
Brainfluence
Roger Dooley is the author of Brainfluence: 100 Ways to Persuade and Convince Consumers with Neuromarketing, and has been studying the effects of psychology, behavior research, and neuroscience on persuasion and marketing in business, leadership and everyday life. In every episode, Roger shares brain-oriented tactics, along with the expertise of his guests, to increase persuasion with concrete, research-based neuromarketing advice. Guests include best-selling authors and thought leaders like Robert Cialdini, Dan Pink, Guy Kawasaki, Jonah Berger, Chris Brogan, Maria Konnikova, and many more. Learn more and join the conversation at RogerDooley.com
Latest episodes

May 23, 2024 • 31min
Negotiation Essentials with Keld Jensen
In this episode of Brainfluence we dive into the psychological triggers that influence decisions with negotiation guru Keld Jensen. Keld brings a wealth of expertise with 25 books to his credit and a career advising top organizations worldwide. In this episode, we explore not only business negotiations but also everyday scenarios where negotiation plays a crucial role—from family life to professional interactions. Today, Keld will share his insights on the pivotal role of trust in negotiations, explaining why it's not just about the deal, but how you make the other party feel. Expect to learn how even your wardrobe can impact negotiations and why mirroring your counterpart might just build that crucial rapport. Keld also introduces us to his negotiation ethics code, emphasizing honesty and transparency—values that he believes should anchor every negotiation. Keld discusses the complexities of virtual negotiations in today's digital world, like the challenges of engagement without physical cues, and how AI tools like chat GPT can revolutionize preparation and execution in negotiations. Keld's latest book is Negotiation Essentials: The Tools You Need to Find Common Ground and Walk Away a Winner Show notes, text, audio, resources: https://www.rogerdooley.com/negotiation-keld-jensen/ Negotiation Essentials: https://amzn.to/44WA6TT Keld Jensen is an internationally recognized business and negotiation expert, advising governments and major corporations on optimized solutions for complex problems. With a background in sales and marketing and experience as a CEO of a publicly traded Scandinavian company, he teaches at top universities, including Baltic Management School, Aalborg University, and Thunderbird School of Global Management. Jensen has appeared on international TV over 200 times, contributed to major publications like Forbes, and founded MarketWatch Center for Negotiation Ltd. He has consulted for clients such as Vestas, Novo Nordisk, Johnson & Johnson, and UNICEF. A prolific author of 23 books available in 35 countries, he has over 2.8 million readers. In 2016, he was named one of the world's Top 100 Thought Leaders on Trust.

Apr 28, 2024 • 32min
Mindstuck with Michael McQueen
Acclaimed speaker and author, Michael McQueen, discusses the psychology of persuasion and changing minds in an evolving world. Covering instinctive reactions vs. rational thought, emotional decision-making, and strategies for overcoming resistance to change. Learn how to influence behavior, reshape thinking, and navigate through complexities of human psychology.

Apr 21, 2024 • 33min
Micah Solomon: The Art of Exceptional Customer Experience
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

Jan 26, 2024 • 31min
The Psychology of Pricing with Leigh Caldwell
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.

Nov 17, 2023 • 29min
Design Your Business to Run Itself with Mike Michalowicz
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.

Aug 18, 2023 • 33min
What Your Employees Need and Won't Tell You with Melina Palmer
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).

Aug 2, 2023 • 28min
REWIRED with Dr. Carl Marci
Dr. Carl Marci discusses the impact of technology on our brains, including reduced productivity and increased anxiety. He explains how tech 'superstimuli' exploit our reward system and advocates for a balance between human connection and focus. The podcast also explores the negative effects of technology on mental health and the importance of safety measures. Additionally, it delves into the potential impact of gender dev AI and immersive conversational bots.

Jul 17, 2023 • 28min
The JOLT Effect with Matt Dixon
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).

Jul 5, 2023 • 30min
Belonging to the Brand with Mark Schaefer
"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.

Jun 9, 2023 • 31min
Immersion with Paul Zak
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.