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The small BIG: Small Changes that Spark Big Influence
At some point today you will have to influence or persuade someone - perhaps ask a colleague a favour, negotiate with a contractor or get your spouse to put out the recycling. In the small BIG, three heavyweights from the world of persuasion science and practice - Steve Martin, Noah Goldstein and Robert Cialdini - describe how, in today's information-overloaded world, it is now the smallest changes that lead to the biggest differences in results. Offering deceptively simple suggestions and explaining the extensive scientific research behind them, the small BIG presents over fifty small changes - from the little adjustments that make meetings more effective to the costless alteration to correspondence that saved a government millions. the small BIG is full of surprising, powerful - and above all, tiny - changes that could mean the difference between failure and success.
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2014
338 people are currently reading
3364 people want to read
About the author
Steve J. Martin
18 books18 followersSteve J. Martin is the co-author of the New York Times International bestseller Yes! 50 Secrets from the Science of Persuasion. His work in the field of persuasion science has featured widely in the media. His regular business columns for the British Airways in-flight magazine and the Harvard Business Review are read by over 2 million people each month. He is a guest lecturer at the London Business School and the University of Cambridge.
- http://www.thesmallbig.com
- http://www.thesmallbig.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 121 reviews
January 1, 2017
I feel as though this book persuaded me to read it...touché persuasive book, touché.
June 3, 2019
Should you e-mail or print a proposal? What is better for creativity! A room with high ceiling or low one? Where should you set in a meeting room if you want to convince others? Does it change your opinion about a doctor if he/she is wearing a stethoscope?
And many more questions will be answered by this book via research.
This book is all about vital few things that you need to do convince your audience or customers to do what you want them to do. A must read for anyone in the business of sales or any leader who is trying to implement a new plan at the workplace. I love this book. I’ve just finished this book and I’m already planning to read it again!
And many more questions will be answered by this book via research.
This book is all about vital few things that you need to do convince your audience or customers to do what you want them to do. A must read for anyone in the business of sales or any leader who is trying to implement a new plan at the workplace. I love this book. I’ve just finished this book and I’m already planning to read it again!
June 11, 2015
Small things can have big impacts. That's the theme of this book, and it largely delivers. We get 52 shortish chapters on a different aspect of persuasion.
Like this ... people are more likely to give money to a hurricane disaster appeal if the hurricane has the same name as them. Or if the name of the hurricane begins with the same letter as their name.
And to back it up each of these little nuggets is backed up with genuine research. Scientific research. By blokes with white coats and pens in their top pockets.
It's well written, informative, credible. Unlike many of similar self-help books it doesn't take one little scrap of wisdom and blow it up into an entire book.
There are slight niggles. For one thing the book is crying out for a summary. Each chapter heading is a question "What small change could achieve X and Y?". And while that makes for a teasing start to a chapter, it makes it difficult to find the nugget that you want. A simple list of the 52 ideas would be great (although it might remove the need to buy the entire book).
One other niggle is that there is one example of schoolboy humour that ought to have been zapped in the edit. The footnote to chapter 7 doesn't add anything and will annoy some readers. Please delete it for the next edition.
Recommended if you are in the business of trying to persuade people to do something.
I have one hesitation. The science of persuasion is becoming more and more sophisticated. If businesses and politicians use these sorts of techniques, then we all need to know about them. Not only do we need to know how to use these techniques, we also need to be able to spot when they are being used against us.
Perhaps that's another reason to buy this book. Five stars. If the rating system allowed it, I'd knock of a couple of percentage points for the lack of a summary and that footnote to chapter 7. But it's still five stars. Good book.
Like this ... people are more likely to give money to a hurricane disaster appeal if the hurricane has the same name as them. Or if the name of the hurricane begins with the same letter as their name.
And to back it up each of these little nuggets is backed up with genuine research. Scientific research. By blokes with white coats and pens in their top pockets.
It's well written, informative, credible. Unlike many of similar self-help books it doesn't take one little scrap of wisdom and blow it up into an entire book.
