Many people have probably experienced fortune-telling or blood type diagnosis, etc., and felt that what they were saying was “correct” even though they didn’t tell the other person about themselves.
Although it is not certain whether these are actually true, the “Barnum effect” may be used to make it appear as if they are true.
Therefore, in this article, we will introduce an overview of the Barnum effect, the origin of its name, and how to use it. We will also explain the points to keep in mind when actually using the Barnum effect yourself, so please refer to it.
What is the Barnum effect?
First, let’s start with an overview of the Barnum effect. The Barnum effect is a phenomenon or psychological phenomenon in which people think that they are being corrected when they hear or see ambiguous statements or descriptions that could apply to anyone.
To give an example of the Barnum effect, imagine someone says to you, “You’re worried right now.” People live their lives with more than a few worries, so when they are told that they have worries, they tend to vent their worries.
In this way, the Barnum effect is when you tell the other person something that applies to everyone and make them think that they are getting it right.
Origin of the Barnum effect
The Barnum effect was coined by Paul E. Meehl, an American psychologist. The phrase comes from P.T. Barnum’s quote, “We’ve got something for everyone.”
The Barnum effect is also sometimes called the “Forer effect,” named after the American psychologist Bertram Forer.
Mechanism of Barnum effect
confirmation bias
If you experience the Barnum effect described above, you may develop a good feeling or liking towards the other person.
It may be strange to feel psychologically close to someone you’ve just met, but this has something to do with confirmation bias. Confirmation bias is the tendency of people to ignore information that is inconvenient to them, and only to obtain information that is convenient for them.
The Barnum Effect utilizes confirmation bias, which means that even when we meet someone for the first time, we feel that they understand our characteristics and concerns, and we tend to like them.
In the first place, bias means “bias” and is a belief based on assumptions or one’s own prejudices. There are various expressions for bias, and when bias is caused by some factor, it is said to be “biased.”
In addition, when a bias is intentionally created, it is called “biasing.” Furthermore, if the bias is gradually increasing, it is expressed as “the bias is getting stronger.”
Why does confirmation bias occur?
Confirmation bias occurs because of human brain characteristics and instincts. That’s what follows.
humans value intuition
Humans instinctively tend to value their intuition.
In fact, in life, we often feel that our decisions were correct, such as when something we thought would turn out to be the case, or when our decisions led us to avoid danger, or when our predictions turned out to be correct. There are many times when I think about this.
Furthermore, in business, there are some business owners who rely only on their own intuition, and others who find it quicker and easier to proceed by trusting their intuition.
Confirmation bias arises from such dogma and the belief that one is absolutely right.
humans like themselves
Basically, humans are creatures that like themselves. We all want to think that we are better than others, and if this is actually the case, we will feel superior.
Also, when it comes to self-evaluation, we tend to rate ourselves higher than others due to our defensive instincts to protect ourselves. This way, we avoid unconsciously triggering defensive instincts and damaging our self-esteem.
However, if these tendencies are strong, you may sometimes feel self-conscious. Excessive self-consciousness can also lead to overconfidence, making it difficult to accept negative information about oneself.
As a result, confirmation bias may occur.
Placebo effect
In
marketing
, it is referred to as a “placebo effect” that is related to the Barnum effect, but the placebo effect originally refers to a “belief effect” in the medical field.
Also known as the placebo effect, it is a treatment method in which a patient is given something that is ineffective, and the effect appears to be effective.
For example, if a doctor or pharmacist gives a patient a fake drug that does not contain any active ingredients and says, “This is a miracle drug,” there are rare cases in which the patient’s symptoms actually improve.
This phenomenon is called the placebo effect. Your symptoms may actually improve just by having a so-called “belief”.
In fact, the placebo effect has been introduced in the field of developing new drugs, and in one clinical trial, when subjects were given a placebo that did not contain any active ingredients, about 30% of them found that it had an analgesic effect. There are also results.
Placebo effect in marketing
You can also use the placebo effect as described above and apply it to marketing. A type of marketing that is particularly compatible is the “fortune-telling business.”
