Marketing Psychology: Test Your Knowledge in a Fun Quiz

76 replies
Let's see how much you know about the psychological principles of persuasion as they pertain to your customers' buying behavior.

Some of the questions should be easy, but some are quite advanced and may require you to guess unless you have read up on the research I studied.

1. Potential buyers care most about:
a. Who you are and whether they can trust you
b. What the product or service can do for them
c. Which famous people have used and liked what you're selling
d. The price, and only the price

2. If you're selling more than one version of a product from a single promotion, you should:
a. Present the lowest priced version first.
b. Present the highest priced version first.
c. Arrange them randomly.
d. This is a nonissue because the order doesn't matter.

3. The most reliable way to know in advance what people will do after your product comes out on the market is:
a. Run focus groups to gather opinions from people just like your target customers.
b. Poll people on your list to find out how many plan to buy.
c. Run Google Adwords ads to see how many people click on your product description.
d. None of the above reliably indicate to extent to which people will actually buy.

4. The best language to use in your headline is:
a. Language swiped from the best performing headlines of all time
b. Wording from the titles of best-selling books on Amazon.com
c. Wording taken from conversations with and questions from the target market
d. Language used by those who developed the product

5. Which of the following groups is hardest to persuade:
a. People who aren't yet aware of the problem you solve
b. People who know of the problem you solve but don't think about it the way you do
c. People who know of the problem you solve but have a different name for it than you do
d. People who know of the problem you solve and have the same name for it as you do

6. In your marketing copy, should you state things that you consider too obvious to mention?
a. Never. This greatly annoys serious buyers.
b. Only if you can find a clever way to sneak in the obvious information. Otherwise, don't.
c. Only if it's needed to prevent misunderstandings.
d. Always. Even when most people already know those obvious points, they increase the impact of your copy.

7. How often should you bring up points about yourself or your product that might be perceived as negatives?
a. Never. You should only mention the positive points.
b. Mention just one or two negative points per promotion, which increases believability and boosts sales.
c. Admit all the criticisms made by dissatisfied customers, which increases trust and boosts sales.
d. Always talk about horrible things that have happened to you, which increases rapport and boosts sales.

8. What is the best way to present a rather large price?
a. Itemize it into three smaller charges that people must pay separately.
b. Present the large price, but also itemize what each of the components cost.
c. Present the large price just on its own.
d. It doesn't matter. People are capable of doing the math and will realize it's the same any way you present it.

9. A good way to head off buyer's remorse is:
a. Give people something extra they were not expecting.
b. Include a cover letter with their purchase reinforcing the benefits of what they bought.
c. Enclose a personally inscribed "thank you."
d. All of the above.

10. Which of the following prices inspires people to spend the most?
a. Twenty dollars
b. $20
c. $20.00
d. No difference - people perceive these in the same way.

11. When people complain about your pricing, you should:
a. Raise prices, which eliminates complaints.
b. Lower prices just for the complainers, so they'll buy.
c. Lower prices for everyone.
d. Do nothing. Some people just habitually complain.

12. How many reasons to buy should you give people?
a. Just one. Keep it simple.
b. Three is the magic number. More than that is confusing.
c. Seven. Beyond that, the human mind can't take in more information.
d. As many as possible.

I hope this sparks some discussion. I'll come back in a few hours and post the answers so they're not right in the very next post!

Marcia Yudkin
#fun #knowledge #marketing #psychology #quiz
  • Profile picture of the author Lauryn
    1 b
    2 b
    3 d
    4 d
    5 a
    6 d
    7 b
    8 c
    9 d
    10 a
    11 d
    12 d
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    Don't be an arse and try to flip something you clearly have no knowledge of against me.

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    • Profile picture of the author Tina Golden
      This should prove interesting. I wrote my answers down on a piece of paper. Don't think I quite want to do it publically in case I'm all wrong...lol.

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      • Profile picture of the author Andyhenry
        Originally Posted by TMG Enterprises View Post

        This should prove interesting. I wrote my answers down on a piece of paper. Don't think I quite want to do it publically in case I'm all wrong...lol.

        Tina
        Haha - go on - do it!! we won't laugh.

        Marcia gets to decide what's right anyway - just ask her to use yours as the template
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        nothing to see here.

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        • Profile picture of the author Tina Golden
          Ah, what the heck...lol. Like Andy, there were a few that I would qualify the answers, if the option were there.

          1. b
          2. a
          3. d
          4. c
          5. c
          6. d
          7. b
          8. b
          9. d
          10. b
          11. d
          12. b

          This should prove interesting,
          Tina
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  • Profile picture of the author Andyhenry
    Hey Marcia - Interesting thread.

    Some of them choices left me wanting an extra option

    Here are my answers.

    Andy

    1 - b
    2 - b
    3 - d (depends how you plan to sell it and who to)
    4 - c
    5 - a
    6 - d
    7 - a (although if you can address problems and turn them into benefits - definitely use them)
    8 - b
    9 - d
    10 - b
    11 - d
    12 - d
    Signature

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  • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
    Banned
    Ooh, interesting - thanks. Always happy to learn about this subject. Meanwhile ...

    1. b
    2. b
    3. d (but 'a' is probably much better than either 'b' or 'c')
    4. c
    5. a
    6. d (can depend slightly on what sort of copy/how/where used)
    7. b (this depends on context: writing a sales-page is clearly very different from writing an affiliate's review)
    8. a (apart from the word "must", perhaps - can be an "option")
    9. d
    10. b
    11. d
    12. d (again, can depend slightly on what sort of copy/how/where used)

    Looking forward to the answers, now!
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  • Profile picture of the author Zabrina
    1. b.
    2. a.
    3. d.
    4. c.
    5. a.
    6. d. (Leaned towards C, but I'll stick with gut instinct.)
    7. b.
    8. a.
    9. d.
    10. b.
    11. d.
    12. b.

    Whew. I feel like I'm back in school... it doesn't start until next week. Now I need to go do something crazy to remind myself it isn't the school year yet.
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    • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
      Banned
      Originally Posted by Zabrina View Post

      Whew. I feel like I'm back in school... it doesn't start until next week. Now I need to go do something crazy to remind myself it isn't the school year yet.
      Ooh, you're starting early: I have at least 3 weeks to go. (This did remind me of it, though! )
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      • Profile picture of the author marciayudkin
        OK, if you want to take the quiz, don't go any further, because this post has the answers.

        I apologize - we have to take question #10 out of the scoring because I made a mistake in typing it. The correct answer to $10 is 20.00, with no dollar sign. Again, sorry about that.

