Walk down a suburban street and you may come across a sign following. It’s probably complicated due to poor formatting and inconsistent font size. Here’s one I saw in Houston.
One line stuck with me. It reads, “Cleaning window.” I love this board because it shows something that most marketers forget. K&C Window Cleaning doesn’t try to persuade you with brash slogans or brazen claims. They are much thinner and this makes them subtly more effective.
Even though the ads are about influence, no one wants to be sold to. Instead, this sign uses psychology to trick people into thinking, “Other people are using the service, so maybe it’s time to clean my windows.” The idea seems organic and nothing seems forced.
Summary
We follow the actions of others
In 2008, legendary researcher Robert Cialdini ran an infamous study. After spending over 80 days in a mid-range hotel in the southwestern United States, the three researchers performed tests in 190 rooms. Their goal was to encourage visitors to reuse their towels. Inside the room they tested several signs with over 1,058 guests.
First, they tested a standard environmental message that said, “Help save the environment.” The guests said that this message would probably persuade them. But the researchers also tested a message that said “most guests reuse their towels.” The results were surprising. 
The environmental appeal encouraged reuse by 35%, but the suggestion that most guests reused their towels increased reuse to 44%. But then they added a third message: “Most guests in this room reuse their towels.”
This had an even greater impact. Now, nearly 50% of guests reused their old towels, compared to 35% of the control group. The conclusion is simple: we follow the actions of others.
So, if a neighbor pays for window cleaning, we will consider doing the same. But marketers forget something important: Consumers don’t like to feel forced.
We don’t like to feel forced
Messages like “we are the most popular” and “we are number one” work, but they are not perfect. Nicolas Guéguen in 2000 they demonstrated that people are more likely to act if they feel autonomous, not forced.
The study attempted to persuade French commuters to save a few coins for a bus ticket. The researchers tried two messages, which produced surprisingly different results:
- “Sorry, would you have some coins to give me to take the bus, please?“ 10% agree
- “Sorry, would you have some coins to give me to take the bus, please? But you are free to accept or refuse.” 47.5% agree
This method, called “but you are free to refuse”, has been proven in many different settings, both online and offline. A 2013 the meta-analysis found that the effect worked in 42 different domains.
This brings us back to the banner of K&C Window Cleaning. He takes all this advice to heart. It shows the actions taken by others, but doesn’t force the reader into a corner.
- It doesn’t say, “We’re the most famous window cleaners in Houston.”
- It says, “Cleaning window.”
And many other companies do the same. They don’t say they’re popular; they prove it.
My favorite example comes from Sam Tatam’s wonderful book, Evolutionary ideas. At his favorite bar in Sydney, Australia, the owners don’t say, “We’re popular.” Instead they demonstrate it by sticking their customers’ loyalty cards on the wall.
Don’t say it. Show it. It will make your message much more effective.
Make decisions feel natural
If you believe in your offering, you’ll want to brand it as the best, the brightest, and the most popular. Resist the urge. The best marketers empower customers to make their own decisions while showing value. The most persuasive thing you can do is make your client feel like the idea was theirs all along, supported by colleagues who also reaped the benefits.