There are slight niggles. For one thing the book is crying out for a summary. Each chapter heading is a question "What small change could achieve X and Y?". And while that makes for a teasing start to a chapter, it makes it difficult to find the nugget that you want. A simple list of the 52 ideas would be great (although it might remove the need to buy the entire book).
One other niggle is that there is one example of schoolboy humour that ought to have been zapped in the edit. The footnote to chapter 7 doesn't add anything and will annoy some readers. Please delete it for the next edition.
Recommended if you are in the business of trying to persuade people to do something.
I have one hesitation. The science of persuasion is becoming more and more sophisticated. If businesses and politicians use these sorts of techniques, then we all need to know about them. Not only do we need to know how to use these techniques, we also need to be able to spot when they are being used against us.
Perhaps that's another reason to buy this book. Five stars. If the rating system allowed it, I'd knock of a couple of percentage points for the lack of a summary and that footnote to chapter 7. But it's still five stars. Good book.
September 30, 2015
Good reinforcement to read after Cialdini's prior books, Influence and Yes! My notes:
* People have an affinity for their name and even their first initial. Use their names more often in outreach and when you want a response
* Focus on finding uncommon commonalities to build rapport. Instead of asking someone's favorite TV show, ask for their top 5 and find the commonalities to get to more uncommon ones.
* In BD, don't isolate your accounts to one point of contact; invite others in your firm to meet with accounts as new relationships further rapport than long time ones.
* Ask recipients to signal (in email) by way of a simple "yes" response that the notes you sent are an accurate reflection of their understanding of next steps.
* Specific commitments are more effective than general commitments
* Have a person form a specific plan for where, when, and how they will go about accomplishing the task to which they have committed--implementation intentions
* Ask for a commitment at a late date in the future than sooner, people more likely to lock in
* Remind people of their connectedness to their future selves
* In a two option scenario, Attach a loss to the option you don't want selected
* Associate your ask with "love" and more people will say yes
* Make precise offers instead of rounded offers because the recipients of precise offers are much more likely to believe that the person making the offer has invested time and effort preparing for the negotiation and therefore has a very good reasons to support the precise offer they are making
* People have an affinity for their name and even their first initial. Use their names more often in outreach and when you want a response
* Focus on finding uncommon commonalities to build rapport. Instead of asking someone's favorite TV show, ask for their top 5 and find the commonalities to get to more uncommon ones.
* In BD, don't isolate your accounts to one point of contact; invite others in your firm to meet with accounts as new relationships further rapport than long time ones.
* Ask recipients to signal (in email) by way of a simple "yes" response that the notes you sent are an accurate reflection of their understanding of next steps.
* Specific commitments are more effective than general commitments
* Have a person form a specific plan for where, when, and how they will go about accomplishing the task to which they have committed--implementation intentions
* Ask for a commitment at a late date in the future than sooner, people more likely to lock in
* Remind people of their connectedness to their future selves
* In a two option scenario, Attach a loss to the option you don't want selected
* Associate your ask with "love" and more people will say yes
* Make precise offers instead of rounded offers because the recipients of precise offers are much more likely to believe that the person making the offer has invested time and effort preparing for the negotiation and therefore has a very good reasons to support the precise offer they are making
April 22, 2017
I borrowed “The Small Big” from the library on audio. That wasn’t a good idea. “The Small Big” contains over 50 suggestions for how to present something in a more persuasive manner. Each of the suggestions is written up in a short chapter, with examples and with research described that illustrates the concept. Despite being chopped up in this way, I found the book quite readable due to the engaging topics covered. Part of the engagement comes about because some of the suggestions are not what I was expecting. For instance, I assumed people listened to experts, but it appears if experts seem to have some difficulty coming to a conclusion, people will pay more attention to that conclusion. As I heard this story, I started thinking of how I could put that to use on a Powerpoint. I must say that I really enjoyed this book. I can imagine keeping a list of these suggestions for persuasion. And here’s where audio doesn’t help – unless you listen while sitting at a desk, as if listening to a school lecture, you won’t take notes and you will not have a “cheat sheet” for your persuasive efforts later on. This is where the book or ebook format might make more sense. Or a good summary book. If you do listen to the audio, you may want to consider checking out a copy of the physical book at the same time…
February 23, 2017
Mostly rehashes other books. Seemed focused on business
October 2, 2019
52 chapters of stories and tips on how to persuade people to give you what you want. I liked how the author ended each chapter with examples of different scenarios on how his tips can be used in everyday life situation.
