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The Simplest Influence Hack That Works
In 1978, psychologist Ellen Langer ran an experiment at a busy copy machine line.
When someone asked to cut the line with "Excuse me, I have five pages. May I use the machine?", 60% of people said yes.
But when they added one word, compliance jumped to 94%.
The word? Because.
"Excuse me, I have five pages. May I use the machine because I'm in a rush?"
How to Use "Because" in High-Stakes Conversations
The "because" trigger works by satisfying the brain's need for reason, even when the reason itself is obvious or circular.
Here's how to apply it:
In requests:
Weak: "Can you prioritize my project?"
Strong: "Can you prioritize my project because we need the data before the board meeting?"
In negotiations:
Weak: "I'm looking for a 15% raise."
Strong: "I'm looking for a 15% raise because my responsibilities have expanded into three new areas this year."
In sales:
Weak: "You should sign up today."
Strong: "You should sign up today because the implementation takes two weeks and you mentioned wanting results by Q2."
Corporate application: Use "because" when requesting resources, timeline extensions, or cross-team support. Give their brain a reason to comply, even if the reason seems obvious to you.
Creator application: Use "because" in your CTAs, pricing justifications, and deadline urgency. "This price increases Friday because we're capping enrollment at 50" converts better than "Price increases Friday."
Your "Because" Challenge
Today, add "because" to one request you would normally make without explanation.
Notice how it changes the response.