        Here are the answers to the other questions:

        1. b
        2. b
        3. d
        4. c
        5. a
        6. d
        7. b
        8. c
        9. d
        11. d
        12. d



        If you would like to argue the points or would like me to explain any of the answers here, I will - after I come back from my daily swim.

        Some of the hardest, most advanced questions relate to research done by behavioral economists and menu engineers. Interesting, huh?

        Didn't check everyone's answers, but Alexa and Ray did pretty darned well.

        Hope this was fun!

        Marcia Yudkin
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        • Profile picture of the author Andyhenry
          [DELETED]
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    • Profile picture of the author Zabrina
      Ooh, not bad... I got eight right and three wrong. :p

      Originally Posted by Alexa Smith View Post

      Ooh, you're starting early: I have at least 3 weeks to go. (This did remind me of it, though! )
      Yeah, school seems to start earlier in many Canadian universities than American ones.

      I'm moving into rez in a week, and starting classes in ten days, on the 8th. One of my American friends doesn't start until the 28th.
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      • Profile picture of the author Tina Golden
        Me, too, Zabrina. I can live with that...lol.

        Tina
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        • Profile picture of the author ExRat
          Hi Marcia,

          Let's see how much you know about the psychological principles of persuasion as they pertain to your customers' buying behavior.
          (bolded for emphasis)

          You seem to be presenting these as absolutes?

          What are your 'correct' answers based upon? What quantity of people did you test to come up with these absolutes and what were the related variables/circumstances?

          Even question 1 -

          1. Potential buyers care most about:
          a. Who you are and whether they can trust you
          b. What the product or service can do for them
          c. Which famous people have used and liked what you're selling
          d. The price, and only the price
          ...could be any one of those depending on the scenario/variables.

          Is someone buying a mortgage the same as someone buying a wedding and also the same as someone buying water filters?

          It might be presented as a fun quiz, but from a different perspective it could be viewed as just another poorly disguised sales pitch that does more harm than good, bearing in mind that it seems to favour assumptions over logical analytics.

          This thread is begging for someone to raise the issue of the consumer vs the marketer mindset.

          To clarify - on what basis/logic/circumstances have you chosen the 'correct' answer?

          MSM (main stream media) love 'fun quizzes'. But they are often disguising ulterior motives and they are often misleading - usually for a reason - hence my query - successful marketers should understand the relationship between MSM and the readers - it's odd to see it playing out here, especially in a thread entitled 'marketing psychology.'

          EDIT -

          {adding this as the previous posts change - IE - book pitch removed, clarification added ;-)}

          unless you have read up on the research I studied.
          What was this research that makes 3 answers wrong and 1 answer right?

          Some of the hardest, most advanced questions relate to research done by behavioral economists and menu engineers. Interesting, huh?
          Sources please, if you would be so kind, Marcia.
          Signature


          Roger Davis

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          • Profile picture of the author marciayudkin
            Hi Ex Rat -

            Almost all of my answers were selected on the basis of academic research (for instance, Cornell University, reported in the New York Times) or tests by marketers who are trusted by other marketers (such as MarketingExperiments.com).

            Granted, any generalization has situations where it would not apply, and a more careful answer might be "it depends." But I don't see how this quiz could do harm to anyone and people are certainly free to disagree with my interpretations.

            Sources include:

            Predictably Irrational, Revised and Expanded Edition: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions by Dan Ariely

            Why Smart People Make Big Money Mistakes And How To Correct Them: Lessons From The New Science Of Behavioral Economics by Gary Belsky and Thomas Gilovi

            New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/23/dining/23menus.html

            Cheers,
            Marcia Yudkin
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            • Profile picture of the author ExRat
              Hi Marcia,

              But I don't see how this quiz could do harm to anyone
              Maybe harm is a bit strong, but let's re-frame it as 'does it do anyone any good?'

              Of course we can blow out specific answers like -

              1. Potential buyers care most about:
              a. Who you are and whether they can trust you
              b. What the product or service can do for them
              c. Which famous people have used and liked what you're selling
              d. The price, and only the price
              I want to buy heart by-pass surgery - is the answer still b? (Considering a - if the product was the same would we buy our heart-surgery from a homeless street-vendor?)

              But that's not my point. My point is that if we're going to even touch upon marketing psychology then the overall 'theme' of your post was built around a pitch (which has now disappeared) but the fact is that your pitch doesn't inspire me to buy your book, and shouldn't inspire anyone who calls themself a marketer.

              The first step in marketing basics is to understand the difference between the consumer and the marketer and their mindsets and the starting point is differentiating between fact vs assumption, absolute vs variable and logic vs emotion.

              The truth is that the best answer to ALL of the questions is 'it depends' or 'I'll tell you when I've tested it and established conclusions in MY specific market' - any other answer is likely to fail the test (or should do).
              Signature


              Roger Davis

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              • Profile picture of the author ExRat
                Hi Marcia,

                You added some more while I was replying.

                Sources include:

                Predictably Irrational, Revised and Expanded Edition: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions by Dan Ariely

                Why Smart People Make Big Money Mistakes And How To Correct Them: Lessons From The New Science Of Behavioral Economics by Gary Belsky and Thomas Gilovi

                New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/23/dining/23menus.html
                What you're saying here is that based on those three sources, you're able to produce a test where three out of four answers are wrong, whereas one of them is correct.

                This multiple choice technique used is resemblant of one of the most damaging and misleading cons going on in our(?) (my, IE the UK) education system.

                It's like you're suggesting that the collective wisdom of this marketing forum is less than two mainstream books and one random article.

                It's not. The people here are smarter than that (I hope).

                Let's try question 6 -

                6. In your marketing copy, should you state things that you consider too obvious to mention?
                a. Never. This greatly annoys serious buyers.
                b. Only if you can find a clever way to sneak in the obvious information. Otherwise, don't.
                c. Only if it's needed to prevent misunderstandings.
                d. Always. Even when most people already know those obvious points, they increase the impact of your copy.
                Apparently, the 'correct' answer is d.

                So in marketing copy, one should ALWAYS mention things considered too obvious to mention (by the writer) because they increase the impact of the copy.

                Hmmmm.

                Some would say that threads like this don't do any harm, but when all I read elsewhere is that people here will say anything in order to try and sell stuff, then perhaps my point is topical and pertinent? (Especially when some of us don't enjoy being tarred with that particular brush).
                Signature


                Roger Davis

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                • Profile picture of the author Andyhenry
                  Originally Posted by ExRat View Post


                  It's like you're suggesting that the collective wisdom of this marketing forum is less than two mainstream books and one random article.
                  So it wasn't just me.
                  Signature

                  nothing to see here.

