Brainfluence

In this engaging episode of Brainfluence, we dive deep into the psychology of persuasion with Michael McQueen, an acclaimed speaker and author from Sydney, Australia. Michael shares invaluable insights from his latest book, "Mindstuck," exploring how we can master the art of changing minds in an ever-evolving world. He delves into why our instinctive reactions often override our rational thought, the impact of emotional and narrative-driven decision-making, and practical strategies for overcoming resistance to change. Whether you're looking to influence customer behavior, shift organizational culture, or simply understand the complexities of human psychology, this conversation will equip you with the tools to make a real impact. Tune in to learn how to navigate and reshape the way we think about change and persuasion.

Resources, text, video: https://www.rogerdooley.com/mindstuck-michael-mcqueen/

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3QkrxMF

YouTube: https://youtu.be/3W3OaLcJ9BQ

In this episode of Brainfluence, we welcome guest Micah Solomon, a renowned customer service expert, to explore the nuances of "Iconic Customer Service." Micah delves into the delicate balance between providing personalized service without crossing into intrusiveness, introducing his "gold touch" method as a way to enrich customer interactions. Throughout the conversation, they tackle various challenges companies face, such as the ones Princess Cruise Lines encounters in delivering personalized service. Importantly, Micah emphasizes the significant impact of language on brand identity and the intricate relationship between customer service agents, AI, and customers. Micah describes the importance of employee happiness in creating a positive customer experience, advocating for fair compensation and thorough empathy training. Furthermore, Solomon discusses the adoption of technology to create anticipatory and seamless customer experiences, insisting on keeping it unobtrusive to maintain human-centric service. Micah Solomon's new book is, "Can Your Customer Service Do This?," which delves deeper into his principles of creating customer service that's not only responsive but also anticipatory, ensuring that loyalty lasts forever.

Show notes, resources, audio, text: https://www.rogerdooley.com/micah-solomon-customer-experience/

Book: https://amzn.to/3QdhFo1

In this Brainfluence episode, we explore pricing psychology with Leigh Caldwell, a seasoned behavioral economist and pricing strategist. Leigh joins us to shed light on the true essence of pricing – it's more than just numbers; it's about crafting positive customer experiences in a profitable way. In our discussion, we delve into the relationship between cost and value, and how businesses often undervalue their offerings.

Leigh reveals effective ways to appeal to diverse customer segments through varied pricing strategies. We also dive into the psychology behind discounts and negotiations, examining the trade-offs customers make for a good deal. We also discuss supermarket strategies. We'll analyze how stores like HEB, Trader Joe's and Aldi use product combinations to catch consumer attention and convey value. Leigh introduces innovative concepts in behavioral economics, including "subjectivity as a factor of production" and the "system three approach," which expands on the conventional intuitive versus conscious decision-making models. We even discuss the curious concept of a "chocolate teapot" - a concept familiar in the U.K. but that might mystify our U.S. audience.

Show notes and resources: https://www.rogerdooley.com/leigh-caldwell-pricing/
The Psychology of Price: https://amzn.to/3Uivbt9
The Irrational Agency: https://irrationalagency.com/

Leigh Caldwell is a behavioral economist and pricing expert with 10+ years of experience in applying behavioural science commercially. He is the creator of the System 3 methodology, author of The Psychology of Price, and a frequent speaker at academic and industry conferences.

In today's Brainfluence episode, we have the brilliant and hilarious entrepreneur, Mike Michalowicz, as our guest. Mike has built and sold multi-million dollar businesses, experienced the trials and tribulations of losing everything, and has since become a successful author, speaker, and entrepreneur. His latest book, Clockwork: Design Your Business to Run Itself - Revised and Expanded, is all about achieving true entrepreneurial success by creating a business that can operate seamlessly without relying solely on the owner. In this episode, Mike explains the importance of taking a four week vacation as a test for a business's ability to run itself, the concept of the Queen Bee Role, and the 4 Ds of building a successful business. Whether you're an entrepreneur or part of a larger organization, this episode offers valuable insights on how to achieve true entrepreneurial success. Tune in now to learn from the brilliant mind of Mike Michalowicz! Show Notes, Resources, Transcript: https://www.rogerdooley.com/mike-michalowicz-23-clockwork/ Mike Michalowicz is a well-versed expert in business studies. He has immersed himself in studying businesses of all sizes and strongly believes in the principle that these enterprises primarily operate on monthly cycles - from revenue generation and service provision, to employee management and book closing. One interesting theory he posits is the unique ability of a business leader to take a four-week break while ensuring the business runs smoothly in their absence. He suggests that if a business runs successfully during this period, theoretically, it underscores that the leader could step away indefinitely. In Michalowicz's view, this isn't a mark of redundancy but rather an opportunity to elevate oneself to a more strategic thinking role. His business acumen and insightful theories make him a powerful resource for business leaders and owners.

In this podcast episode, host Roger Dooley interviews Melina Palmer, author of What Your Employees Need and Can't Tell You, about change initiatives in companies. They discuss the misconception that 70% of change initiatives fail and the importance of approaching change thoughtfully. Melina emphasizes the significance of small, everyday changes and micro-decisions that influence employees' reactions to change. They also explore the impact of employee engagement on successful change, the importance of creating the right environment for change, and the barriers to employee engagement. They touch on Elon Musk's approach to change at Twitter and the power of small steps in achieving change. The conversation also delves into cognitive biases and their impact on the change process, as well as conflicts and stereotypes between different departments within organizations. Melina suggests building connections across departments and fostering a sense of unity to overcome these challenges.