In the fortune-telling business, a “hierarchical relationship” has already been established between the fortune-teller and the customer, and what the fortune-teller says is absolute for the customer. If we use the example explained in the section of “placebo effect” above, the fortune teller would be in the position of a doctor or pharmacist, and the customer would be in the position of a clinical trial investigator.
Placebo effects are extremely effective in workplaces where such hierarchical relationships have already been established.
Typical example of Barnum effect
The Barnum effect is used not only in marketing but also in a variety of other situations. For example, the following three are listed.
Let’s look at each in turn.
fortune telling
The Barnum effect is frequently used in fortune telling. Since you are asked many questions related to yourself, such as your date of birth and blood type, it is easy to think that you are guessing about yourself, even if the questions apply to everyone.
Omikuji
Like the fortune-telling mentioned above, omikuji often contain information that can be applied to anyone. In addition, since Omikuji is a system in which you select the numbers and bills yourself and draw them, it is said that the Burnham effect is more likely to be exerted.
Blood type diagnosis
As part of communication, I think it’s common to tell people with type A blood, “You’re very methodical after all.”
However, there is no scientific basis for correctly interpreting personality from blood type, and although the content applies to anyone with the same blood type, the Barnum effect tends to be activated when someone’s own blood type is mentioned. .
Benefits of the Barnum effect
If you make good use of the Barnum effect in your business, you can enjoy the following benefits:
Deepening communication
The Barnum Effect is highly effective in all types of relationships, including not only relationships at work but also relationships with friends and acquaintances in private life, relationships with relatives, etc.
By making the other person think, “I understand you,” you can lower their guard and make them come closer to you.
If you can touch on the other person’s concerns or explain them to them, and they realize that you understand them, you can use this as an opportunity to deepen your communication.
Earn trust and be relied upon
For example, if a boss takes advantage of the Barnum effect and consults with his subordinates about work-related issues, he is more likely to gain the trust of his subordinates and establish himself as a reliable boss.
As for the characteristics of a bad boss, “1st place: changes his attitude depending on the other person,” “2nd place: Forcibly imposes work,” and “3rd place: Overbearing/bossy,” and all of these results are due to lack of communication. I am.
Source: PR TIMES Ranking of characteristics of disliked bosses! Questionnaire survey of 500 men and women (
https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000027.000041309.html
)
In order to avoid being disliked by your subordinates as a bad boss, make good use of the Barnum effect and proactively gain the trust of your subordinates.
Disadvantages of the Barnum effect
While the Barnum effect has the potential to make others fall in love with you if used wisely, if you use it too often on the same person, the effect will gradually fade.
Only abstract talk becomes noticeable, and the credibility of what one says and does begins to fade. If this happens, the other person will start to suspect that something is fishy or that they are saying something inappropriate.
Easy-to-understand examples that make extensive use of the Barnum effect
A very easy-to-understand example that makes extensive use of the Barnum effect is the solicitation of “online business” and “information products.”
“Can you survive on your current salary?” “Don’t you think your life would be easier if you earned 1 million yen from your side job?” I’ll go.
However, due to the nature of the product, we cannot reveal the contents and will not know until you purchase it. Given this background, the story as a whole is questionable from beginning to end.
It is difficult to gain the customer’s trust with sales that heavily use the Barnum effect, so use it only when you are meeting for the first time. After that, try to sell your product by getting into specifics.
How to use the Barnum effect in marketing
So far, we have provided an overview of the Barnum effect. From here, we will explain how to use the Barnum effect in marketing.
Let’s look at each in turn.
sales pitch
The Barnum effect is used in sales pitches when you want to convey something that many companies are interested in or that applies to a wide range of concerns of the person in charge, and then introduce your company’s products as a way to solve those concerns.
If you propose a product after understanding the other person’s interests and concerns, the other party will be more convinced and more likely to make a purchase.
For example, ask the other party, “Are you having trouble managing your passwords?”
Managing multiple passwords on a computer is extremely time-consuming when conducting work or business, and considering the possibility that you will not be able to log in, you cannot do anything wrong.
Therefore, by proposing software and tools that strengthen security and are easy to manage, you will increase the chances that they will use your services.
The sales pitch introduced here is just an example, so please try replacing it with your own services and products.
In sales talk, your company is a person who understands the customer well.