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                  • Profile picture of the author drmani
                    Originally Posted by Andyhenry View Post

                    Reading about things doesn't usually make you an expert - you could read 1000 books about heart surgery and still be completely incompetent to actually do it.
                    Hey, what's with all the heart surgery analogies, huh?

                    Incidentally, I don't think I've quite read 1,000 books on it - but I *am*
                    an expert!

                    I also got 8 answers "right" on Marcia's quiz.

                    All success
                    Dr.Mani
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                    • Profile picture of the author marciayudkin
                      Marcia's no newbie
                      That's right. I published one of the first books on Internet marketing (publisher: Plume/Penguin) in 1995, created Penguin USA's first author web site, served as a judge for the Webby Awards eight years running and Inc. magazine's Small Business Website Awards, and much more. I published articles on Internet marketing in Business 2.0.

                      It's hard to see how that would make me a self-proclaimed expert. I produced references because I was challenged to produce them, but reading is only one way I have mastered marketing. Many of the questions come from my day-to-day understanding of how marketing works as I help clients unravel what's wrong in their approach to marketing. That's a normal route to becoming an expert, and I would guess that at least 90% of those whom the Warrior Forum acknowledges as experts got there in exactly that way, too.

                      It's interesting to see people take umbrage at a quiz. I have sold quizzes to magazines, for $1,000 each. It's a creative way to present information - more fun to read than articles. More people should use this technique. Normally they are not controversial in the slightest.

                      One of the things that I find so fascinating about the Warrior Forum is how completely different perspectives, fiercely held, can come clashing here. I am not going to participate in a deconstruction of how it happens, but thanks, everyone, for another illustration!

                      Marcia Yudkin
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                      • Profile picture of the author marciayudkin
                        Dennis wrote:

                        3. The most reliable way to know in advance what people will do after your product comes out on the market is:
                        a. Run focus groups to gather opinions from people just like your target customers.
                        b. Poll people on your list to find out how many plan to buy.
                        c. Run Google Adwords ads to see how many people click on your product description.
                        d. None of the above reliably indicate to extent to which people will actually buy.

                        The most reliable way has to be a, b, or c, of the options given, because d changes the context of the question. D may be a true statement, but it doesn't answer the question because it isn't a way of knowing in advance what the market will do.
                        You are correct that D looks critically at the question. This is a standard kind of answer in quizzes, where the quiz taker is asked to realize that all the other answers - and the question itself - are on the wrong track.

                        It's like this...

                        Which vegetable provides the most vitamins per ounce when eaten?
                        a. Tomato
                        b. Corn
                        c. Pear
                        d. None of the above

                        The correct answer is D, because none of the other answers is a vegetable. Tomato is considered a fruit by most experts, and corn a grain.

                        Marcia Yudkin
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                        • Profile picture of the author rosetrees
                          Very interesting quiz.

                          I don't think the number of correct answers is relevant - it's the fact that it makes you think. I also don't think it matters whether or not you actually agree with Martha - for some products or some niches answers could differ - again, it's the fact that it makes you think that is important. To me, at least.

                          Oh yes - thanks Martha!
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  • Profile picture of the author funkynassau
    My son is taking business marketing in college and I am going to send him this quiz and the answers and see what he thinks. It could be a good topic for one of his classes.
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  • Profile picture of the author Raydal
    I'll take a stab at this:

    1. b
    2. b
    3. c
    4. c
    5. a
    6. d
    7. b
    8. a
    9. d
    10. b
    11. c
    12. d

    Look forward to the answers.

    -Ray Edwards
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  • Profile picture of the author mnonline
    Hmmm....let's see

    1.a
    2.a
    3.a
    4.a
    5.a
    6.a
    7.a
    8.a
    9.a
    10.a
    11.d
    12.d

    Wow!
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  • Profile picture of the author Lauryn
    No!!! Come back! What's number 10!?!
    So far I have one - 4- wrong.
    Signature

    I Go Hard = "Slanguage" for putting forth a lot of effort.

    Don't be an arse and try to flip something you clearly have no knowledge of against me.

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  • Profile picture of the author Dennis Gaskill
    I got 8 of 11 right, and I could argue about the three I missed. For example, I missed this question:

    3. The most reliable way to know in advance what people will do after your product comes out on the market is:
    a. Run focus groups to gather opinions from people just like your target customers.
    b. Poll people on your list to find out how many plan to buy.
    c. Run Google Adwords ads to see how many people click on your product description.
    d. None of the above reliably indicate to extent to which people will actually buy.

    The most reliable way has to be a, b, or c, of the options given, because d changes the context of the question. D may be a true statement, but it doesn't answer the question because it isn't a way of knowing in advance what the market will do.
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    • Profile picture of the author Michael Oksa
      Originally Posted by Dennis Gaskill View Post

      I got 8 of 11 right, and I could argue about the three I missed. For example, I missed this question:

      3. The most reliable way to know in advance what people will do after your product comes out on the market is:
      a. Run focus groups to gather opinions from people just like your target customers.
      b. Poll people on your list to find out how many plan to buy.
      c. Run Google Adwords ads to see how many people click on your product description.
      d. None of the above reliably indicate to extent to which people will actually buy.

      The most reliable way has to be a, b, or c, of the options given, because d changes the context of the question. D may be a true statement, but it doesn't answer the question because it isn't a way of knowing in advance what the market will do.
      Hi Dennis,

      I understand what you're trying to say, but I will have to respectfully disagree. Your premise only works if the question reads "Which of the following is the most reliable way to know in advance what people will do after your product comes out on the market?"

      As it is currently worded, the question actually assumes there IS a most reliable way. If that way isn't listed, then D has to be correct. For the sake of argument, let's say the most reliable way is "Past performance of similar products". IF that answer is correct, and not given as an option, then D is correct.

      (For the record, I selected D when doing the quiz)

      All the best,
      Michael
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      • Profile picture of the author Dennis Gaskill
        Originally Posted by marciayudkin View Post

        Dennis wrote:

        You are correct that D looks critically at the question. This is a standard kind of answer in quizzes, where the quiz taker is asked to realize that all the other answers - and the question itself - are on the wrong track.

        It's like this...

        Which vegetable provides the most vitamins per ounce when eaten?
        a. Tomato
        b. Corn
        c. Pear
        d. None of the above

        The correct answer is D, because none of the other answers is a vegetable. Tomato is considered a fruit by most experts, and corn a grain.

        Marcia Yudkin
        Sorry Marcia, but I have to respectfully disagree. In this example question there are no correct answers. In the quiz question, answers a, b, or c will give you some measure of knowing what people will do, and since the question asks which of those is the most reliable, one of those must be the answer. Answer D is not a way of making a prediction. In all likelihood, one of those answers (a, b, or c) will be more reliable than the other two, and whichever one that is would be the most reliable of the choices.

        You can't compare a question with no correct answers to choose from to a question with three answers that satisfy the premise of the question as it was asked. Three of those answers are NOT on the wrong track, they will actually provide a prediction of how the product will sell. Therefore the answer must come from one of them as the question is worded. You may have intended for all the answers to be incorrect, but the way the question is worded does not satisfy that context as I see it.

        See my comments to Michael for more.

        Originally Posted by Michael Oksa View Post

        Hi Dennis,

        I understand what you're trying to say, but I will have to respectfully disagree. Your premise only works if the question reads "Which of the following is the most reliable way to know in advance what people will do after your product comes out on the market?"

        As it is currently worded, the question actually assumes there IS a most reliable way. If that way isn't listed, then D has to be correct. For the sake of argument, let's say the most reliable way is "Past performance of similar products". IF that answer is correct, and not given as an option, then D is correct.

        (For the record, I selected D when doing the quiz)

        All the best,
        Michael
        Hey Mike, I understand what you're trying to say, but I have to respectfully disagree with you. The way the question is worded asks the same thing as your reworded version, as I see it. The which of the following part you added is a given since you can't choose an answer from another place. The question is asking which way of the ways given is the most reliable. A focus group will give you a better idea of what will sell better than saying there is no way of knowing, and therefore it's the more correct answer.

        I had to write the chapter quizzes for my books. The publisher would have probably asked me to rewrite that question, if it was one I wrote for the book and D was my correct answer. Either that or it would have been deleted.

        The question doesn't ask if there is a single most reliable way to determine what people will do, it asks which choice is the most reliable. Since you have to choose from among the answers given, you have to choose one of the three ways that actually can make a forecast.

        There is no single way that will always be the best way in all circumstances, but there will always be a best way within a limited choice set. Marcia gave a limited choice set (a, b, and c), so the the answer must come from that choice set. The D answer is a false flag because it is not a way of predicting the response, while the other three answers are ways of predicting the response. They may not be the best way if all possible ways are considered, but one of them is the most reliable from among the choices given.

        That's how I see it, anyway.
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        • Profile picture of the author Dan C. Rinnert
          I had three of them wrong. Not sure how to score myself though because, on two of those, I selected the answer that I thought was the right answer even though the way I would have actually done it turned out to be the right answer.
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        • Profile picture of the author marciayudkin
          Three of those answers are NOT on the wrong track, they will actually provide a prediction of how the product will sell.
          Here is where we disagree. Those three answers do NOT provide a prediction of how the product will actually sell.

          a. Run focus groups to gather opinions from people just like your target customers.
          b. Poll people on your list to find out how many plan to buy.
          c. Run Google Adwords ads to see how many people click on your product description.
          Focus groups are an excellent way to get at subtle perceptions of the marketplace and to gauge the appeal of various options compared with one another. However, what people say in a focus group environment has no relationship whatsoever with whether or not they will buy. People buy things they would never admit to in front of others and never buy things they find fascinating and compelling when it's in front of them with no other distractions.

          Same problem with polling people about whether or not they intend to buy. This is almost never reliable. It's quite common to have 25% of the people saying they'd buy and none of them do.

          As for Google Adwords, the number of people who click on the ad again has no relationship with how many people actually buy. Lots of people have very good click-throughs and next to no sales.

          To put it generally, what people say is one thing and what they do is quite another.

          Respectfully,
          Marcia Yudkin
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          • Profile picture of the author Andyhenry
            Originally Posted by marciayudkin View Post

            Same problem with polling people about whether or not they intend to buy. This is almost never reliable. It's quite common to have 25% of the people saying they'd buy and none of them do.
            These things are all subject to variations - I recently polled a newsletter readership for how many would pay $10 a month for it - 1000 people said they would and that's exactly how many did.

            Sometimes polls are accurate - There are no completely accurate generalisations for these things - which is why we all know that testing is so important and what works (or doesn't) for someone else does not mean you will find the same thing true.
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            nothing to see here.

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          • Profile picture of the author Dennis Gaskill
            Originally Posted by marciayudkin View Post

            Here is where we disagree. Those three answers do NOT provide a prediction of how the product will actually sell.



            Focus groups are an excellent way to get at subtle perceptions of the marketplace and to gauge the appeal of various options compared with one another. However, what people say in a focus group environment has no relationship whatsoever with whether or not they will buy. People buy things they would never admit to in front of others and never buy things they find fascinating and compelling when it's in front of them with no other distractions.

            Same problem with polling people about whether or not they intend to buy. This is almost never reliable. It's quite common to have 25% of the people saying they'd buy and none of them do.

            As for Google Adwords, the number of people who click on the ad again has no relationship with how many people actually buy. Lots of people have very good click-throughs and next to no sales.

            To put it generally, what people say is one thing and what they do is quite another.

            Respectfully,
            Marcia Yudkin
            Sorry Marcia, but your question only asked which answer of that set was the most reliable. The most reliable doesn't necessarily mean it's a quality prediction. One method only has to be more reliable than the others just once to be the most reliable.

            Those three answers are ways to make predictions. The predictions don't have to be right according to your question. I know you don't like that, but that's the way it is in my interpretation. That's why my publisher would have asked me to rewrite that question or would have deleted it. The way you meant it isn't the only way to read it.
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            • Profile picture of the author Steven Wagenheim
              3. The most reliable way to know in advance what people will do after your product comes out on the market is:
              a. Run focus groups to gather opinions from people just like your target customers.
              b. Poll people on your list to find out how many plan to buy.
              c. Run Google Adwords ads to see how many people click on your product description.
              d. None of the above reliably indicate to extent to which people will actually buy.
              Marcia, one thing I have learned from personal experience is to not dig
              your heels in when you're emotionally invested in a position.

              As Dennis pointed out, the above question is poorly worded. There is no
              way around it.

              I answered d because I interpreted it as, of the given choices are any of
              these the most reliable at the exclusion of everything else you could
              possibly do, since the questions didn't say...

              From the choices below, which one is the most reliable way to know in
              advance what people will do after your product comes out on the market.

              And if it WERE worded that way, then d makes no sense as ONE of the
              answers would have to be the right one. In fact, d should have never
              been included as a choice.

              I've taken multiple choice test questions for a good 21 years of my life,
              and now that I've really sat down and analyzed this question, it is
              absolutely possible for it to be interpreted multiple ways because of the
              way it was worded.

              Therefore, there is no wrong answer for this question depending on
              your interpretation.

              I say d because I can think of things more effective not given as choices.