I've read couple behavioral science books and found a lot of the same stories/studies mentioned in this book.
I've read couple behavioral science books and found a lot of the same stories/studies mentioned in this book.
January 28, 2018
Very useful book to read with applications in many aspects of life and business to make life easier by changing simply things.
September 1, 2024
Generally speaking, it's interesting, but IDK... something about the format was meh. It's kind of like pastiche. Some good advice here and there, and, given that the chapters are short, they're perfect to start the day.
November 24, 2014
I received this book free from Firstreads. I was interested in looking at this book for a look at how to change people's mindsets, but it did not really discuss that on a large scale, only how to change small things that could affect things like your productivity or the productivity of those you work with or who work for you. It was an interesting look at the psychology of changing people's minds or thoughts with small switches that can have big results. I enjoyed reading it and I think it is something that people in business should read. As a teacher, I felt it had fewer ramifications for my own practice and the mindset of other teachers around me that I work with. All in all it was an interesting read, and all of the studies they referenced were fascinating.
February 18, 2019
An interesting and generally very practical book: 52 short chapters, each with a specific, straightforward, and tested, suggestion for how you might influence people to get a particular outcome.
- Having problems getting people to attend their appointments for your clinic? Get them to write down the time and date on a slip themselves, or read it back to you over the phone - this improves rates over simply giving them a printed slip with the details.
- Want to improve your own likelihood of going to the gym or remembering to meditate? Visualise the specific details of what you're going to do as you start the process, in advance of when you want it to happen. Better yet, write these details down in a short note to yourself.
- Want to improve your tips as a server in a restaurant? Put a sweet or a mint on the tray with the bill for each person in the group - and then come back after a minute with another mint or two.
And so on. Each chapter will only take you ten minutes to read, and although you may have come across some of the suggestions before if you've read the authors' other works, there will very likely be some that are new to you. And by the way, the authors are not science journalists, but are among the most widely recognised leaders in this field - Cialdini, for example, is the most referenced author ever in the field of social influencing.
Clear, helpful, actionable: what more could you ask?
- Having problems getting people to attend their appointments for your clinic? Get them to write down the time and date on a slip themselves, or read it back to you over the phone - this improves rates over simply giving them a printed slip with the details.
- Want to improve your own likelihood of going to the gym or remembering to meditate? Visualise the specific details of what you're going to do as you start the process, in advance of when you want it to happen. Better yet, write these details down in a short note to yourself.
- Want to improve your tips as a server in a restaurant? Put a sweet or a mint on the tray with the bill for each person in the group - and then come back after a minute with another mint or two.
And so on. Each chapter will only take you ten minutes to read, and although you may have come across some of the suggestions before if you've read the authors' other works, there will very likely be some that are new to you. And by the way, the authors are not science journalists, but are among the most widely recognised leaders in this field - Cialdini, for example, is the most referenced author ever in the field of social influencing.
Clear, helpful, actionable: what more could you ask?
October 13, 2015
It is often not big changes, but small ones, that spark big influence in our lives. If ever there were small things that you could potentially achieve you extraordinary results, you ought to read this book. This book has the potential to impact your daily life by bringing in the minimal changes and achieving remarkable outcomes...
Do you already follow some of them?
Read on..
