What Chevy Chase Didn’t Do Before Vacation

This is a short chapter from my book, Influence PEOPLE: Powerful Everyday Opportunities to Persuade that are Lasting and Ethical. National Lampoon's Vacation is a funny movie I use to make an important point, one you can use to influence people before you leave the office for an extended period of time.

What Chevy Chase Didn’t Do Before Vacation

You may remember the classic National Lampoon movie Vacation where Chevy Chase played a well-meaning, but inept family man, Clark Griswold. I’m going to share a principle of influence with you then give you a bright idea. I’m sure it’s something Clark Griswold didn’t do before he went on vacation but something you’ll absolutely want to do.

Having read this far you know most people are more motivated by what they stand to lose as opposed to what they might gain. That’s right, people presented with the same monetary offer will take you up more often when it is presented in terms of what they might lose rather than what they stand to gain or save.?

For example, talking about possible savings using your product will not motivate the purchase as much as if you told a potential customer how much money they might lose if they don’t buy it. “Mr. Customer, if you install our thermal sealed windows you’ll save $300 on your electric bill over the next year,” will not sell as many windows as, “Mr. Customer, if you don’t use our thermal sealed windows you’ll lose $300 next year because you’ll pay more on your electric bill than you had to.” It’s the same money only reframed from savings to loss.?

This goes back to a psychological principle of persuasion known as scarcity. We’re motivated to action when we see something rare or when we believe something will suddenly become less available. It creates a greater desire for the thing perceived to be scarce. If you doubt that, think about how much we take people for granted until we lose them or fear we might lose them.

Okay, so perhaps you’re asking yourself, “How does scarcity tie into Vacation and Clark Griswold?” During the summer, Christmas break and spring break many families head out on vacation. You may do that too, which means you’ll leave work for a week or two. You can tap into scarcity to make your vacation a little more enjoyable, provide great customer service and prevent losing (or possibly land) some accounts.

In the past, before you left for vacation, have you ever contacted your best customers a week in advance to let them know you’d be gone? If you haven’t don’t feel bad because I’m willing to bet not too many people do. Most people just tell coworkers when they’ll be gone, change their voicemail and turn on their out-of-office message. Think for a moment about what would happen if you took extra time to contact your best customers to let them know a week in advance that you’ll be unavailable soon.?

Doing this allows you to tap into scarcity. I know from personal experience and from people I’ve trained that lots of people will call or email after they get your message. They’ll say something like, “Thanks for letting me know you’d be gone because I really need to talk with you about…”

You are a scarce resource because people depend on you. If those people know you won’t be available in the near future that will change their behavior. It’s not unlike your behavior changing when you find out, “Sale Ends Sunday” or “While Supplies Last!”

Those calls and emails bring opportunities to land new business and prevent losing business. After all, if a customer needs you, they might not want to talk with someone else while you’re gone. In their mind that could be the right time to give your competitor, the one who’s begged for their business for years, a chance. But you can prevent that from happening!

And here’s another opportunity. When people thank you, it’s your chance to strengthen your personal brand. Don’t blow them off with something like, “No problem” or “I’d have done it for anyone.” Both of those statements devalue what you’ve done.

A better response is, “That’s part of the great service you can expect when you deal with me. Can I ask you a quick question? Don’t your other suppliers (reps, agents, etc.) let you know they’ll be unavailable before they head off somewhere?” The answer to that will be a resounding, “No!” You’ve not bad mouthed the competition, but you’ve set yourself apart by comparing what you do to what your competitors don’t do.

How can you Influence PEOPLE? Next time you get ready for time away from the office make it part of your “to do list” to notify your best customers a week in advance. If Clark Griswold had done this, maybe he’d have been a little farther up the corporate ladder and could have afforded some nicer vacations!

Brian Ahearn

Brian Ahearn is the Chief Influence Officer at?Influence PEOPLE. An?author,?TEDx speaker, international trainer, coach, and consultant, Brian helps clients apply influence in everyday situations to boost results.

As one of only a dozen Cialdini Method Certified Trainers in the world, Brian was personally trained and endorsed by Robert Cialdini, Ph.D., the most cited living social psychologist on the science of ethical influence.

Brian’s first book,?Influence PEOPLE, was named one of the 100 Best Influence Books of All Time by?Book Authority. His follow-up,?Persuasive Selling for Relationship Driven Insurance Agents, was an Amazon new release bestseller. His latest book,?The Influencer: Secrets to Success and Happiness, is a business parable designed to teach you how to use influence at home and the office.

Brian’s?LinkedIn courses?on persuasive selling and coaching have been viewed by more than 650,000 people around the world!