Peer pressure gets a lot of bad press – it’s the reason all those rotten kids of today are drinking, smoking, and using drugs, after all. In small doses and at the right times, however,it definitely has a plus side that often gets overlooked.
If you can’t remember what high school was like for proof, a recent study shows the impact of peer pressure. Guests in a hotel room found a note asking them to reuse their towels – some stated the impact on the environment, some made similar appeals, but the most effective ones said that 75% of guests reused towels last year. This effect has been seen with election polls, movie openings, online sales, even minor news stories (with readers clicking on the most popular, and often least important, stories) – it becomes a self-feeding process. The most popular is the most visible, so it’s the discussed, which raises its popularity, which makes it more visible…
Knowing someone else has been there before you, has done what you’re thinking about, has purchased the thing you’re considering, has seen the movie you’re wondering about –makes us feel more comfortable doing it ourselves. Not everyone can be a Neil Armstrong, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t proud of Buzz Aldrin, too.
So what does that mean for you and your business? If you can get a customer to be your spokesperson, by giving them a great product, service and experience, you’re giving yourself the best kind of publicity available – positive, reliable, and free! Peer pressure may have negative connotations – but if you’ve got something great to offer your customers and their acquaintances, it’s your best friend.
