How powerful is an apology?
eap-talk apologies to angry customers produce better results than offering money: How should firms react to customer complaints after an unsatisfactory purchase? In a field experiment, we test the effect of different reactions and find that a cheap-talk apology yields significantly better outcomes for the firm than offering a monetary compensation. Source: "The power of apology" from Economics Letters, Volume 107, Issue 2, May 2010, Pages 233-235 Join over 185,000 readers. Get a free weekly update via email here. Related posts: How To Stop…
1 min read
Does happiness or sadness make us better negotiators?
their version, before beginning the game, Lount and Murnighan asked some trustors to write about an experience that made them happy and asked other trustors to write about an experience that made them sad. They then played the trust game. Among “happy” trustors, 53% gave recipients the full $10; only 21% of “sad” trustors did the same. On average, happy trustors gave away $6.76, and sad trustors gave away $5.58. It appears that a sad mood decreases trust and…
1 min read
What’s an easy way to get others to agree to help you out?
monstrate that the two of you have something in common: Four studies examined the effect of an incidental similarity on compliance to a request. Undergraduates who believed they shared a birthday (Study 1), a first name (Study 2), or fingerprint similarities (Study 3) with a requester were more likely to comply with a request than participants who did not perceive an incidental similarity with the requester. The findings are consistent with past research demonstrating that people often rely on heuristic…
1 min read
What 7 negotiating tricks can we learn from FBI hostage negotiators?
ry Noesner, former chief negotiator with the FBI's Critical Incident Response Group and author of Stalling for Time: My Life as an FBI Hostage Negotiator wrote an interesting piece on active listening skills. You don't need to be dealing with barricaded gunmen to improve your communication skills with the techniques he describes. In the early part of any negotiation, information exchange and building rapport are key. These are some of the most powerful and tested techniques available to achieve those goals: …
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Here’s the best way to apologize
n't apologize for what you think you did wrong. Apologize for what they think you did wrong: Apologies are useful social tools that can act as catalysts in the resolution of conflict and inspire forgiveness. Yet as numerous real-world blunders attest, apologies are not always effective. Whereas many lead to forgiveness and reconciliation, others simply fall on deaf ears. Despite the fact that apologies differ in their effectiveness, most research has focused on apologies as dichotomous phenomena wherein a victim…
1 min read
Guys, how should you speak so women remember what you say?
en take note: If you want women to remember, speak to them in a low pitch voice." Via Eurekalert: ...according to a new study by David Smith and colleagues from the University of Aberdeen in the UK. Their work shows for the first time that a low masculine voice is important for both mate choice and the accuracy of women's memory. The research is published online in Springer's journal, Memory & Cognition. Join over 190,000 readers. Get a free weekly update via…
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How much of office gossip is true?
a Dimensions of Nursing Management: The informal communication network -- i.e. the grapevine -- is an inherent part of the organization. This network helps employees to make sense about the world around them and in this way it provides a relief from emotional stress. If left unguarded, the grapevine can become an organization's worst enemy, but when it is managed properly it can significantly increase the productivity and job satisfaction of employees (Simmons 1985L 39). The grapevine's communication does not…
1 min read
Do rhetorical questions make arguments more or less persuasive?
undergraduates were exposed to arguments advocating supplemental vitamin use. Ending arguments with rhetorical questions (when compared with statements) resulted in more favorable attitudes towards vitamin use and a more favorable profile of questions generated about the message topic. The question profile, principally reflecting uncertainty concerning personal nutrition, mediated the attitudinal effect. Source: "Question effects on question generation and the mediation of attitude change." from Psychol Rep. 1994 Aug;75(1 Pt 1):209-10. Join over 135,000 readers. Get a free weekly update via email here. Related…
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