"The Small BIG" by Steve J Martin / Noah J Goldstein and Robert B Cialdini is an awesome read. There are 52 small changes mentioned in the book (perhaps one for a week) that you can bring in yourself or your environment to bring in extraordinary results in your life. You may be aware / may have read about some of these in one form or the other but I have listed 20 of my Book Lessons that influenced me sharply.
(1) Social proof - the evidence of crowd
The evidence of crowd following a specific thing is a big influencer to people behavior. Our behavior is largely influenced by the behavior of others around us. So, while selling a product, if you can highlight the number of positive feedback, reviews etc, it influences people to take a decision too.
(2) Reason not required
People who get influenced by the decision of the crowd often do not know or do not want to know the reason for their decision.
(3) Specific Evidence
More specific is the evidence, more is the probability of others to follow. It is advisable to give real time specific information when talking about any concept or product.
(4) Uniqueness
People seek to define themselves based on what makes them unique. If possessing a specific product or a concept will bring people in a unique category, they are more likely to go for it.
(5) Client's Success
One of the biggest way to motivate an employee is to remind him / her of the significance of his / her role to client's success
(6) The Broken Windows phenomenon
The Broken Windows phenomenon suggests the importance of keeping small things neat and tidy and how these positively influences others.
(7) The sweetest word
Our own name is the sweetest word we hear. Use the recipient's name quite often in your communication with others to keep them interested in what you are trying to convey.
(8) Ask questions to confirm decisions
You can persuade people by asking questions that plan and confirm their decision rather than a question which could confirm or negate a proposition.
As an example, if you are pursuing a key person to attend a meeting, instead of asking 'Are you attending the meeting today?', you might ask a confirmatory question 'What are you doing just before our meeting today?'. Whatever be the answer of the person to the later question, you have got a confirmation for the meeting in any case.
(9) Lock people to commit to decisions
You can lock people to commit to decisions by letting them know that the decision is implementable in far future rather than in the near future. This is especially true if they are not very sure of their decision today.
(10) Meaningful distractions
Meaningful distractions for people waiting in queue can drastically reduce their frustration and improve loyalty.
(11) The Right Seating Arrangement
A circular seating arrangement nurtures collaboration while a square or rectangular seating arrangement promotes uniqueness and ownership. So, depending on the way you want to drive the meeting, you might choose an appropriate conference room.
(12) Unsure Experts
People expect experts to be certain about their opinions. But it is only when the expert expresses uncertainties that people are truly drawn into what they are saying. This is perhaps because they believe that no one can know everything, and an honest expression of uncertainty goes a long way in building the trust factor.
(13) Room Size
People are proven to think more creatively if the room has a high ceiling or, even better, is an open lawn. So, it is not only you feel better in an open space, but also think better and more creative. Another reason, I should again start sleeping in an open terrace rather than an air conditioned room.
(14) Visualisation
Once again, it is proven beyond doubt. You can recollect all your power by writing down or visualising your powerful moments from past.
(15) Questions and Questions
There are no silly questions... Ask questions, ask help as often as you can.
(16) Be the first one
While negotiating, be the first one to place an offer and make sure that the offer is as precise as it is feasible. The first offer becomes the baseline and drives the entire negotiation discussion.
(17) Cost Saving
When selling, don't just focus on cost savings for the client, but highlight what could potentially be done with the saved cost, thus leveraging the concept of Cost of lost opportunity, if the client does not go with you.
(18) Chasing Goals - Small Area Hypothesis
When starting to chase goals, focus on the smaller achievements in the early phases (like 10% done rather than 90% remaining) and on smaller pending activities at a later stage (like 10% remaining rather than 90% done). This is called small area hypothesis and keeps you motivated towards your goal.
(19) From a Distance
Taking a physical step back and viewing the task from a greater distance can reduce your perception of how difficult the task of actually is. So, if you're stuck with a stubborn problem or are not able to take a decision, actually take a few physical steps back from the problem and re-think.
