In this captivating discussion, Jonah Berger, a Wharton professor and bestselling author, delves into the power of language. He reveals how subtle shifts in word choice can transform interactions, whether convincing clients or connecting with friends. Berger introduces the SPEAK framework and emphasizes the importance of asking effective questions. Listeners learn practical tips to enhance engagement and foster curiosity in communication. With insights from his book, Magic Words, Berger demonstrates how specific language can inspire and influence others in meaningful ways.

Join Jonah Berger, a Wharton professor and expert in consumer behavior, as he unpacks the art of persuasion. He explains why traditional methods often backfire and how offering a 'menu' of choices can empower decision-making. Discover the surprising impact of campaigns, including how some anti-smoking efforts have the opposite effect. Berger also discusses the psychology behind negotiation and the subtle influences that shape our daily choices, revealing tactics to guide rather than push others toward change.

Our guest today is Jonah Berger, a marketing professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and the bestselling author of “Contagious” and “Invisible Influence.” Today we’re chatting about his follow-up book, “The Catalyst: How to Change Anyone’s Mind.” Founders start companies to change industries and behaviors, but change is hard. Going back to chemistry, Jonah notes that catalysts don't just create change by pushing harder or exerting more energy — they remove or lower the barriers to change. (In the book Jonah offers a helpful framework about 5 specific barriers to change, called REDUCE — which stands for reactance, endowment, distance, uncertainty, and corroborating evidence.)We focus on how founders and leaders can do that in the context of building and selling products. Jonah shares his thoughts on: Whether you truly need to build a 10X better product and why a startup’s biggest competitor is actually inertia.  The role of urgency in selling or getting someone to adopt a product. How to apply the freemium approach in different contexts, like with physical products. Techniques for negotiating price, as well as the role that identity and category creation play in persuasion and product adoption. You can follow Jonah on Twitter at @j1berger. You can email us questions directly at review@firstround.com or follow us on Twitter @firstround and @brettberson. 

In this engaging conversation, Jonah Berger, a renowned Professor at The Wharton School and author of "Magic Words: What to Say to Get Your Way," delves into the transformative power of language. He discusses how specific word choices can strengthen resolutions and enhance communication. Berger unveils various 'magic words' that can help with persuasion and accountability, exploring how language affects our habits and relationships. Plus, he shares intriguing insights on how questions and language tense can significantly impact social dynamics.

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Joining the discussion is Jonah Berger, a Professor at the Wharton School of Business, known for his expertise in social influence and viral marketing. He reveals how our choices are deeply shaped by the unseen influence of others. Jonah provides insights on leveraging social influence as a decision-making tool and exposes the pitfalls of underachievement influenced by social groups. He also shares a game-changing negotiation trick that boosts success rates fivefold and strategies to guard against undesired influence.

Bestselling author Jonah Berger discusses his book 'Magic Words' which explores how certain words can increase impact in various areas of life. Topics include the power of language in persuasion, relationships, and success, the impact of third person speech and confident communication, the influence of speaking with certainty, the power of questions in perception and social connections, and the art of influencing others and ourselves with magic words.

Jonah Berger reveals how to massively increase your persuasiveness through simple shifts in your language. — YOU’LL LEARN — 1) The simple two letter shift that makes you more persuasive. 2) The easiest way to look–and become–smarter. 3) A tiny speech habit that’s undermining your impact. Subscribe or visit AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep844 for clickable versions of the links below. — ABOUT JONAH — Jonah Berger is a Wharton Professor, internationally bestselling author, and world‐renowned expert on change, word of mouth, influence, natural language processing, and how products, services, and ideas catch on. He has published over 70 articles in top-tier academic journals, teaches one of the world’s most popular online courses, and accounts of his work often appear in places like The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Harvard Business Review. Millions of his books, Contagious, The Catalyst, Invisible Influence, and most recently Magic Words, are in print in over 35 countries around the world. Berger has keynoted hundreds of major conferences and events like SXSW and Cannes Lions, advises various early‐stage companies, and consults for organizations like Apple, Google, Nike, Amazon, GE, Moderna, and The Gates Foundation. • Book: Magic Words • Book: The Catalyst: How to Change Anyone's Mind • LinkedIn: Jonah Berger • Twitter: @j1berger • Website: JonahBerger.com — RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW — • Book: "Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die" by Chip Heath and Dan Heath • Previous episode: 553: How to Change Minds and Organizations with Jonah Berger See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dr. Jonah Berger is professor aan de Wharton Business School en auteur van vier invloedrijke boeken over overtuiging. In dit levendige gesprek onthult hij hoe je overtuiging kunt versterken door obstakels weg te nemen in plaats van te duwen. Het endowment effect laat zien hoe mensen vasthouden aan wat ze al hebben, wat hun beslissingen beïnvloedt. Ook de kracht van woorden komt aan bod; subtiele veranderingen kunnen iemands bereidheid om te handelen veranderen. Dit boeiende gesprek belooft veel voor de inzichten die hij tijdens zijn seminar in Utrecht zal delen.