In a sales conversation that utilizes the Barnum Effect, the conversation should be conducted in such a way that the company strives to be a person who understands the customer well. Then, try to convey both the good and bad aspects (problems) of the other person.
For example, if you say, “Your products are very precisely made and have a high degree of perfection, but I think the cost is a little too high.” We will explain that the product is of high quality, and later point out that the downside (problem) is that it costs too much.
In this way, by detecting problems in advance and pointing them out ahead of time, you can give the impression that you have a good understanding of our company’s circumstances.
However, it is easy to imagine that products that are highly finished and made with great precision are often expensive, and this is where they are effective.
advertisement
The Barnum effect can also be used in listing advertisements, SNS advertisements, and mass advertisements. Just like the sales pitch mentioned above, place a problem that is easily applicable to everyone at the beginning of the ad.
For example, if you are selling a diet supplement, you can make them more interested in your product by placing a phrase like “Are you worried about the weight around your stomach?”
Also, when people who have failed at dieting see
a catchphrase
that says, “Your inability to lose weight may be due to genetics,” they think, “This could be me.”
In this way, one way to create the Barnum effect in advertising is to place words at the beginning that make people think, “This could be about me.”
Effective expression of Barnum effect in advertising
The Barnum Effect needs to make you feel like the person is speaking only to you. Therefore, in order to make the Barnum effect more effective, we use “you” instead of “everyone” in our advertisements.
By identifying yourself as “you,” you can make the other person feel special, like “it’s just me” or “it’s just me.”
Let’s take a look at the differences between the two cases “your case” and “your case” below.
■Case study: Your case
- “To all the office workers who don’t have much time! Are you taking good care of your health?”
～Explanation～
There are probably many people who don’t really get it and end up ignoring the message. It gives the impression that the message is weak.
■Case study: Your case
- “You who don’t have time! That’s you! Are you taking good care of your health?”
～Explanation～
The moment you see this catchphrase, you’ll probably find yourself thinking a little bit about your health. Also, by identifying yourself with you, it has the effect of making the other person firmly recognize that it is you.
Comparison of Barnum effect in advertising
Here, let’s compare sentences that make use of the Barnum effect and sentences that don’t.
For sentences that do not utilize the Barnum effect
Everyone suffering from joint pain! Are you doing anything to improve your joint pain? We recommend our supplements that are effective for joint pain!
～Explanation～
- Everyone suffering from joint pain! →I don’t really get the impression that it’s me!
- Are you doing anything to improve your joint pain? →I’m doing it but it’s not getting better, I’m not doing anything, I don’t know what to do
- We recommend our supplements! → Sales again? Does it really work?
■It can be said that there is no sharpness as a whole, and the message is weak. It’s not like I’m trying to recommend anything in particular. It can be said that it is unlikely that it will ultimately be seen as a sales purpose and lead to CV (conversion).
For sentences that utilize the Barnum effect
Are you suffering from joint pain? You must be working hard every day to improve your joint pain! However, joint pain is caused naturally by the loss of cartilage in the joints as we age. Therefore, we recommend the original supplement developed by our company!
～Explanation～
- Are you suffering from joint pain? →By using “you” instead of “everyone,” the message seems to be “only for you.”
- You must be working hard every day to improve your joint pain! →It makes people who are working hard every day to improve their joint pain think, “This is me.”
- However, joint pain is caused naturally by the loss of cartilage in the joints as we age. → “I see, it just happens naturally! That’s why no matter what I do, it won’t go away!” Even people who haven’t done anything to improve their joint pain may find that it has an effect that they have no idea about. It’s out.
- Therefore, we recommend the original supplement developed by our company! →If you have any idea, we recommend a limited edition product developed by our company.
■The Burnham effect is scattered throughout the text, creating a sense of sharpness and a strong message. There are also factors that apply to you here and there, so that you can think, “This is a message that is being sent to you.”
Finally, by presenting “limited solutions” to such people, you can make them think “I know what you are doing!” and this will lead to increased CV. The possibilities have increased dramatically.
5 points to maximize the Burnham effect
The Barnum effect can gain trust and create a sense of intimacy with others, but it cannot be maximized by simply using it. In order to maximize the Burnham effect, it is important to pay attention to four main points.
