Persuade. Hesketh Philip

that researchers use to test the efficacy of real drugs.

      How and why placebos work is still something of a mystery. Some patients taking them report an improvement in their condition, some even claim to be suffering from the drug's side effects.

      In a study of Parkinson's sufferers, it was discovered that placebo patients who reported an improvement had changes in their brain identical to those caused by the actual medication, Levodopa.

      So why did these sufferers get better? Quite simply it was a case of mind over matter. They believed that what they were taking would help and so it did. Sportsmen and women use the same psychology to help them run faster, jump further and last longer. Some football teams believe they will score a goal in the last few minutes of a game and they often do. Aided by their opponent's belief in the very same outcome.

      In his study, Kirsch reviewed the results from 35 clinical trials of modern antidepressant medication, such as Prozac, and concluded that placebos duplicated more than 80 % of the improvement observed in the drug groups. In other words, 80 % of people's improvement after taking a sugar pill they thought was Prozac was exactly the same as if they had actually taken Prozac. He also concluded that the effect of placebo on pain is about 50 % of the response to pain medication.

      So how does this phenomenon translate into the business world? Well, it seems to me that the vital ingredient is the expectation of benefit. In my work as a motivational speaker, I talk about these seven psychological drivers that we all possess – and, as I say, the fourth one is the need to believe. We all want to believe, we all need to believe. And it seems that if you believe enough, you'll go a long way to achieving your goals.

      So here are the next four of the seven psychological drivers:

      • The need to believe.

      • The need for some certainty and some uncertainty in our lives.

      • The need for ‘a place’.

      • The need for growth and improvement.

      This need we have for some certainty and some uncertainty in our lives is all about having things to look forward to. If we know exactly how our life will be mapped out it takes away the fun and interest. But if we dread the future we have too much uncertainty in our life and are equally unhappy.

      The first chapter in the book explores the psychology of having something to look forward to – and the role ‘curiosity’ plays in our lives – and the rest of the chapters in this book are crammed full of well-researched tips and techniques that help you improve your ability to relate to people, influence them and have a more successful and happier life. And that, in turn, makes you make feel more loved, more important and more acceptable to any group you want to be part of.

      We'll cover the most successful persuasion technique there is, how to give better first impressions, how to make better decisions, avoid procrastination and increase the odds of people doing what you want them to do.

      In other words it gives you ‘more’ – and that is why you are reading the book – for growth and improvement.

      If you are typical, you sit in the same seat each night at home. You will probably have a favourite seat at your dining table. You might have a preferred seat on the bus, an area of the local bar where you and your friends meet. It's all down to this driver we have for ‘a place’. A place we feel comfortable and we can call our own. It brings order and stability to our lives – it makes us feel comfortable – that is where we belong.

      But for now, remember that the more you have a sense of ‘belonging’, the more meaning you will make of life.

      All of the chapters refer not only to the ‘drivers’ but also to psychological experiments that give us real insights into why we do what we do and how you can get colleagues, clients and friends to behave more as you would wish them to.

      And the final chapter summarizes the ‘drivers’ again; and how to live a happier and more successful life through a better understanding of our own behaviour.

      1

      Curiosity and the importance of having something to look forward to

      There's an old saying that goes ‘act in haste, repent at leisure’. Basically, it's a good idea to think things through before making a decision. Unfortunately, in today's high-speed, continuous, partial attention world, that's difficult. Salespeople implore you to take advantage of their soon-to-end discounts by signing today. What's more, you can often ‘buy now, and pay later’. Sometimes, the repayments don't even start for another 12 months. However, the good news is you can do all your repenting from a comfortable new sofa.