buy a smaller item, are more likely to buy a bigger item later on.

4. Label Desirable Attributes in People
Sometimes we have to remind people that they are capable of what we are requesting them. Let's say

you are requesting for a bigger budget on a particular project, one you know that is beneficial for the company overall. You meet with your CFO who is known for making responsible business decisions. It is in your favor to tell him/her, "You are a practical, responsible Financial Officer. You always do what is right for the company. I know you'll make the right choice in this instance, too." If the budget increase is really beneficial, and your CFO reflects on your statements, that budget increase may come a bit easier than you anticipated. People often act the way people perceive them, especially when those perceived qualities are good.

5. Ask for a Favor
If you are looking to improve your relationship with an individual, Benjamin Franklin teaches that instead of playing a kiss up, to simply ask the person a favor. When you do this and they oblige, they build a connection with you after reasoning within themselves why they would do this favor for someone they don't know/don't like.

6. Point out Similarities
As odd as this sounds, and as far fetched, people are more likely to participate in your marketing when they are addressed by someone with a similar name or birthday. Often times it is  even subconscious, too.  Let's say you run a large call center where you are starting a new campaign. If possible, have Cara and Carl call out to all the C names on your list. Have Sally and Steven call out to the S names. These small similarities can make a difference in the quality and participation of those calls.

7. Give them a Reason
When I was a kid, I would always get frustrated with my mom when she would tell me no. It wasn't even so much that I didn't get to do what I wanted, rather I never knew why I couldn't do it. She never gave me a reason. Turns out this frustration is often transferred to adulthood. People are more likely to honor your request when you follow it with "because blah blah blah." Giving them a reason for your request or action makes it easier for them to oblige.

Isn't it time to start getting what you want out of the people you market to? Well, I think YES!

What are some other effective ways you've found to get people to participate in your requests?