Selfish, Scared and Stupid (PDF)

Appealing to humans' basic instincts to increase influence,
buy-in and results

Survival of the species comes down to three basic instincts, say
behavioural research strategists Dan Gregory and Kieran
Flanagan--fear, self-interest and simplicity. These basic
human behaviours come into play in all types of relationships,
including those between businesses and customers. Selfish,
Scared and Stupid: Stop fighting human nature and increase your
performance, engagement and influence, demystifies these
behaviours and examines the psychology behind why even the best
ideas sometimes fail.

This book helps businesses design their organisations for
reality rather than perfection, and also offers strategies to head
off unprecedented levels of disengagement within, and outside, the
business. It answers baffling questions around why the public
sometimes fails to engage despite overwhelming data suggesting
otherwise, why so many new products end up on clearance shelves and
why so many great salespeople often fall short of their monthly
targets.

* Learn how the survival of the species plays into business,
including delusionary realities and the reasons ideas can fail

* Discover how to offer customers strategic rewards, thereby
making the buying process more attractive to selfish natures

* Examine the link between fear and the unknown, including
strategies for quelling fears and turning them into action

* Learn to use a simple mindset to create low-involvement
products, helping appeal to instinct and making products hard to
resist

This provocative book is built on the idea that businesses must
return to a more human engagement methodology in order to succeed.
It is an informative read for anyone interested in improving
influence, growing business reach, improving sales figures or
understanding the complexities of human behaviour.