When an expert spilled coffee before presenting, people liked him more than when he was flawless. Small mistakes and visible imperfections make you seem more authentic and persuasive. Embrace the mess instead of hiding it.
We all strive for perfection. We want to show up and seem flawless, and the carefully curated lives that we all post on social media only reinforces that. But let's be honest for a second. We are humans. None of us are perfect. And it turns out that that can actually make you more persuasive. In an amazing study by Elliot Johnson, he found that people warm to you when you make a mistake. He had the same expert do a presentation to multiple groups, but in one of them, the guy actually spilled coffee all over himself first. Pretty embarrassing, but the audience loved the coffee guy because he was real. He was authentic. So next time you make a small mistake or you've got a messy bookshelf behind you that you haven't tidied up, don't try to hide it. Be real. Be authentic. People will love you for it.
The Franklin Effect: Turn Your Biggest Critic Into Your Strongest Supporter (Psychology Explained)