(20) Peak-End Effect / Duration Neglect
Every experience has a 'peak-end' effect i.e. we tend to remember the peak experience and the end of the experience e.g. Remember one of your older vacation and you will realise that we remember usually the best / worst experience of the vacation and then how the vacation ended, completely forgetting the rest of the duration. This term is also called as duration neglect. So, to create better memories for your lifetime, you may reduce the number of days of your vacation but ensure that you have the thrillist adventure possible and wind it up with a great last day.
Important is that all of these extraordinary results have been proven scientifically by more than one research and study. Go, pick your small change that can influence your results significantly.
Do you already follow some of them?
Read on..
"The Small BIG" by Steve J Martin / Noah J Goldstein and Robert B Cialdini is an awesome read. There are 52 small changes mentioned in the book (perhaps one for a week) that you can bring in yourself or your environment to bring in extraordinary results in your life. You may be aware / may have read about some of these in one form or the other but I have listed 20 of my Book Lessons that influenced me sharply.
(1) Social proof - the evidence of crowd
The evidence of crowd following a specific thing is a big influencer to people behavior. Our behavior is largely influenced by the behavior of others around us. So, while selling a product, if you can highlight the number of positive feedback, reviews etc, it influences people to take a decision too.
(2) Reason not required
People who get influenced by the decision of the crowd often do not know or do not want to know the reason for their decision.
(3) Specific Evidence
More specific is the evidence, more is the probability of others to follow. It is advisable to give real time specific information when talking about any concept or product.
(4) Uniqueness
People seek to define themselves based on what makes them unique. If possessing a specific product or a concept will bring people in a unique category, they are more likely to go for it.
(5) Client's Success
One of the biggest way to motivate an employee is to remind him / her of the significance of his / her role to client's success
(6) The Broken Windows phenomenon
The Broken Windows phenomenon suggests the importance of keeping small things neat and tidy and how these positively influences others.
(7) The sweetest word
Our own name is the sweetest word we hear. Use the recipient's name quite often in your communication with others to keep them interested in what you are trying to convey.
(8) Ask questions to confirm decisions
You can persuade people by asking questions that plan and confirm their decision rather than a question which could confirm or negate a proposition.
As an example, if you are pursuing a key person to attend a meeting, instead of asking 'Are you attending the meeting today?', you might ask a confirmatory question 'What are you doing just before our meeting today?'. Whatever be the answer of the person to the later question, you have got a confirmation for the meeting in any case.
(9) Lock people to commit to decisions
You can lock people to commit to decisions by letting them know that the decision is implementable in far future rather than in the near future. This is especially true if they are not very sure of their decision today.
(10) Meaningful distractions
Meaningful distractions for people waiting in queue can drastically reduce their frustration and improve loyalty.
(11) The Right Seating Arrangement
A circular seating arrangement nurtures collaboration while a square or rectangular seating arrangement promotes uniqueness and ownership. So, depending on the way you want to drive the meeting, you might choose an appropriate conference room.
(12) Unsure Experts
People expect experts to be certain about their opinions. But it is only when the expert expresses uncertainties that people are truly drawn into what they are saying. This is perhaps because they believe that no one can know everything, and an honest expression of uncertainty goes a long way in building the trust factor.
(13) Room Size
People are proven to think more creatively if the room has a high ceiling or, even better, is an open lawn. So, it is not only you feel better in an open space, but also think better and more creative. Another reason, I should again start sleeping in an open terrace rather than an air conditioned room.
(14) Visualisation
Once again, it is proven beyond doubt. You can recollect all your power by writing down or visualising your powerful moments from past.
(15) Questions and Questions
There are no silly questions... Ask questions, ask help as often as you can.
(16) Be the first one
While negotiating, be the first one to place an offer and make sure that the offer is as precise as it is feasible. The first offer becomes the baseline and drives the entire negotiation discussion.
(17) Cost Saving
When selling, don't just focus on cost savings for the client, but highlight what could potentially be done with the saved cost, thus leveraging the concept of Cost of lost opportunity, if the client does not go with you.
