Find out how the magic of words and natural language processing can influence customers.
Language matters. Did you know that if you use the word “because” when asking for something you want, people are 50% more likely to say “yes”? In business, we tend to spend a lot of time mulling over our thoughts and ideas but not very much time considering the specific words we use. That can be counterproductive, according to insights from Jonah Berger.
“The words you use in email, for example, can predict whether you're going to be promoted or fired, or move on to another job,” Berger says. “And the language you use in a loan application suggests how likely you are to repay that loan versus default on it.”
So, what are these magic words? How can we take advantage of their power?
Having spent decades studying the power of words to influence people, Berger, a marketing professor at the acclaimed Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, has learned that subtle shifts in the language we use can have a big impact on our effectiveness to persuade others to behave in certain ways.
In this article, Berger shares his framework and top tips for maximizing influence with SMB leaders, as well as the technology they can harness that will help.
The business revolution of natural language processing
The past decade has seen amazing technological advances in our ability to study language. Chief among them is natural language processing (NLP), which enables computers to understand human language, both spoken and written, and can leverage AI technology. NLP programs analyze text or speech and extract meaning to translate them to other languages. They can also understand questions or statements posed by users in natural language rather than by issuing traditional computer commands.
Small and midsize businesses are already using NLP effectively. According to Berger, they leverage it to execute text-to-speech translations to create localized marketing content for different countries. Customer service agents use it to automatically transcribe support chats with customers, and then analyze them to spot trends or get insights into how they can improve the customer experience.
NLP can also automate email responses to customer inquiries, build chatbots to interact with customers 24/7, and save companies time and money by automating tasks that would otherwise require human time and effort.
Just as the microscope revolutionized chemistry and biology, and the telescope revolutionized astronomy, these NLP tools have revolutionized the ability of SMBs to understand what to say and when to say it.
That’s because analyzing thousands of spoken customer service calls enables businesses to determine what words customer service agents should use to increase customer satisfaction. The volumes of written content posted every day tells them what holds customers’ attention and what keeps them reading through instructions, how-to articles, or thought leadership pieces. All this online content can guide SMBs to create more meaningful engagement with their customers.
SPEACC: A powerful language framework for influencing others
In Berger’s most recent book, Magic Words, he lays out a language framework for communications success. During his numerous years of research, Berger identifies six key types of words that SMBs can use to increase impact when marketing to customers.
He calls this set of words the “SPEACC framework,” and says it can be used to increase influence, captivate audiences, communicate more effectively, and even strengthen social relationships. “SPEACC [pronounced SPEAK] with the right magic words and anything is possible,” Berger says.
3 actions to boost your influence—now
Berger recommends three actions you can take immediately:
Start with the audience. In the case of SMBs, this is most likely your customer. Define who that person is as precisely as possible. You should also determine the exact customer behavior you’re trying to shape or change; for example, to purchase more goods or services or to refer potential customers.
Perform extensive social listening. Go online and research what’s being said about your brand. Dig deep into historical posts to see how that’s changed (or not) over time. Happily, you’ll likely have endless sources of data to mine, especially if you think carefully about who your customer is and what sorts of behaviors you want to elicit. “You can mine posts for insights about the competitive space, or what additional features of products or services customers might want,” says Berger. “You can also [discover] areas where you aren’t doing so well and could do better in the future.”
Think about your customers’ identities and related actions. Most people like to view themselves in particular ways—they have particular identities they want to project—and so they tend to engage in actions that support those identities. By aligning the behaviors you want your customers to engage in with their desired identities, they’re more likely to take the actions you want them to take.
To help clarify this concept, Berger offers up an example of an experiment that split a group of kindergarteners in two and asked them two different questions. One group was asked, “Can you help?” and the other was asked, “Can you be a helper?” The second question was much more successful at getting the children to change their behavior.
“To shape others’ behavior, don’t just talk about the action but about their identities,” Berger says. “Encourage someone to be a leader rather than telling them to lead.”
Jonah Berger
2 ways to inspire others through clear language and originality
There are two important aspects to consider when attempting to use language to change behavior. As Berger notes, pushing too hard can come across as inauthentic.
1. Avoid the anti-persuasion radar
“People are smart,” says Berger. “They know when others are trying to influence them.” A concept in psychology called “reactiveness” can make them do the opposite of what you want them to do. “People have an anti-persuasion radar,” Berger explains. “When we feel like someone is trying to persuade us, we ignore them.”
Rather than focusing on influencing people, you should focus on helping them influence themselves, Berger recommends. Ask questions. Give options. Shed light on the gap between their actions and desires.
2. Radiate authenticity
The more authentic and genuine you are, the more clear you’ll sound about the value you offer your teams, your colleagues, and your customers. So don’t fake it. Be poised about the things you’re confident about, and express your legitimate hesitations and doubts. This gives others a sense of agency and autonomy.
For example, says Berger, SMB leaders must motivate their teams to solve tough problems. A subtle (and authentic) change in language can help you do that. This means asking, “What could we do?” instead of “What should we do?” “Should” implies there’s only one solution. “Could” encourages people to think more broadly, scan the environment, and consider all the possibilities, leading to more creative ideas.
How technology enters the picture
A number of technologies can help SMBs take full advantage of the potential of NPL and language for influencing others. Here are a few of the more common ones:
Machine learning and other AI technologies. Machine learning (ML) plays a pivotal role in the advancement and capabilities of NLP. The integration of ML with NLP has ushered in an era of AI models that can understand and generate human language with unprecedented accuracy—and help them get better all the time as they continually learn.
Topic modeling. ML algorithms can be used to discover the main topics present in large volumes of text, allowing SMBs to identify key themes, words, or phrases that arise that customers will resonate with.
Embeddings (in words or documents). Embeddings are a way to convert words or phrases into numerical values, much like codes. Instead of representing a word as a long sequence of numbers, embeddings condense it into a shorter list, making it easier for computers to process faster. Because words with similar meanings have similar codes, the computer can better grasp the meaning or sentiment behind different words.
CRM software. Something as simple as customer relationship management (CRM) software that tracks your customers over time and captures how they react to different interactions, emails, or marketing campaigns can help you identify the words and phrases that work best for influencing them.
Why SMBs must become influencers
Whether you’re trying to get those first prospects through your doors or into your database and turn them into customers, or convincing job candidates to join your team, you need to excel at influencing others to behave in the ways you want.
Using technologies like NLP can help SMB leaders use the power of language to change behavior. Berger’s SPEACC framework is a smart way to get started.
By keeping your language simple and direct, asking your audience questions to drive emotional responses, and boosting their confidence through influence, your business can win customers more authentically. And that shows just how powerful language can be.
To learn more about this phenomena and other technologies that can help SMBS thrive, check out the following resources: