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United Kingdom tax officials encountered a problem: many citizens do not pay taxes on time. United Kingdom HM Revenue and customs and Excise Department (Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs, referred to HMRC) wrote to delay taxpayers for many years, in which he used traditional means of trying to force more people to pay taxes on time, such as charging interest and late fees, and even take legal action. Some people responded, many more were ignored.
A pilot study in 2009 (I am the research consultant), HMRC takes a different approach: it has changed the language in the letters, using psychological tricks to improve your chances of defaulting paying taxes on time.
In a letter, HMRC urged people to exercise their civic duty: "tax is to ensure that there are sufficient funds to your public services and other British citizens. Even if a citizen does not have to pay tax will affect our services and resources. "Another letter use specific data:" 10 United Kingdom citizens pay taxes on time 9. "
These small changes bring big gains. In 2008, HMRC tax due £ 510 million in a group received a £ 290 million settlement is 57%. 2009, using the new content of the letters, it is on a similar set of 650 million pounds owed in taxes received 560 million, paid to rate 86%. Overall, is imposed by the new letter in conjunction with other private industry best practices to help HMRC in 2009-2010 more than in the previous year received £ 5.6 billion overdue tax.
What makes so many insensitive people before sending their checks? Answer is a well-known but few people understand the psychological phenomenon: people's behavior is to a large extent been influenced by the behavior of those around – this is what behavioral scientists call the social norms (Social Norms). In particular, it has often been driven by the desire to be obedient team, especially when they share the Group's time.
Social norms is not a new thing. Behavioral scientists, including my colleague Robert · Robert B. Cialdini (Robert Cialdini) this concept has for decades (Robert B. Cialdini in the English edition of the Harvard Business Review wrote a number of articles about social norms). Advertising long before the TV drama mad men era, has been based on the desire of the consumer you want to fit into groups making demands. However, many companies have only just begun to experiment with social norms as a means of profit.
In this regard, I have five suggestions:
1 beyond marketing
Social norms is the most obvious commercial applications in terms of sales and advertising, which is filled with examples of key phrases, the slight changes bring great results. One of my favorites, is TV advertising writing kelun·suote (Colleen Szot) Connaught Dick ads replace a famous in a treadmill. His advertisements encouraging consumers to call traditional "operators are waiting for your call" with the words "if operators are busy, please try again later. "One call centers were hit by eager customers call screen, make this sports equipment became one of TV history's most popular product.
But it wasn't until the last 10 years, business people are beginning to realize that social norms in the field of marketing success. United Kingdom tax study shows how social norms can help the financial sector. Zhiqian, Robert B. Cialdini, and nuoya·geerdengsitaiyin (Noah Goldstein) and fulade·gelishikeweishesi (Vlad Griskevicius) study also showed that hotel urged guests to reuse towels in the bathroom poster greatly improves compliance. Different from the original request to the guest from the environmental point, a chain of hotels new poster statement of the fact that most of the guests to reuse towels. People's desire to comply with social norms, let the towel reuse rate rose 26%, this hotel also saves thousands of dollars a day cleaning and towel delivery costs.
I have recently for the United Kingdom's national health service (National Health Service) has done a study, as no appointment time to see a doctor about 6 million patients, the Agency an annual loss of £ 700 million. In Bedfordshire two clinic trials, we've changed the receptionist upon receiving the book, the language used, more active involvement of patients when the phone book, and let the nurse asked patients to fill out their follow-up appointment card. These changes will have an effect, but until we made another change to the attendance rate increase: posted a sign in the waiting room said last month that most of the patients have not missed their appointment. These three change missed appointments reduces 32% compared with the previous year.
2 data survey
If you want to encourage behavior does not become a social norm, common emphasis on the positive actions of others does not help much. In this case coined a number to reach your goal seems to be a quick fix. After all, how knows exactly how many other guests of the hotel guests to reuse towels? Although it is tempting, but it is not a good idea. This immoral, and the chances of being caught is greater than you think. While your efforts in the future will be called into question.
This can be considered the other two methods. A popular reference point rather than pop acts, this practice is known as "peremptory norms". As pointed out, surveys show that most people agree that a healthy lifestyle (even if they do not practice) can create a sense of social norms. Second, absolute figures released showing popularity, even if most people have not started to do so. United States, Virginia, Opower not only provides reports to the owner of the company, compare them with other users of energy consumption, total energy saved and posted on the website. For example, "more than 1.3 billion-kilowatt of electricity. "In the absence of specific evidence to show that the vast majority of people have joined the case, this law will encourage people to get involved.
3 be careful error trapping
Many institutions spectacularly into a trap: the universality of the behavior they don't want people to follow, instead of talking about people instead of frequency. Obviously they think that "common errors" can make people change their behavior, but it usually backfires.
Let us look at an example: the 2007 United States national tax Bureau (Internal Revenue Service, IRS for short) decided to deliberate tax returns false to take an extra punishment. IRS explaining the change, stressed that this punishment is necessary, because the Inland Revenue Department has found a large number of false declarations the tax man. While the transparency of the IRS has been praised, this policy is wrong. The following year, IRS auditors found that tax fraud increased by 22%. Why is that? In an attempt to solve the problem, policymakers have inadvertently conveyed this message: "there are so many people to do the bad things! "
4 data localization
Studies show that when people see evidence that they are encouraged to take action when similar people have in practice, social norms, the most convincing. In order to increase the effectiveness of social norms campaigns, it would be localized in your data, or to help target groups agree that you want them to imitate the crowd.
Studies have shown that this method is very effective. In studies of hotel towels, my colleagues by telling the guests stayed in the same room in most people reuse their towels, which improves the reuse of towels. In the United Kingdom tax authorities study, we gave people more and more detailed information, including their email in their letter area codes or cross-rate of the same town, to make these response rates are significantly higher than other letters. As companies have more powerful analytical tools, in terms of social norms of their attempts to be more personal, as they have become adept at marketing offer customization. The team know the secret of 920 000 hotels
5 test and learn
Social norms are mainly at a subconscious level work, which means a lot of people responding to an activity when it is not clear the reason for their behaviour change. Change your appointment on time of patients, may not consider the poster on the wall is the reason for their behaviour change. Taxes on time of United Kingdom citizens rarely realize that they do pay taxes on time because they were told the neighbors.
Therefore, the traditional market research methods such as focus groups, and information feedback in terms of social norms is not very useful. When you poll people, they often underestimate the role of social norms, because they often are not even aware that they have an impact. Means of assessing social norms through "test and learn" approach. Design of a simple experiment, tracking whether people will behave differently and, if necessary, adjustment, and then test again. Also note, the solution may come from your body, not your best performance analysis.
Social norms cannot be company or agency every time you want to change people's behavior is to provide solutions, but an increasing number of agencies using social norms techniques and achieved good results. Some agencies get benefits and efficiencies even at billions of not just millions of dollars. This means that every manager should be aware of the power of social norms, and how to use legitimate social norms.
Chen Yuanni | Translate
Steve Martin is the consulting company Influence at Work in Arizona of the United Kingdom, Managing Director, is also the 50 scientifically proven as the most effective way to persuade others (the free press, 2008) and co-author of.
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