(18) Chasing Goals - Small Area Hypothesis
When starting to chase goals, focus on the smaller achievements in the early phases (like 10% done rather than 90% remaining) and on smaller pending activities at a later stage (like 10% remaining rather than 90% done). This is called small area hypothesis and keeps you motivated towards your goal.
(19) From a Distance
Taking a physical step back and viewing the task from a greater distance can reduce your perception of how difficult the task of actually is. So, if you're stuck with a stubborn problem or are not able to take a decision, actually take a few physical steps back from the problem and re-think.
(20) Peak-End Effect / Duration Neglect
Every experience has a 'peak-end' effect i.e. we tend to remember the peak experience and the end of the experience e.g. Remember one of your older vacation and you will realise that we remember usually the best / worst experience of the vacation and then how the vacation ended, completely forgetting the rest of the duration. This term is also called as duration neglect. So, to create better memories for your lifetime, you may reduce the number of days of your vacation but ensure that you have the thrillist adventure possible and wind it up with a great last day.
Important is that all of these extraordinary results have been proven scientifically by more than one research and study. Go, pick your small change that can influence your results significantly.
November 21, 2022
Excellent read, I couldn't leave the book when I discovered the relatable real-life examples. There was a fair amount of confirmation bias, but I think it was reinforcing Cialdini's 7 Principles.
Some of my favorite golden nuggets -
Ch 6 - Uncommon commonalities
Ch 16 - Challenging + Attainable goals. A range like 7-9 is better instead of 8.
Ch 26 - High ceilings being less constrained
Ch 29 - DONATING = LOVING boxes. Fundraising tips.
Ch 31 - Of course, I know if the situation were ever reversed, you'd do the same for me.
Ch 38 - Perceptural contrasting. 580 hrs for $285.90 is easier.
Ch 40 - Unit tasking.
Ch 37 - JC Penny ignoring left-digit effect.
Ch 43 -Small area hypothesis and power of % for completion.
Ch 52 - Peak-end effect
Ch 48 - Error banishment to error management (Tennis racquet story)
Some of my favorite golden nuggets -
Ch 6 - Uncommon commonalities
Ch 16 - Challenging + Attainable goals. A range like 7-9 is better instead of 8.
Ch 26 - High ceilings being less constrained
Ch 29 - DONATING = LOVING boxes. Fundraising tips.
Ch 31 - Of course, I know if the situation were ever reversed, you'd do the same for me.
Ch 38 - Perceptural contrasting. 580 hrs for $285.90 is easier.
Ch 40 - Unit tasking.
Ch 37 - JC Penny ignoring left-digit effect.
Ch 43 -Small area hypothesis and power of % for completion.
Ch 52 - Peak-end effect
Ch 48 - Error banishment to error management (Tennis racquet story)
September 1, 2025
The content is quite repetitive to Cialdini's first book on influence, but it is updated with new, modern examples, and that really helped me refresh my knowledge and put it in the proper context. I find social psychology extremely fascinating, and I apply a lot of this knowledge in my work and thinking (often not to influence people, but mostly to understand how they think, what motivates them, and what their needs are, as well as their perception of things). I think it's always valuable to read books like this; otherwise, we will walk around with a very individualistic-focused view of people's actions, when in reality, they are influenced mainly by their environment/ group-thinking/ biases/ heuristics, and so on. I feel like one can't be a fully developed and emotionally intelligent person if they don't pursue knowledge in social psychology.
August 13, 2021
This is a book about the small, almost subliminal changes that can be made that have a big effect on how people act and think. For example, having people write down when their next medical appointment is (versus having the appointment maker hand them a card with the information already filled in) results in a decrease of 18% of no-shows.
There are sources in the back of the book for each of the 52 chapters, each of which is only a few pages. There is also a bonus chapter at the end of the book which reiterates several points and provides a nice summary.
Since reading this book, I have recognized a few of these techniques being used on myself. It it nice to be able to see social engineering at work.