Let’s look at each in turn.
Tell only specific people
The Barnum Effect is meant to convey that it applies to everyone, but the recipient must not realize that it applies to everyone. Therefore, it is important to narrow down your messages to specific people.
For example, in fortune-telling, we check your blood type and date of birth. This is to make the other person think that it only applies to them. In this way, while checking the content that applies to everyone, it is important to understand that it is important not to let the other person understand.
Promote lots of positive content
Human beings are creatures that tend to trust information and words that are convenient for them and leave an impression on them. Therefore, try to minimize the negative elements and focus on the positive ones.
Increase the authority of the sender as much as possible
No matter how much you can utilize the Barnum Effect, you will not be able to maximize its effectiveness without the credibility of the sender itself. This is because people do not trust the words or behavior of someone they do not trust.
What is important here is the authority of the sender. For example, in the web industry, if you have over 10,000 followers on Twitter or 100,000 subscribers on YouTube, your credibility will increase.
Also, even if you are in an industry other than the web, try to talk about your accomplishments that will increase your authority, such as having consulted over 100 people in the past or doing business with over 50 companies at any given time.
choose words carefully
It is also important to choose your words carefully. Specifically, it means using words that can be interpreted in any way.
For example, rather than saying in general terms, “You have a problem,” saying, “You may have a small problem that you’re not aware of,” is more likely to apply to everyone.
The Barnum effect cannot be achieved if you use words that do not apply to the other person, so choose your words carefully.
Use words that can be interpreted broadly
The key to the Barnum Effect is how to make people think that something “applies to them.” To do this, we need to use words that can be interpreted broadly.
If you use words and nuances that only a certain number of people can understand, the number of things that “apply to you” will decrease, and the number of people for whom the Barnum Effect can be exerted will be limited. This means that the so-called “target group” will be reduced.
For example, more people would say, “Hey, you! Would you like to learn a programming language and become a freelancer?” than “You! Would you like to learn a programming language and become a freelancer?” It can be interpreted.
Even if you don’t know programming languages, this message will resonate with anyone who wants to master programming and become a freelancer.
However, if you use the word “C++” that only certain people understand, some people will ask, “What is C++?” Such people will no longer be subject to the Barnum Effect.
In this way, it is necessary to use words that can be interpreted in a wide range of ways so as not to shorten the target group.
Points to note when using the Barnum effect
So far, we have explained how to utilize the Barnum effect. Lastly, I would like to explain some things to keep in mind when using the Barnum effect.
Let’s look at each in turn.
Collect information appropriately
For example, if you address a single person with a topic that is intended for married people, it may offend them or the topic may not be applicable in the first place. In order to prevent these situations, it is important to collect information from the other party appropriately in advance.
Do not abuse or overuse
The Barnum effect is a psychology that can be used in marketing, and if misused, the other party may feel “deceived.” It is important to understand that the Barnum Effect is only effective when used appropriately, so it is not something to abuse.
Also, if you use the Barnum Effect over and over again against the same person, you may think that you are saying the same thing again. To prevent this from happening, it is important to maximize the effectiveness while minimizing the frequency of use.
Avoid exaggerated expressions and inflammatory tone
When utilizing the Barnum effect, the most important thing to be careful of is exaggerated expressions and incendiary tone.
Regulations have become particularly strict in the advertising industry in recent years, especially when it comes to exaggerated expressions, and excessive use of excessive expressions may run afoul of the Unjustifiable Representations Act.
Also, you need to be careful about incendiary tone as well as exaggerated expressions. A provocative tone is a phrase that provokes or makes someone uncomfortable.
If you look down on the other person, abuse them, or act in an overbearing manner, they will feel a sense of fear, and you will not be able to expect the Barnum effect.
In addition, incendiary tone can cause trouble and lead to defamation, so you need to be extremely careful.
summary
In this article, we have provided an overview of the Barnum Effect, how to use it in marketing, and points to note.
The Barnum Effect is a psychology/technique that makes people think that it applies to them as well, and by using it in sales pitches and advertisements, it can increase the closing rate.
In order to maximize the Burnham effect, why not start by choosing the person you want to communicate with and increasing the authority of the sender?