An easy way to be more influential

Do you jaywalk or wait for the green light?

Your decision might depend on who’s in front of you.

A group of researchers tested this by asking a man wearing jeans and a t-shirt to jaywalk. They then monitored how many people followed him.

Next, they dressed the same man in a suit and tie and repeated the experiment. The result? 350% more people followed his lead!

The man’s suit was enough to subconsciously signal to people that he was someone who knew what he was doing and should be followed.

Being seen as an authority is a powerful influencer.

Studies show when we’re unsure about something (in this case, whether or not it was safe to cross a busy road), we rely on people with perceived superior knowledge or experience for guidance on how to behave.

But how do we show we’re an expert when we’re emailing people, where appearance is irrelevant? We can’t flash our Rolex or diamond earrings, even if we wanted to.  (Or had them.  I don’t think my £30 FitBit quite cuts it…)

And in any case, credibility has to be more than skin deep if we want to build trust with people.

So here’s a great way to start.

Research suggests that communicating with confidence and ditching jargon is key to establishing expertise with non-specialist readers.

One easy tweak: get rid of hedging phrases like I think, I suppose, might, and could where you can. Swap them with more decisive language to project more confidence and conviction.

A damn sight more effective (and cheaper) than buying a new suit.