              But if you confine the question to JUST the choices given, then one of
              them has to be the BEST even if it still sucks.

              Yeah, it's a bad question and you need to emotionally detach yourself from
              it and recognize that it IS a bad question.

              Otherwise, you're going to fall into the same miserable trap that I used to
              fall in when I would dig my heels in on a subject, even when it was
              clearly pointed out that there was a possibility of another point of view.

              That is why I absolutely believe with all my heart that when it comes
              to Internet marketing tactics, there are NO absolutes.

              Test, test, test.

              Because nothing is 100%
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              • Profile picture of the author Michael Oksa
                Originally Posted by Steven Wagenheim View Post

                Marcia, one thing I have learned from personal experience is to not dig
                your heels in when you're emotionally invested in a position.

                As Dennis pointed out, the above question is poorly worded. There is no
                way around it.

                I answered d because I interpreted it as, of the given choices are any of
                these the most reliable at the exclusion of everything else you could
                possibly do, since the questions didn't say...

                From the choices below, which one is the most reliable way to know in
                advance what people will do after your product comes out on the market.

                And if it WERE worded that way, then d makes no sense as ONE of the
                answers would have to be the right one. In fact, d should have never
                been included as a choice.

                I've taken multiple choice test questions for a good 21 years of my life,
                and now that I've really sat down and analyzed this question, it is
                absolutely possible for it to be interpreted multiple ways because of the
                way it was worded.

                Therefore, there is no wrong answer for this question depending on
                your interpretation.

                I say d because I can think of things more effective not given as choices.

                But if you confine the question to JUST the choices given, then one of
                them has to be the BEST even if it still sucks.

                Yeah, it's a bad question and you need to emotionally detach yourself from
                it and recognize that it IS a bad question.

                Otherwise, you're going to fall into the same miserable trap that I used to
                fall in when I would dig my heels in on a subject, even when it was
                clearly pointed out that there was a possibility of another point of view.

                That is why I absolutely believe with all my heart that when it comes
                to Internet marketing tactics, there are NO absolutes.

                Test, test, test.

                Because nothing is 100%
                With all due respect, Steven, I think you are talking in circles here.

                You explain how you interpreted the question AS IT WAS WORDED. Then you explain how you got the correct answer based on the actual wording.

                Then you go on to say it could be misinterpreted, which is fine. but you support that claim by giving alternate wording. Which doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

                Anyway, a lot of this is about semantics, and that's something I enjoy discussing. But in the larger scope of things, it doesn't really matter all that much.

                Of course I find comfort in the fact that I'm 100% in all of my interpretations and assertations. Kidding. Kidding.

                All the best,
                Michael
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                "Ich bin en fuego!"
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                • Profile picture of the author Steven Wagenheim
                  Originally Posted by Michael Oksa View Post

                  With all due respect, Steven, I think you are talking in circles here.

                  You explain how you interpreted the question AS IT WAS WORDED. Then you explain how you got the correct answer based on the actual wording.

                  Then you go on to say it could be misinterpreted, which is fine. but you support that claim by giving alternate wording. Which doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

                  Anyway, a lot of this is about semantics, and that's something I enjoy discussing. But in the larger scope of things, it doesn't really matter all that much.

                  Of course I find comfort in the fact that I'm 100% in all of my interpretations and assertations. Kidding. Kidding.

                  All the best,
                  Michael

                  No, I'm not talking in circles. I'm simply stating how I can see how
                  another person can interpret the question differently.

                  Read my above post for how I would have worded the question so as
                  to avoid ambiguity.
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                  • Profile picture of the author Michael Oksa
                    Originally Posted by Steven Wagenheim View Post

                    No, I'm not talking in circles. I'm simply stating how I can see how
                    another person can interpret the question differently.

                    Read my above post for how I would have worded the question so as
                    to avoid ambiguity.
                    I understand, Steven.

                    The difference is that I do not see any ambiguity in the way the question is worded; especially when you add in the FULL text of choice D.

                    All the best,
                    Michael
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                    "Ich bin en fuego!"
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            • Profile picture of the author Michael Oksa
              Originally Posted by Dennis Gaskill View Post

              Sorry Marcia, but your question only asked which answer of that set was the most reliable. The most reliable doesn't necessarily mean it's a quality prediction. One method only has to be more reliable than the others just once to be the most reliable.

              Those three answers are ways to make predictions. The predictions don't have to be right according to your question. I know you don't like that, but that's the way it is in my interpretation. That's why my publisher would have asked me to rewrite that question or would have deleted it. The way you meant it isn't the only way to read it.
              Hi Dennis,

              Allow me to try another angle to explain why I think the format of the question is valid, and why D is a plausible answer.

              3. The most reliable way to know in advance what people will do after your product comes out on the market is:

              a. Run focus groups to gather opinions from people just like your target customers. - Is THIS the MOST reliable way, out of ALL possible ways? No.

              b. Poll people on your list to find out how many plan to buy. - Is THIS the MOST reliable way, out of ALL possible ways? No.

              c. Run Google Adwords ads to see how many people click on your product description. - Is THIS the MOST reliable way, out of ALL possible ways? No.

              Therefore...
              d. None of the above reliably indicate to extent to which people will actually buy. - Has to be correct by default. (And that's a common technique used in multiple choice quizzes)

              The question supposes there is a "most reliable way" that exists, if that way isn't listed, then D is correct.

              If I asked...

              Which NFL qurterback has had the most consecutive starts?
              A. Peyton Manning
              B. Tom Brady
              C. Ron Jaworski
              D. Brett Favre

              You would answer D, because that IS the only correct answer to the question.

              Now if I change the answers thusly:

              Which NFL qurterback has had the most consecutive starts?
              A. Peyton Manning
              B. Tom Brady
              C. Ron Jaworski
              D. None of the above hold the record for consecutive starts by a NFL quarterback.

              Then A doesn't all of a sudden become the correct answer.

              Note that in Marcia's original question, D doesn't stop at a simple "None of the above", instead it gives enough qualification, in the form of "None of the above reliably indicate [the] extent to which people will actually buy" to qualify as a valid answer. Because none of the choices A, B or C reliably indicate how many people will buy.

              All the best,
              Michael
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              "Ich bin en fuego!"
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              • Profile picture of the author Steven Wagenheim
                Originally Posted by Michael Oksa View Post

                Hi Dennis,

                Allow me to try another angle to explain why I think the format of the question is valid, and why D is a plausible answer.

                3. The most reliable way to know in advance what people will do after your product comes out on the market is:

                a. Run focus groups to gather opinions from people just like your target customers. - Is THIS the MOST reliable way, out of ALL possible ways? No.

                b. Poll people on your list to find out how many plan to buy. - Is THIS the MOST reliable way, out of ALL possible ways? No.

                c. Run Google Adwords ads to see how many people click on your product description. - Is THIS the MOST reliable way, out of ALL possible ways? No.

