Some travelers came to a village, carrying nothing more than an empty cooking pot. Upon their arrival, the villagers were unwilling to share any of their food stores with the hungry travelers.
In realizing no one was going to help feed them, the travelers went to the nearest stream, filled a pot with water and dropped a large stone into it. They then placed it over a fire.
One of the villagers became curious and asked what they were doing. The travelers answered that they were making “stone soup,” which tastes wonderful.
Before taking his first taste of the soup, the traveler stated that it needed a little bit of garnish to improve the flavor, which they are missing.
The villager, not minding to part with a few carrots to help them out, added them to the soup. Another villager walked by inquiring about the pot and the travelers again mentioned their stone soup, which had not yet reached its full potential.
Another villager walked by inquiring about the pot and the travelers again mentioned their stone soup, which had not yet reached its full potential.
The villager handed them a little bit of seasoning to help them out.
Soon, more and more villagers walked by, each adding another ingredient. Finally, a delicious and nourishing pot of soup was ready and enjoyed by all.
Take a moment to think of making stone soup as the only way an entrepreneur can succeed.
The stones are, of course, your big bold ideas.
The contribution from the villagers is your investments from supporters and partners.
The end product is, of course, something everybody radically benefits from.
What are you making, creating, sharing that will add value to everyone? What resources, people, companies can you work with that will help you bring your bold ideas to light?
What human emotions are you catering to and what Mental Triggers are you incorporating?
When it comes to online marketing, some of you may have heard of coin phrases like Persuasion Tactics or even Automatic Response Triggers. Whether it be to capture leads, share your service virally, or to help your customers make a purchase, these Mental Triggers definitely work. I’d like to share an excerpt from the book Influence, by Robert Cialdini, that will give you a perfect example.
“I just read a newspaper article on how a restaurant owner used public commitments to solve a big problem for customers who didn’t show-up for their table reservations.
He told his receptionists to stop saying, ‘Please call us if you change your plans,’ and to start asking, ‘Will you please call us if you change your plans?’ and to wait for a response.
His no-show rate immediately dropped from 30 percent to 10 percent!
Author’s note: What was it about this subtle shift that led to such a dramatic difference? For me, it was the receptionist’s request for (and pause for) the caller’s
For me, it was the receptionist’s request for (and pause for) the caller’s promise. By spurring patrons to make a public commitment, this approach increased the chance that they would follow through on it.”