Tiny Tweaks That Can Have a BIG Effect (And Why They Sometimes Don’t)

🔹 Ever wonder why you always end up choosing the medium popcorn, even when you weren’t hungry? Or why some websites magically guide you toward the “best” deal? That’s not luck—it’s behavioral science in action.

In this episode of The Intuitive Customer, Colin Shaw and Professor Ryan Hamilton reveal the power of nudging—tiny tweaks that subtly influence decisions without forcing them. But here’s the catch: sometimes nudges don’t work at all. So, what separates a genius nudge from a total flop? That’s exactly what we’re unpacking today.

🔥 Best Quote from the Episode:

"Nudges feel like magic when they work. But throw the wrong nudge at the wrong audience, and it’s like trying to convince a Diet Coke fan to drink Pepsi—it’s just not happening!" – Professor Ryan Hamilton

🎯 Key Takeaways:

✅ Small changes = big impact – A well-placed nudge (like a cleverly designed pricing tier) can significantly influence customer choices.

✅ Choice architecture is everything – The decoy effect, compromise effect, and default bias all play a role in steering decisions without customers realizing it.

✅ Why nudges fail – Not every customer is persuadable. Nudges won't move the needle if someone has a strong preference (like die-hard brand loyalty).

✅ Testing is essential – Don’t just assume a nudge will work. Test different variations in real-world scenarios before rolling them out at scale.

🚀 Why You Should Listen

If you’re in customer experience, marketing, or sales, this episode will change how you think about influencing behavior. Learn how to craft nudges that actually work—and avoid the ones that flop.

So, what are you waiting for? Hit play and discover the tiny tweaks that can have a BIG effect!

About the Hosts:

Colin Shaw is a LinkedIn 'Top Voice' with a massive 284,000 followers and 86,000 subscribers to his 'Why Customers Buy' newsletter. Shaw is named one of the world's 'Top 150 Business Influencers' by LinkedIn. His company, Beyond Philosophy LLC, has been selected four times by the Financial Times as a top management consultancy. Shaw is co-host of the top 1.5% podcast 'The Intuitive Customer'—with over 600,000 downloads—and author of eight best-sellers on customer experience, Shaw is a sought-after keynote speaker. Follow Colin on LinkedIn.

 Ryan Hamilton is a Professor of Marketing at Emory University's Goizueta Business School and co-author of 'The Intuitive Customer' book. An award-winning teacher and researcher in consumer psychology, he has been named one of Poets & Quants' "World’s Best 40 B-School Profs Under 40." His research focuses on how brands, prices, and choice architecture influence shopper decision-making, and his findings have been published in top academic journals and covered by major media outlets like The New York Times and CNN. His work highlights how psychology can help firms better understand and serve their customers. Ryan has a new book launch in June 2025 called “The Growth Dilemma: Managing Your Brand When Different Customers Want Different Things” Harvard Business Press Follow Ryan on LinkedIn.

 

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