                Therefore...
                d. None of the above reliably indicate to extent to which people will actually buy. - Has to be correct by default. (And that's a common technique used in multiple choice quizzes)

                The question supposes there is a "most reliable way" that exists, if that way isn't listed, then D is correct.

                If I asked...

                Which NFL qurterback has had the most consecutive starts?
                A. Peyton Manning
                B. Tom Brady
                C. Ron Jaworski
                D. Brett Favre

                You would answer D, because that IS the only correct answer to the question.

                Now if I change the answers thusly:

                Which NFL qurterback has had the most consecutive starts?
                A. Peyton Manning
                B. Tom Brady
                C. Ron Jaworski
                D. None of the above hold the record for consecutive starts by a NFL quarterback.

                Then A doesn't all of a sudden become the correct answer.

                Note that in Marcia's original question, D doesn't stop at a simple "None of the above", instead it gives enough qualification, in the form of "None of the above reliably indicate [the] extent to which people will actually buy" to qualify as a valid answer. Because none of the choices A, B or C reliably indicate how many people will buy.

                All the best,
                Michael

                Michael, I see your point, but again, the question is open to interpretation.

                If I were asking it, I would have worded it one of two ways.

                1. Add to the question, "Of the choices below" which one...Then you're
                limiting the answers to one of the first 3 and d would have to be changed
                to another choice because as it is now (none of above) it makes no
                sense if you don't allow for outside choices.

                2. Or, I would say, "Of all possible ways to" which of these is...Then, you're
                allowing for other options. If so, THEN you could say an option not listed
                could be better, in which case d, as it stands now, could be a valid answer.

                The question IS open to interpretation because of the loose way it was
                worded.
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                • Profile picture of the author Michael Oksa
                  Originally Posted by Steven Wagenheim View Post

                  Michael, I see your point, but again, the question is open to interpretation.

                  If I were asking it, I would have worded it one of two ways.

                  1. Add to the question, "Of the choices below" which one...Then you're
                  limiting the answers to one of the first 3 and d would have to be changed
                  to another choice because as it is now (none of above) it makes no
                  sense if you don't allow for outside choices.

                  2. Or, I would say, "Of all possible ways to" which of these is...Then, you're
                  allowing for other options. If so, THEN you could say an option not listed
                  could be better, in which case d, as it stands now, could be a valid answer.

                  The question IS open to interpretation because of the loose way it was
                  worded.
                  I guess I see a word like "most" as an absolute, which is synonymous with "all possible ways to".

                  She didn't say "more", she didn't say "of the choices below", nor did she say any of the things others have used to justify her perceived incorrectness.

                  That being said, I agree that IF she had worded it in any of those other ways, suggested by you or others, then it would provide for a different answer.

                  I can see where you're coming from as somebody who has taken a lot of tests, I have too. But I have also written a lot of multiple choice questions for different reasons. My guess is I've written about 1,000, but I don't have an exact count.

                  That doesn't make me correct, but I share that to show that I am sensitive to both answerers and askers.

                  All the best,
                  Michael
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              • Profile picture of the author Frank Donovan
                Hi Michael,

                Originally Posted by Michael Oksa View Post

                Which NFL qurterback has had the most consecutive starts?
                A. Peyton Manning
                B. Tom Brady
                C. Ron Jaworski
                D. None of the above hold the record for consecutive starts by a NFL quarterback.
                The problem with this example (and with Marcia's question) is that option D changes the original question.

                You simply asked "Which NFL quarterback has had the most consecutive starts? then listed 3 names. Logically, the reader is expected to choose from the names listed. However, your option D suddenly brings in a new qualifier i.e. who holds the record for consecutive starts - there's an immediate disconnect here between the question (which spoke of no record) and option D.

                Given the wording of the question and the options, Dennis has a perfectly valid case, IMO, that D is not the only correct answer.

                Of course, the best option would be to re-word the question.


                Frank
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                • Profile picture of the author Michael Oksa
                  Originally Posted by Frank Donovan View Post

                  Hi Michael,



                  The problem with this example (and with Marcia's question) is that option D changes the original question.

                  You simply asked "Which NFL quarterback has had the most consecutive starts? then listed 3 names. Logically, the reader is expected to choose from the names listed. However, your option D suddenly brings in a new qualifier i.e. who holds the record for consecutive starts - there's an immediate disconnect here between the question (which spoke of no record) and option D.

                  Given the wording of the question and the options, Dennis has a perfectly valid case, IMO, that D is not the only correct answer.

                  Of course, the best option would be to re-word the question.


                  Frank
                  Hi Frank,

                  I have to respectfully disagree. This type of question relies on the person taking the test knowing something, and not knowing it based on the answers provided.

                  If a person KNOWS Brett Favre holds the record, then they will select D. If they don't know, then they have a 25% chance of getting it correct.

                  IF my question said "Which of the following quarterbacks..." then D would be incorrect, but I simply aske "Which quarterback has the most..." which is an absolute and that there is 1 correct answer. If that 1 answer isn't among the choices, then a "none of the above" answer is the only logical choice.

                  Did I ever mention I used to HATE homework in school (that's why I hardly ever did it), but LOVEDtaking tests?



                  All the best,
                  Michael
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                  • Profile picture of the author Frank Donovan
                    Michael,

                    Originally Posted by Michael Oksa View Post

                    Did I ever mention I used to HATE homework in school (that's why I hardly ever did it), but LOVEDtaking tests?
                    And I'm sure you excelled at them! However, with your insistence that the word "most" in your question should always be taken as an absolute, regardless of the options given, I think you'd be a better test-taker than test-setter

                    If you wanted to ask who held the record for consecutive starts, put that in the question. Just saying most, without including any external context other than the names listed, leaves the question open to misinterpretation.

                    Just sayin'

                    Frank
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                • Profile picture of the author Steven Wagenheim
                  FYI, for what it's worth, I taught for 4 1/2 years and if I had put together
                  a multiple choice question like that, I would have had my head handed to me.

                  Multiple choice questions are, without a doubt, the most difficult questions
                  to word so that there is no ambiguity.

                  When I would do a multiple choice question, the first thing i would make
                  sure is that there was either only ONE possible answer OR, all the answers
                  were possible.

                  I taught computers, so let's use these as examples.

                  Question: What does RPG stand for?

                  A. Report Programmer Generator
                  B. Report Program Generator
                  C. Regenerating Program Generator
                  D. None Of The Above

                  In this case, only B is the right answer because RPG ONLY stands for
                  one thing.

