We waste a lot of time writing emails that get ignored, or worse, provoke an unintended response.

So here's how to write emails that work:

First ask, is the news you are sharing with your customer good news or bad news for them?

If it is good news, the tone can be upbeat and positive. If it is bad news, you’ll need to tread more carefully.

Then ask, what do you want them to do as a result of reading your email? Do you want them to do something (action required) or do nothing (no action...

When it comes to influencing behaviour of customers and colleagues, there are a lot of things you can do. But there’s also a lot of things you shouldn’t do.
 

1. Don’t make things pretty, make them effective

Too many businesses prioritise aesthetic over efficacy.

For example, websites with call-to-action buttons that match their brand. I get it! Brand guidelines are important. We want our businesses to look well considered and professional.

The problem when everything...

Optimising customer reviews means paying attention to how people express themselves, not just what they express.

It's not only how many stars a customer gives you that can make a difference, it's whether they use past or present tense to describe their experience.

Access Just Do This: www.briwilliams.com/about-just-do-this

Seems to me that many people think the job is done once information has been shared.

Government ‘awareness’ campaigns, corporate policy documents, consulting recommendation decks, training days…

Once you’ve informed your audience, you’ve met the brief. It’s over to them. 

No. Not good enough.

But what do you want me to do?

We keep hearing about information overload. That people are confronted by thousands of messages and make hundreds of...

When it comes to pricing options, how different should the prices be?

Should your most expensive option be a little bit pricier than the middle option, or a lot?

Should your cheapest option be super low, or closer to the middle?

In this video, behavioural expert Bri Williams shares how to price your product options to influence customers to buy.

More about Just Do This: www.briwilliams.com/about-just-do-this

I often talk about the need to minimise effort if we want behaviour to happen. The easier something is to do, the smaller the payoff for bothering needs to be.

But.

Sometimes we need to do hard things. We want to do hard things.

There’s the thrill of riding a roller coaster, the relief of passing exams and the satisfaction of climbing a mountain. The adrenaline of presenting your ideas to a crowded room.

In these cases, making the hard thing easy would negate its worth. 

No...

Are you providing too much detail or not enough?

People say they want information, right? But what's the right level of information to share?

Behavioural expert Bri Williams shares how to approach the issue of information, including why people think they need it and why they actually do.

More about Just Do This: www.briwilliams.com/about-just-do-this

The number of people you are influencing (one Vs. many), and how familiar they are can radically alter how you approach the task.

When it comes to influencing groups, the biggest upside is scale — the sheer weight of numbers. However, you will have to manage dynamics within the group and the tendency for freeloading, which is when people feel they can hide behind the efforts of others.

Individuals have the advantage of heightened engagement — it’s harder for...

I hate selling.

Now, that's a problem if you are someone like me who runs their own business, or you're in a role that requires you to bring in the dollars.

Or maybe you are trying to 'sell' your credentials in a job interview or sell the benefits of a new project?

Bottomline, how to sell if you don't like selling?

In this video I explain how to think differently about selling, and the ONLY three reasons people don't buy.

This is a sample of content from my Just Do This...

My number one tip, when people ask about habit change, is your physical environment. Set it up to make it easy to do the right thing and hard to do the wrong thing.

But there’s a problem with relying on your environment. What if it changes?

The perils of contextual cues

I was travelling recently but completely forgot to take my vitamins in the morning. Why? The context had changed.

The behaviour of taking my vitamins is tied to my breakfast routine at home, and it turns...