There are sources in the back of the book for each of the 52 chapters, each of which is only a few pages. There is also a bonus chapter at the end of the book which reiterates several points and provides a nice summary.
Since reading this book, I have recognized a few of these techniques being used on myself. It it nice to be able to see social engineering at work.
January 29, 2024
The Small Big adalah sebuah karya yang luar biasa yang menggambarkan berbagai langkah kecil yang dapat diaplikasikan dalam kehidupan khususnya pada karir.
Dalam buku ini, banyak sekali hal-hal kecil yang mungkin seringkali kita kurang perhatikan atau bahkan kita abaikan padahal hal-hal tersebut seringkali dapat bermanfaat untuk membesarkan suatu bisnis.
Buku ini dilengkapi pula dengan penelitian yang relevan dengan topik yang dibahas sehingga argumen yang ada pun semakin diperkuat dengan penelitian tersebut.
Satu catatan mungkin adalah kurang nyambungnya antara judul dan isi yang ada pada bab tersebut sehingga sedikit menimbulkan kebingungan dalam memahami suatu bab akibat kesalahan yang boleh dibilang cukup remeh tersebut.
Dalam buku ini, banyak sekali hal-hal kecil yang mungkin seringkali kita kurang perhatikan atau bahkan kita abaikan padahal hal-hal tersebut seringkali dapat bermanfaat untuk membesarkan suatu bisnis.
Buku ini dilengkapi pula dengan penelitian yang relevan dengan topik yang dibahas sehingga argumen yang ada pun semakin diperkuat dengan penelitian tersebut.
Satu catatan mungkin adalah kurang nyambungnya antara judul dan isi yang ada pada bab tersebut sehingga sedikit menimbulkan kebingungan dalam memahami suatu bab akibat kesalahan yang boleh dibilang cukup remeh tersebut.
January 1, 2018
This book contains a number of suggestions (all 50 of them) on how to effectively persuade others (ethically) with different ways. Each suggestion is presented in a short chapter with engaging stories. The key theme of the book (and hence the title) is that a lot of times, small changes and efforts can lead to big impacts. We need to be smart about it and look for the right idea to implement depending on our situation.
I read this book as an audio book and will need to get back to it in an eBook or hard copy format so that I can highlight and write notes.
I read this book as an audio book and will need to get back to it in an eBook or hard copy format so that I can highlight and write notes.
August 22, 2017
I listened to an audio version of this book. I want to buy the book so I can highlight parts. It had a lot of interesting ideas and insights. Probably most useful for people in larger companies but anyone can find things to use in it. I don't know if it was the person reading or the lame jokes the authors threw in from time to time but that kind of detracted from the book.
One interesting part about the book is the many of the ideas were counter intuitive. Without reading the book, you might be dissuading someone when you think you are persuading them.
One interesting part about the book is the many of the ideas were counter intuitive. Without reading the book, you might be dissuading someone when you think you are persuading them.
July 23, 2019
3.5 stars is more accurate. This book focuses more on small changes within businesses and the workplace rather than one's personal life, which is what I thought and why I bought it, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. Certain grammatical errors were consistent throughout, which was distracting, but the tone of the book was friendly and humorous. Rather ironically, one "small big" that would have been helpful for the authors to implement but did not was a summation of each chapter's "small big" at each chapter's end. Definitely recommend to anyone who uses persuasion a great deal in their career.
January 14, 2020
You can totally tell the influence (not pun intended) of Robert Cialdini in this book. Most of his examples from ‘pre-suation’ and other books from him are shown. You can spare the time to read this and move forward if you have already read him.
It gives ideas to modify behaviours with small changes in your strategy. You can read this book in no order. Any of the 52 chapters will have some story applying a new idea. If you want to see spice up your ideas at work or spark a new marketing strategy maybe one of these things will help.
It gives ideas to modify behaviours with small changes in your strategy. You can read this book in no order. Any of the 52 chapters will have some story applying a new idea. If you want to see spice up your ideas at work or spark a new marketing strategy maybe one of these things will help.
