Reverse behavioral ethics

I am a member of LinkedIn and for the past few months have periodically received a message saying: “2 people in your network are using LinkedIn Sales Navigator to be more effective.” Given that I have – as I assume is the case with many members – more than 500 people in my network (most of whom I don’t actually know), this piece of information may be less persuasive than LinkedIn presumably intends it to be. Indeed, the apparent strategy of telling all members about how many in their network are using “Sales Navigator” – regardless of how small that number is – might actually be hurting Linked In.

As described on the Ethical Systems website,  the work of Professor Robert Cialdini has shown that communicating how many people are engaged in undesirable activity can increase that number by suggesting that “everyone is doing it.” I imagine the same dynamic applies to communicating how few people are engaged in desirable conduct, i.e., what LinkedIn is doing.

But this dynamic can also be a force for good, including compliance-related good. As described in this 2012 article from Reuters: “Applying [Cialdini’s] insight, the British tax agency, Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC), has tested different form letters on delinquent taxpayers. In one letter, this sentence – ‘Nine out of 10 people in the UK pay their tax on time’- increased positive response by 1.5 percent. Adding another sentence – ‘You are one of the few who have not paid us yet’ – raised the success rate 3.9 percent. HMRC also found compliance rose 6.8 percent when taxpayers were told they were one of few delinquents in their hometowns.”

Of course, LinkedIn would presumably love to be able to have statistics like these to use in promoting Sales Navigator. But in the absence of such it might be better to say nothing on the subject, and follow the old adage to “always tell the truth but don’t always be telling it.”

For compliance and ethics people, the opportunities to tell the truth in an effective way may be numerous. Among other areas, the good news can concern code of conduct certifications, training completions, conflict of interest disclosures, helpline use and audit results – as some companies have already found.  But the first rule for all in the persuasion business – which includes C&E professionals, as well as marketers –  is to do no harm.