                  Question: What are characteristics of programming languages?

                  A. Can execute a series of instructions
                  B. Can do calculations
                  C. Can print reports
                  D. All of the above

                  In this case, D is the right answer because programming languages can
                  do all the above.

                  If I had said, what is the most important function of a programming
                  language, then I have just sunk the question because the answer is
                  totally subjective. All aspects of programming languages can be argued
                  to be just as important as another aspect.

                  Trust me, when I started teaching and had to have my tests approved
                  by my administrator, I had quite a few butt holes ripped apart on me. I had
                  a lot to learn about making tests.

                  But I learned. And I'm speaking from experience. That question can be
                  interpreted more than one way.

                  Most of my students (not all) loved the way I taught and tested because
                  I made things as clear as possible.

                  Did I make mistakes? Sure, usually on the multiple choice.

                  And that was AFTER they were checked. There is just too much room for
                  error with these types of questions.

                  Needless to say, when I'd make a multiple choice question, I had so
                  much info in the question itself that there was almost no way to miss
                  what I meant.

                  In short, and this is just my opinion, multiple choice sucks. I personally
                  prefer straight forward questions and answers.

                  What does RPG stand for?

                  You either know it or you don't.

                  What does COBOL stand for?

                  You either know it or you don't.

                  Multiple choice leaves too much room to trip yourself AND your students
                  up.
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                  • Profile picture of the author Tina Golden
                    Um...Steve....role playing games.

                    Tina
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                    • Profile picture of the author Michael Oksa
                      Originally Posted by TMG Enterprises View Post

                      Um...Steve....role playing games.

                      Tina
                      That's EXACTLY what MY first thought was, too.

                      But I'm assuming taken in context it was the right answer. Though there ARE other things it stands for.

                      ~Michael
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                      • Profile picture of the author Tina Golden
                        Originally Posted by Michael Oksa View Post

                        That's EXACTLY what MY first thought was, too.

                        But I'm assuming taken in context it was the right answer. Though there ARE other things it stands for.

                        ~Michael
                        I'm sure in context it was correct but I just couldn't help myself because that's what RPG is to me. A moment of levity, probably amusing only in my deep-fried brain. It's so hot here...lol.

                        Tina
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                        • Profile picture of the author Steven Wagenheim
                          Originally Posted by TMG Enterprises View Post

                          I'm sure in context it was correct but I just couldn't help myself because that's what RPG is to me. A moment of levity, probably amusing only in my deep-fried brain. It's so hot here...lol.

                          Tina
                          Yeah, exactly...context.

                          If you're giving that question to a class of students who are taking a
                          computer programming class and somebody answers role playing games
                          as an instructor, you're going to say, "What are you a smart ass?"

                          But if you were giving that same question to a class taking a "History of
                          video games" course, then yes, role playing game is the answer you're
                          looking for.

                          There is something called a reasonable expectation within the
                          parameters of the discipline
                          .

                          Now, my administrator probably would have made me reword the question...

                          "What programming language does RPG stand for?"

                          Then no smart ass kid can answer Role Playing Games and tell me he has
                          a legitimate argument, because you know kids will try to put one over
                          on you any chance they get.

                          And this is a perfectly good example why questions have to worded so
                          carefully, regardless of what type they are.

                          But again, given the context of a class on computer programming, the way
                          the question was asked was perfectly reasonable and answering "role
                          playing games" would have probably not only gotten you an F for the whole
                          test but detention as well.
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                  • Profile picture of the author Gary King
                    Oh! I KNOW these...

                    Originally Posted by Steven Wagenheim View Post

                    What does RPG stand for?
                    Report Program Generator (usually fits on an AS/400)
                    Role-Playing Game
                    Rocket-Propelled Grenade
                    A Band in Virginia, USA


                    Originally Posted by Steven Wagenheim View Post

                    What does COBOL stand for?
                    COmmon Business-Oriented Language

                    (often goes with JCL for you uber geeks)


                    All in good fun here of course, but your point is well taken Steven - subjective questions just can't be multiple choice.

                    One (the teacher/author of the quiz) can expect the test-taker to put things in context as Michael suggests, but that's still not a reality, especially in courses where thinking outside the box is encouraged/required.

                    Gary
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                  • Profile picture of the author Frank Donovan
                    Steven,

                    Originally Posted by Steven Wagenheim View Post

                    In short, and this is just my opinion, multiple choice sucks. I personally
                    prefer straight forward questions and answers.
                    I believe the first large scale multiple choice exercise was used to assess the intelligence of US military recruits in WWI. It's an efficient way to quickly assess a large group and doesn't depend on qualified teachers to mark the results.

                    But it's a poor tool for assessing any kind of reasoning ability and, as we've seen, perhaps not the best way of testing marketing knowledge.


                    Frank
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  • Profile picture of the author BrianMcLeod
    I got one "wrong", #5 (I answered B), and I want to quibble about it...

    Here's the question:

    5. Which of the following groups is hardest to persuade:
    a. People who aren't yet aware of the problem you solve
    b. People who know of the problem you solve but don't think about it the way you do
    c. People who know of the problem you solve but have a different name for it than you do
    d. People who know of the problem you solve and have the same name for it as you do
    In my experience, people who are not aware of a problem are FAR easier to persuade than folks who require you to change their mind about what they already believe to be true.

    In fact, I would go so far as to say that those who you help "discover" that they have a problem, one they were unaware of until landing on your sales message, can be put into a far more urgent state of "want".

    RECOUNT!

    : )
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    • Profile picture of the author Raydal
      Originally Posted by BrianMcLeod View Post

      I got one "wrong", #5 (I answered B), and I want to quibble about it...

      Here's the question:



      In my experience, people who are not aware of a problem are FAR easier to persuade than folks who require you to change their mind about what they already believe to be true.

      In fact, I would go so far as to say that those who you help "discover" that they have a problem, one they were unaware of until landing on your sales message, can be put into a far more urgent state of "want".

      RECOUNT!

      : )
      Brian, you need to read Breakthrough Advertising (again?) by
      Eugene Schwartz. I don't know if this book was the basis for that
      question but Schwartz supports the 'correct' answer.

      Check out what he says about market awareness.

      -Ray Edwards
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      • Profile picture of the author BrianMcLeod
        Originally Posted by Raydal View Post

        Brian, you need to read Breakthrough Advertising (again?) by
        Eugene Schwartz. I don't know if this book was the basis for that
        question but Schwartz supports the 'correct' answer.

        Check out what he says about market awareness.

