What can you learn from a mother turkey

I had this cool learning today from a book I just finished reading called Influence by Robert Cialdini and wanted to share!

A mother turkey is one of the most loving, caring animal parents out there. It will nurture and support their chicks and make sure they're happy, safe, fed, protected. They'll preen and guide it and look after it extremely well.

But this is only for as long as the turkey chick always makes it's little sound cheep cheep!
If a turkey chick doesn't make the right sound or is too quiet, the chick is completely left for dead. Sometimes excluded entirely. Sometimes even murdered by the mother turkey.

This 'cheep cheep' sound is so powerful that even non-turkey animals such as baby kittens had been adorned with a device that emulated the sound, and the mother turkey adopted the kitten as its own.

This powerful response is inherent to all turkey mothers on a psyiological level, down to the DNA. It is hard-programmed to function this way.

Humans also have these kinds of traits like mother turkeys, and by understanding them we can be more aware of our instinctual behaviours and leverage them for effect in business.

1. Reciprocity - We always feel a compulsion to reciprocate - favours, kindness, etc
2. Scarcity - We are driven to pursue things which appear scarce - limited time offers, last chance etc.
3. Authority - We inherently trust figures of expertise, excellence, authority.
4. Consistency - We are compelled to be true and consistent to what we say and who we believe we are. If you can get someone to commit to an identity, they will try to stick to it.
5. Liking - Humans are compelled to trust & follow people with high likability - attractivness (unfortunately for some!), similarity, and flattery.
6. Consensus - People will look to others to validate or confirm behaviour and thoughts. From putting some starting money in a tip jar, to social proof of what others have done in that situation.

Great book - highly recommend!