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There’s some phrasing we’ve got to stop using because it undermines the point we're trying to make.

See if you can spot the problem:

• “I can’t recommend this paper enough”
• “I would not hesitate to recommend…”
• “Couldn’t recommend anyone more for this”

Do you see it?

Can’t, wouldn’t, couldn’t.

When we start praise with a negative, that’s what people hear.

Instead, when offering praise use:

"I...

Let’s say you are advertising a new product, like a razor.

Should you describe it as being “laser-sharp” or “high quality”?

Laser sharp uses concrete, precise language whereas high quality is more abstract.

New research has revealed which type to use, when.

This matters because ads cost money, lots of money, so you want to make sure what you say has the biggest positive impact possible.

So, what did the researchers find?

In one of their experiments...

I’ll never forget visiting Brisbane in winter. 

As a Melburnian I packed light, shedding layers as the northern sun warmed my bones.

Around me, locals swarmed, clutching coffees and swathed in puffer jackets.

When you’re used to 12 degrees, 19 degrees feels warm.

When you’re used to 25 degrees, it doesn’t.

Our experience of temperature is relative. 

So is pricing.

Things are only expensive or cheap depending on context.

Repairing my heater for $250 is...

Most of my trip to the Ikara-Flinders Ranges, South Australia, last year went as planned.

Plenty of wildlife, time in the red dirt, and lots of friendly fellow road trippers.

But the $3,000 coffee caught me by surprise.

I’d stopped in the small town of Blinman, boasting a population of thirty five, for a coffee and to sample some of the bakery’s finest. 

Strolling the main street, I spotted this sign.

Being a huge fan of Indigenous art, I jumped back in the van and drove a...

It's awkward, isn't it Bri?

That moment in a sales conversation when you have to ask for the deal? 

Or maybe it's not even a sales conversation, but a discussion with a colleague whom you are trying to get to make a decision?

In this video I explain:

• The three stages of an effective sales conversation
• The role that tension plays
• What to say to close the sale

And why do I call it "conversion cutlery"?

Because as you'll see, the three stages relate to a spoon, knife and...

It was an absolute delight to have Bora Ergor interning with me this year.

Bora is a very talented psychology student at the University of Strasbourg and together we worked across a range of assignments.

In this video Bora talks us through what his research unearthed as well as tips for people seeking to intern.

We cover what behavioural science says about:

• How to optimise your online presenting presence and overcome Zoom fatigue
• Framing  and use of language i.e. knowing...

Ending your price with “9” is a tidbit of pricing psychology that has entrenched itself in business folklore. 

Why? Because $1999 seems better than $2000, and $12.99 better than $13.

But why does it seem better?

It may have a lot to do with the direction the digit is pointing. You see, 9 points to the left, as does 1, 2, 3, 4 and 7.

5 and 6 are right-facing whereas 0 and 8 are centered.

This digit-directionality (Coulter, 2007) is yet another consideration when it...

I’ve been going deep on language lately 

Knowing what to say and how to say it.

Partly because I’ve created a “scripting tool” for my Just Do This members, where I’ve written sample scripts for everything from getting past the gatekeeper and dealing with time wasters, to fielding complaints and chasing late payers. 

Partly because I’ve been creating my “Dealing with D!ckheads” webinar (recording exclusively available to...

How should you deliver bad news?

There’s a lot of bad news being shared right now. In Australia we are experiencing various degrees of lockdown across the country, and our political leaders are grappling with how best to share bad news.

New South Wales, for example, started with a relatively light-touch approach that has become more stringent the longer lockdown has lasted.

In Victoria’s latest lockdown, conditions were restrictive from the get go.

While I won’t go into the...

Richard Branson was sharing a story about introducing TV screens to the back of airplane seats.

He went to his board and the banks but couldn’t get the $10 million loan he needed to retrofit his Virgin Atlantic planes.

So instead he called Boeing and asked “if I buy 15 new planes, could you include seat back video screens?”

“Of course!”, came Boeing’s reply.

Branson’s point was he couldn’t get a loan for $10 million, but he could for $2 billion....