2015-05-29 08:31:51
Kevin Hogan
May 26, 2015
Imagine that you really need to convince someone to do something, such as
following through on a task. You might be surprised to learn that one of the
best ways to get someone to comply with your request is through a tiny nuance
that adds a personal touch attaching a sticky note.
A brilliant set of experiments by Randy Garner at Sam Houston State University
in Huntsville found that a) adding a personal touch, and b) making someone feel
like you re asking a favor of them (and not just anyone) can bring about
impressive results when done in tandem.
The goal of Garner s experiments was to see what was necessary to generate
compliance in completing surveys which are often quite lengthy and tedious by
fellow professors at the university, using only interoffice mail as the conduit
of communication. The wild card factor in these experiments was the use of
sticky notes. In one experiment, he sent surveys to three separate groups of 50
professors (150 professors total). Three groups received three different
requests, as follows:
Group 1 received a survey with a sticky note attached asking for the return of
the completed survey.
Group 2 received a survey with the same handwritten message on the cover letter
instead of an attached sticky note.
Group 3 received a survey with a cover letter, but no handwritten message.
What happened?
Group 3: 36% of the professors returned the survey.
Group 2: 48% of the professors returned the survey.
Group 1: 76% of the professors returned the survey.
Generalizing this experiment in other contexts simply requires understanding
why the sticky note worked so well. It represents many powerful behavioral
triggers all in one little object:
It doesn t match the environment the sticky note takes up space and looks a bit
cluttered. The brain, therefore, wants it gone.
It gets attention first because of #1. It s difficult to ignore.
It s personalized. (That s the difference between Group 2 and Group 3 in the
experiment.)
Ultimately, the sticky note represents one person communicating with another
important person almost as if it is a favor or special request, which makes the
recipient feel important.
Garner couldn t help but explore the sticky note factor further. He decided to
do a second experiment where he sent a group of professors a blank sticky note
attached to one of the surveys. Here s what happened:
Group 1 received a survey with a personalized sticky note message.
Group 2 received a survey with a blank sticky note attached.
Group 3 received a survey with no sticky note.
What happened in the second study?
Group 3: 34% returned the survey with no sticky note (similar to the first
experiment).
Group 2: 43% returned the survey with the blank sticky note
Group 1: 69% returned the survey with the personalized sticky note (similar to
the first experiment).
The real magic, it seems, is not the sticky note itself, but the sense of
connection, meaning, and identity that the sticky note represents. The person
sending the survey is personally asking me in a special way (not just writing
it on the survey) to help him or her out.
But there s more to compliance than just the result. There s also the speed of
compliance and the quality of the effort. Garner experimented to see how
quickly people would return a follow-up survey if there was a sticky note
attached and also measured how much information the person being surveyed
returned if there was a sticky note attached vs. the group that received no
sticky note. Here s what he found:
Group 1 (with sticky note) returned their self-addressed stamped envelopes
(SASEs) and surveys within an average of about 4 days.
Group 2 (no sticky note) returned their SASEs and surveys in an average of
about 5 1/2 days.
But the most notable difference is that Group 1 also sent significantly more
comments and answered other open-ended questions with more words than Group 2
did.
Further experiments revealed that if a task is easy to perform or comply with,
a simple sticky note request needs no further personalization. But, when the
task is more involved, a more highly personalized sticky note was significantly
more effective than a simple standard sticky note request. What makes it truly
personal? Writing a brief message is effective, but adding the person s first
name at the top and your initials at the bottom causes significantly greater
compliance.
I ve used this personalization theory with business people around the world to
great success. For example, a mortgage broker I worked with tested this
approach in mailings, effectively doubling the number of phone calls from
people pursuing a loan with the broker. And it s not just effective at the
office or with clients the people you live with are going to respond to the
sticky note model as well. (Try sticking one on the bathroom mirror and see
what happens.)
Recently, the personalized sticky note has been put into digital form for use
in email, to mixed results. It s most effective in email when the two people
have met, or know each other. It had only had modest effect in sales letters
designed to make an immediate sale, when the reader didn t know the author of
the sales letter. Using the notes in sales letters designed for current clients
and customers needs further testing.
The next time you need colleagues to comply with a request, or the next time
you re giving a potential client a portfolio to review, try leaving a sticky
note. A small personal touch will go a long way toward getting the results you
want.
Kevin Hogan, PsyD is the author of 21 books, including The Science of Influence
and The Psychology of Persuasion. Learn more about his work at kevinhogan.com.