To Trust or Not To Trust
February 27th, 2008
Have you ever wondered what makes one person trust another person?
Humans are fundamentally social creatures – we’re wired to be that way. It’s adaptive to be that way. None of us can thrive alone. But we can thrive, and have for the past 3.5 million years, through community. Central to this dynamic is the mysterious force we call trust. Without trust we cannot function… at least not well. In fact, interpersonal trust turns out to be one of the strongest predictors of the wealth or poverty of nations that economists have ever found. And we’ve all experienced the benefit of having a close group of trusted friends we can turn to for support when feeling down.
Given the sheer number of strange environments and strange people we have to navigate throughout our life, it stands to reason that we would have evolved a way to signal that a situation or other person is trustworthy. But until recently, we didn’t have a clue as to what that signal was. Some fascinating research from Paul Zak, a neuroeconomist from Claremont Graduate University, has finally unveiled the culprit – an ancient hormone called oxytocin. (http://www.neuroscene.com/index.php?post_id=240163).
If you have recently had children, you probably recognize the name oxytocin. It’s the hormone that contracts the uterus during birth and is released during breastfeeding, that most primitive of social bonding activities. It’s also released when you hug your dog – our most trustworthy companion. And Paul has now shown it’s released when someone trusts you enough to give you money. He’s also shown that people who inhale oxytocin through a nasal spray are twice as likely to invest money as people who inhale a placebo.
Now I’m not suggesting we start using oxytocin sprays to sell products. But it does seem like a wise marketing tactic to seek out those situations where this biological cupid, if you will, makes his appearance naturally. When people are with others they trust, a cascade of physiological and behavioral changes is involuntarily triggered. Stress hormones go down…anxiety is reduced…people relax… social interaction and cooperation are facilitated…and productivity increases.
In other words, trust is a physiological key to the hearts and minds of customers. So maybe instead of shouting at people to try and get through, we should try the subtler approach. And reach them where the doors are already open.
Other posts by Justine.
BIG Kahuna says:
Huh? What doors would those be? Who’s shouting? Are you saying soft selling you’d be better off? I don’t understand the point of this blog at all?
If oxytocin needs to be released to gain trust is it going to matter how you’re asking?
February 27th, 2008 at 4:46 pmJustin says:
So, I think we need to hug everyone at new business meetings
February 28th, 2008 at 6:31 amMr. Steve says:
Monsieur Kahuna:
Read the next to last paragraph…it’s brilliant. There is a chemical reaction that occurs in our bodies when we trust. And if we can reach consumers (or employees, or blog readers) at those moments, then we have a special connection. But tossing ads out into the ether with no such connection puts traditional advertising at a disadvantage.
In other words, YES, it does matter how you’re asking. And it matters when you ask. A billboard or magazine ad doesn’t mean nearly as much as word of mouth…and we have even more biological proof of that.
Don’t mistake her use of the word “subtle” for “easy”…conversation with consumers is never easy, but it’s much subtler than yelling at them through banner ads, billboards and super bowl ads.
Just my two cents. Great post Justine!
February 28th, 2008 at 6:36 amJennifer says:
I think we should bring a dog to every new business meeting. Time for Mud to start earning that space on the website!
But seriously, folks. If we understand the ways in which oxytocin is naturally triggered, then we can understand the kind of interactions that inspire and merit trust… then maybe we can go out of our way to create circumstances and talk to people in ways that respect that little biological clue.
February 28th, 2008 at 6:54 amJustine says:
Steve you nailed it. Thank you for clarifying what I meant to say (sorry if it wasn’t clear the first time). If we can identify those situations in which people feel safe and/or focus on communicating to customers through people they trust, then we have a better chance of reaching them. They are in a more relaxed and approachable state. And more motivated to interact.
I do think there are implications for word of mouth vs. traditional media approaches of communication. It would be a fascinating study to see if oxytocin is released when a close friend recommends something versus you seeing it advertised on TV (in fact I’m emailing Paul about that today..).
There are also implications for how to create a more productive work environment. I think Paul talks about this in the book he edited that just came out “Moral Markets”, though I haven’t read it yet.
February 28th, 2008 at 7:09 amBilly says:
All I know is: I have 4 kids… so I am staying the hell away from dogs.
Great post, Justine.
February 28th, 2008 at 7:52 amBIG Kahuna says:
Well then I need to go gather some oxytocin. I’ll pipe it into all my new business meetings.
February 28th, 2008 at 11:45 amSusan Kuchinskas says:
Two quick comments: I think the best way to create the oxytocin connection in a sales encounter is by being genuinely warm and connected yourself. Good sales people do this naturally. If your brain is brimming with oxytocin, you will automatically behave in ways that evoke the oxytocin response in others. I was just talking about this with my dad, a former salesman, the other day:
http://www.hugthemonkey.com/2008/02/how-to-sell-you.html
Re WOM versus media, I have no proof, but I am pretty sure that media can evoke the oxytocin response. Sociologists talk about “para-affiliation,” that is, the feeling of being connected to someone or something even though there’s no real, physical connection.
For example, loyalty to a sports team is an example of para-affiliation, as is love of God or country. Now, it’s becoming very clear that oxytocin is at the root of all human affiliation, from trust to love, so I’d bet money that it also is involved in para-affiliation.
Brands certainly produce feelings of affiliation in people, so I think you could safely say that a good ad, in whatever medium, likely creates an oxytocin release.
March 1st, 2008 at 7:42 amBIG Kahuna says:
Of course it does but WOM people think WOM is always the answer. If ads are done correctly they can evoke a great response. Just like direct mail, search engine optimization, on and on. There is no one medium better than all. What get’s people trusting you is developing your brand. WOM is just a tactic that falls under branding. There is nothing above branding it’s the ultimate way to develop a relationship with your target markets (WOM could be a tactic to facilitate this). And it all starts with your brand identity.
By the way did anyone not know that people buy from others they know and trust? I’m very interested in what Justine has to say but I want to know stuff I don’t know. Buying from people we’re comfortable with is nothing new where I sit.
March 2nd, 2008 at 3:37 pmChristy says:
Wow. I experienced the Coca Cola museum (exhibit, whatever) for the first time yesterday, and it’s a *fabulous* example of a brand being able to evoke an oxytocin (or “connection”) response through its … um… branding. (Advertising? communications? dare I say marketing??)
I wasn’t thinking about this as we walked in just before lunch, so I can’t put my finger on just when the “happy feeling” started totally taking over, but it did! It’s probably a good thing for a cynic like me that they show the advertising collages on the second floor, which is not the first thing you’re likely to visit. Otherwise, I would have rejected all the “happy, happy, joy, joy” crap as corporate sunshine.
Yes, in the back of my mind, I know Coke is so totally bad for your body, but I at least walked out of there, happily toting my free bottle of Coca Cola and a few trinkets from the gift shop.
What on earth did they do to me?!?!
March 3rd, 2008 at 5:24 amBIG Kahuna says:
I’m the same way over Coke. What they did to you was give you a serious dose of branding.
I still buy Crest toothpaste after all these years…
March 3rd, 2008 at 4:54 pmKahuna's Nemesis says:
Kahuna strikes again. Teach him for being so bigoted.
April 21st, 2008 at 10:59 pm