Show notes, video, text, resources: https://www.rogerdooley.com/melina-palmer-employees/

Video: https://youtu.be/v_X5Cg6MniA

Book: https://amzn.to/3YHPJvb

Melina Palmer is the founder and CEO of The Brainy Business, which provides behavioral economics consulting to businesses of all sizes from around the world. She has contributed research to the Association for Consumer Research, Filene Research Institute, and runs the Behavioral Economics & Business column for Inc Magazine. Her podcast, The Brainy Business: Understanding the Psychology of Why People Buy, has downloads in over 170 countries and was named the #1 psychology podcast people in business should listen to by Psychology. Melina’s first book is What Your Customer Wants (And Can’t Tell You).

In this fascinating episode of Brainfluence, pioneering neuromarketer Dr. Carl Marci discusses how modern technology is impacting our brains. He shares insights from his new book Rewired, explaining how excessive smartphone use and constant multitasking are reducing productivity, increasing anxiety/depression, and rewiring our neural pathways in concerning ways. Marci provides concrete examples of how tech “superstimuli” exploit the brain’s reward system, making constant distraction hard to resist. While acknowledging the benefits of technology, he advocates balancing human connection and focus. Marci offers perspective as both a neuroscientist and psychiatrist, blending the latest research with clinical insights. This is an eye-opening exploration of how we can optimize technology’s advantages while avoiding its potential mental health costs.

Show notes, resources, audio, text: https://www.rogerdooley.com/carl-marci-rewired/

REWIRED book: https://amzn.to/3rSNFV9

Dr. Carl D. Marci is physician, neuroscientist, author and entrepreneur. He is currently a Chief Psychiatrist and Managing Director of Mental Health and Neuroscience at OM1, a ventured-backed health technology real-world data company. He is also part-time staff psychiatrist at MGH and part-time Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Marci has worked at multiple early stage health technology and mental health delivery companies in the past. He has extensive training health research, the use of biological measures and the neuroscience of emotion through two National Institutes of Health fellowships. He holds seven US patents, has published numerous articles in peer-reviewed science journals, gives lectures regionally, nationally, and internationally and is a leader in the fields of social & consumer neuroscience and digital health. Dr. Marci is also a Henry Crown Fellow at the Aspen Institute and is a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.

In this podcast episode, Roger Dooley chats with Matt Dixon, author of The JOLT Effect and founding partner of DCM Insights, about the concept of effortful experiences and the impact of customer indecision on sales. They discuss how companies often create friction and wasted effort for customers, despite knowing it is detrimental. Matt shares examples and insights on understanding the impact of customer effort on loyalty and how to fix it. They also delve into the problem of customer indecision in sales, exploring the reasons behind it and providing strategies for salespeople to overcome it. Matt introduces the JOLT framework and discusses key behaviors that can help salespeople close the sale.

Show notes, resources, audio, text: https://www.rogerdooley.com/matt-dixon-jolt/ 

Matt Dixon is the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of three of the most important business books of the past decade: The Challenger Sale, The Effortless Experience and The Challenger Customer. He is also a frequent contributor to Harvard Business Review on sales and customer experience. He is a founding partner of DCM Insights, a boutique consultancy focused on using data and research-backed frameworks to help companies attract, retain, and grow their customers. Previously, he has held numerous global leadership roles at organizations like Tethr, Korn Ferry Hay Group, as well as the research firm CEB (now Gartner).

"The last, great marketing strategy" is community... In this episode, host Roger Dooley interviews author Mark Schaefer about his new book, Belonging to the Brand. They discuss the importance of community in marketing strategies and the challenges of managing online communities. Mark explains that community involves genuine connection and communion among people, with a unifying purpose. They also touch on the impact of community on mental health, highlighting the responsibility of community managers in fostering a positive culture. They discuss the power of creating a strong brand community and the potential for businesses to create communities around related interests. They also address the question of whether there is a limit to how many communities people can participate in.

Resources, video, text version: https://www.rogerdooley.com/mark-schaefer-belonging/

Mark Schaefer is a speaker, consultant, author, and teacher who helps businesses and individuals thrive in the digital world. He has a wealth of experience in marketing and organizational development, as well as seven patents and a faculty position at Rutgers University. He writes the {grow} blog and hosts The Marketing Companion podcast, which are both highly regarded in the marketing field. He has also written 10 books on topics such as influence marketing, personal branding, and social media strategy. His books are used as textbooks at many universities and have been translated into 15 languages. He has worked with global brands and governments, and has been featured in many media outlets. He is a columnist for The Harvard Business Review, and Entrepreneur Magazine. His new book is Belonging to the Brand: Why Community is the Last Great Marketing Strategy.

On this episode of Brainfluence, host Roger Dooley is joined by Paul Zak, founder of Immersion, a company that uses smartwatches and fitness devices to turn activity data into business insights. They discuss neuromarketing, the limitations of traditional metrics, and the importance of immersion for user experience testing. They also talk about the correlation between immersion and psychological safety, and how their technology can be used to predict mood and energy levels in vulnerable populations.

Show notes, resources, audio, and text: https://www.rogerdooley.com/immersion-paul-zak/

Paul J. Zak is a world-renowned neuroscientist, author, and entrepreneur who has pioneered the fields of neuroeconomics, neuromanagement, and neuromarketing. He is a professor at Claremont Graduate University and a TED speaker with over 180 published papers and 19,000 citations. His latest book, Immersion: The Science of the Extraordinary and the Source of Happiness, reveals the science behind extraordinary experiences and how they can boost happiness and business success. He also co-founded Immersion Neuroscience, the first neuroscience-as-a-service company. Zak’s research has taken him from the Pentagon to Fortune 50 boardrooms to the rainforest of Papua New Guinea, where he discovered the role of oxytocin in trust, morality, and love.