February 20, 2021
For fans of Cialdini's previous books, this is a nice little read that ties things together. Bite-sized chapters describe persuasive techniques that anyone can put to use--yes, these apply to real-world situations!
I recommend not reading this all at once, as it's difficult to absorb the ideas and the endless case studies can get monotonous. Reading this bit by bit will be more effective, especially if you're looking to actually put some of these suggestions into action.
All in all, an OK book about persuasion, a great book about effective techniques you can actually use.
I recommend not reading this all at once, as it's difficult to absorb the ideas and the endless case studies can get monotonous. Reading this bit by bit will be more effective, especially if you're looking to actually put some of these suggestions into action.
All in all, an OK book about persuasion, a great book about effective techniques you can actually use.
May 31, 2022
I need to read this book again because there was so much in it. In contrast to many nonfiction books, the Small Big was PACKED full of information, rather than light on information and heavy on anecdotes. It seemed to be very well-researched, and given the involveent of Robert Cialdini, one of the most prominent people in the field of influence, this book is very legit. Despite all this, the book was nicely short, so it can be read in a single day (if you have a few hours free). Definitely worth a read and a re-read.
October 15, 2018
This book is the latest on a series of three on the same topic.
In chronological order:
1. Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion
2. Yes! 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive
3. The small Big
I feel like I should read the first two before reading this one, and I feel like there might be some repetitions along the way.
What's appealing in this book is each chapter being concise and answering one specific question, so we can jump from one to another without a specific order.
In chronological order:
1. Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion
2. Yes! 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive
3. The small Big
I feel like I should read the first two before reading this one, and I feel like there might be some repetitions along the way.
What's appealing in this book is each chapter being concise and answering one specific question, so we can jump from one to another without a specific order.
April 4, 2022
After quite a long (for me, anyway) period of not reading, I resumed by trying to pick up where I left with this one. A collection of small bits of information about things that can make a difference. Some indeed seemed possible and I had come across before, quite a few had to do with donations and charities. If not for the piece of proof, this could be a magazine article, but then everyone would be asking - how come?
June 22, 2023
Drobne kwestie mogą decydować, czy ktoś wybiera nas, naszą ofertę czy też traktuje nas z zainteresowaniem albo jako profesjonalistów. Stań po środku grupy a to co mówisz wyda się wszystkim ważniejsze. Zestaw kilkudziesięciu rad do stosowania od zaraz. Przydałaby się na końcu tabela grupująca te rady bo jest ich aż za dużo. Tak dużo, że pewnie niewielu wykorzysta a może i tutaj autor zaskoczy i to co się wydaje jest zupełnie inne niż jest faktycznie.
June 30, 2024
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Everything written by Robert Cialdini is always worthy of a spot in my library. He is not the sole author of this title, but as soon as I saw his name on the cover I gave it a chance... and it exceeded my expectations with flying colors. This book is filled with usable tips, tricks & strategies for anybody in sales or marketing. This is a great book and It's worth checking out!
February 23, 2017
This isn't really a book, it's more a toolkit. There's lots of interesting human psychology principles, and if you enjoy behavioral economics you'll like this book. But it's a tedious read, one study after another, 53 in all. It's like they wanted to showcase every study that's ever been done. There's not enough theory, just studies and evidence.
October 13, 2021
A really interesting book on the psychology of influence and persuasion. I like the way the tips are divided into many smaller chapters, which makes it super easy to read and mark your progress. I haven't tried most of the advice from this book, but I can imagine it will be helpful for several business settings.
December 13, 2023
A very useful book full of extremely witty and well crafted ethical persuasion tips that can easily be applied to many aspects of your life in a myriad of different ways. While the tips are certainly small changes in the nature of how you approach tasks or experiences, they most certainly will have big impacts wherever you choose to apply them!
November 1, 2017
A very well articulated and backed by research book. You can adopt multiple techniques not just in your business but personal life as well. It requires more than a single read to comprehend the pool of thoughts this book has.
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