PRIMING PSYCHOLOGY
PRIMING PEOPLE IN EMAILS
You can prime people for the reaction you want with priming
emails. This is a huge advantage (and potential pitfall) of
technology people often forget. Emails allow us to prime people
before they take action. I have begun to use this with my interns,
employees and colleagues before meetings, phone calls or
interviews.
How do you want someone to feel, act or behave? Prime them for
it.
Below are two emails. Every week I have a weekly check-in call
with the team and we are often pressed for time and have a ton of
agenda–getting off topic constantly happens!
The first is an email I used to send out before our weekly check-in
call. The second is the email I send out now before my calls with
priming language.
Bad Priming Email:
Hi All,
As usual we have the weekly call tomorrow, Tuesday. Again,
we are a little stressed for time and might have some trouble
getting through the tasks on the agenda. I need everyone to
please tighten up their points and avoid asking slow or lengthy
questions on the call—you can send them out in an email later if
you need. I attached the agenda.
V
Good Priming Email:
Hi Team,
Tomorrow is our weekly goals call. I’m hoping we can be really
efficient because we do have a lot to discuss. If everyone can take
a look at their points and prepare a well-organized overview
that would be great, because then we will have plenty of time for
succinct questions, if people have them. Remember you can also
easily send them in an email after the call. I attached our agenda.
Best, V
The emails both say the same thing, but when I started to change
the emails for more positive priming I found that people were
more efficient and excited for the call. It also started a chain of
nice follow-up emails. My responses to the first email usually
followed my same pattern of using negative, stressful words and
phrases. Amazingly, the second email produces kind, efficient
language.
USE PRIMING TO SET PEOPLE UP FOR SUCCESS
Priming can be used maliciously or to be manipulative. It is very
important that we use it to set people up for success. Here’s how
to use priming for good:
• Use positive priming words like efficient, together, helpful,
goal, well-organized and team.
• Avoid negative priming words like stress, pressure, tighten,
rush, and tasks.
In fact, I am now teaching this in my training with my employees
and am very transparent about using it. Many of them very
much appreciate this effort and use it themselves! I also find
their priming emails easier to respond to, less stressful and more
organized. Another benefit is that even writing this way yourself,
helps you feel less stressed because you are not using those words.
I encourage you to try priming not just in emails, but also in:
• Texts
• Evites
• Social network updates
• PowerPoints
• Handouts
• Agendas
You can also do this when you journal or brainstorm. I find if you
journal or self-reflect using words of emotions and actions you
want to create; you have a much more successful follow-up.
Priming is an interesting way of approaching your own attitude
and other’s. I highly recommend practicing with friends and family
members and being transparent about your wanting to produce
positive effects in the people you are interacting with.
Remember, always use priming psychology for good and not evil!
Vanessa Van Edwards is lead investigator at the Science of People—a human behavior research lab.
She is the national best-selling author of Captivate: The Science of Succeeding With People, which
was chosen as one of Apple’s Most Anticipated Books of 2017. She writes a monthly column on
the science of success for Entrepreneur Magazine and the Huffington Post. Her original research
has been featured in Fast Company, Cosmopolitan, TIME, Forbes, INC and USA Today. As a human
behavior hacker she runs original research experiments on topics such as the science of leadership,
human lie detection, body language hacks, the psychology of attraction and successful people
skills at ScienceofPeople.com. Vanessa has been asked to discuss her innovative work on CNN, CBS
Morning news and NPR. She has also consulted for a number of Fortune 500 companies including
Dove, Symantec and American Express.
ScienceOfPeople.com
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