        -Ray Edwards
        Wow. Patronize much? LOL

        I fully understand the inestimable Gene Schwartz's
        hierarchy of market awareness, Ray...

        You need to read my post (again?).

        I wrote "In my experience...", NOT
        "In Eugene Schwartz's experience..."

        I'll bow out of this thread. Everything anyone
        needs to know has already been written.

        Best,

        Brian
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  • Profile picture of the author Steven Wagenheim
    Okay, I'll take a stab at this. Some of these I was split between 2 answers.

    FYI - I hate absolutes in marketing.

    Test, test, test, because quiz's like these don't necessarily mean that
    these answers are going to work for you and your niche.

    Did mention that I hate absolutes?

    1. b
    2. b
    3. d
    4. c
    5. a
    6. d
    7. b
    8. b
    9. d
    10. b
    11. d
    12. b

    ** EDIT ** So not counting 10, I got 2 wrong.

    Not bad for a hack from NJ. LOL

    Great quiz Marcia.
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    • Profile picture of the author Steven Wagenheim
      @Roger

      You said what I was thinking but I was trying to be nice in my reply. I agree.
      These quiz's are land mines for newbies.

      They see a right answer and immediately assume that's what they have to do.

      That's a quick trip to the poor house if you don't actually test to see if it
      works for your niche.

      The answers I gave are from my own personal experience and testing. I was
      actually surprised that my own experience matched the quiz results as
      closely as they did.

      Point is, you take somebody who is absolutely brand new and toss
      something like this at them, presenting them with right answers and you're
      looking at a potential train wreck.

      Thank you for your input on this. As is true more times than not, you are
      spot on.
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      • Profile picture of the author marciayudkin
        In my experience, people who are not aware of a problem are FAR easier to persuade than folks who require you to change their mind about what they already believe to be true.
        Brian,

        That's interesting. You may have a point... IF you can get and keep their attention in some way.

        The problems with trying to sell something to people who are not aware of a problem are:
        * Hard, sometimes impossible, to get their attention to even listen to your pitch
        * Hard for them to pay attention long enough to decide to spend money on the thing
        * Hard for them to take the issue/item seriously when it's coming at them out of the blue
        * Hard for them to justify spending money on it

        I'd like to know what price point and what kind of items/services you feel you've been able to sell to people who had no previous awareness of the problem your offering solved.

        Not arguing with you... sharing ideas on this.

        Thanks,
        Marcia Yudkin
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      • Profile picture of the author Lance K
        1. b
        2. b
        3. d
        4. c
        5. a
        6. c
        7. b
        8. c
        9. d
        10. b
        11. d
        12. d
        Signature
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        ~ Zig Ziglar
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  • Profile picture of the author Dennis Gaskill
    Mike,

    Sorry, but your perspective is not the only valid perspective. You asked"Is THIS the MOST reliable way, out of ALL possible ways? No." ...after a, b, and c.

    That's adding things in that don't exist in the original question. The choices are not out of ALL possible ways. There are three choices that can be used to make the predictions, and the question asks which of those three are the most reliable.

    Here's the thing with multiple choice questions -- you don't get to designate which interpretation is the one you meant after the test is given.

    You really don't need to explain anything to me. I get it. I really do. But that is not the only way to look at the question. It may be how she intended it to be interpreted, but it's a poorly worded question because her interpretation isn't clearly defined.

    Maybe Steven's explanation is better than mine. What it comes down to is that multiple choice questions that have multiple interpretations are just poorly worded questions.
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    • Profile picture of the author Michael Oksa
      Originally Posted by Dennis Gaskill View Post

      Mike,

      Sorry, but your perspective is not the only valid perspective. You asked"Is THIS the MOST reliable way, out of ALL possible ways? No." ...after a, b, and c.
      I certainly don't think I'm offering the only valid perspective. I read the word "most" as an absolute, therefore it implies "out of all possible ways".

      That's adding things in that don't exist in the original question. The choices are not out of ALL possible ways. There are three choices that can be used to make the predictions, and the question asks which of those three are the most reliable.
      But that isn't what the question asks. You're adding things that aren't there, at least the way I see it. Nowhere does is it say "which of these three". You are reading something into it that isn't there.

      Here's the thing with multiple choice questions -- you don't get to designate which interpretation is the one you meant after the test is given.
      I don't think that's what's going on here.

      You really don't need to explain anything to me. I get it. I really do. But that is not the only way to look at the question. It may be how she intended it to be interpreted, but it's a poorly worded question because her interpretation isn't clearly defined.
      I was hoping my other example would help show where I'm coming from. The exclusion of the correct "most" means D has to be the right answer.

      Maybe Steven's explanation is better than mine. What it comes down to is that multiple choice questions that have multiple interpretations are just poorly worded questions.
      Both of your explanations are good, I'm just not seeing the ambiguity. Could it be worded differently? Sure. Is it worded poorly now? I honestly don't think so.

      All the best,
      Michael
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      "Ich bin en fuego!"
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      • Profile picture of the author Dennis Gaskill
        Originally Posted by Steven Wagenheim View Post

        FYI, for what it's worth, I taught for 4 1/2 years and if I had put together
        a multiple choice question like that, I would have had my head handed to me.
        And that's why I mentioned my editor would have had me rewrite that question or he would have deleted it. It's only a clear question if you insist your interpretation as the only valid interpretation.

        Originally Posted by Michael Oksa View Post

        I certainly don't think I'm offering the only valid perspective. I read the word "most" as an absolute, therefore it implies "out of all possible ways".
        And I'm not. I don't believe in absolutes because we don't have absolute knowledge. Without all knowledge, the best you get is probabilities. Reading "most" as an absolute is a subjective interpretation, but it's not my interpretation.

        I see your way of interpreting it, I don't think you're seeing mine. Your way is valid given the mental filters you used to derive that interpretation. So is mine. The difference is, you seem to be trying to convince me your interpretation is the correct one, and I'm saying there is no one single correct interpretation.

        We'll have to agree to disagree, my friend.
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        • Profile picture of the author Michael Oksa
          Originally Posted by Dennis Gaskill View Post

          And I'm not. I don't believe in absolutes because we don't have absolute knowledge. Without all knowledge, the best you get is probabilities. Reading "most" as an absolute is a subjective interpretation, but it's not my interpretation.

          I see your way of interpreting it, I don't think your seeing mine. Your way is valid given the mental filters you used to derive that interpretation. So is mine.

          We'll have to agree to disagree, my friend.
          I agree.



          ~Michael

          p.s. But isn't the word "best" an absolute? Nothing is more bester than the best.
          Signature

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          • Profile picture of the author Steven Wagenheim
            Originally Posted by Michael Oksa View Post

            I agree.



            ~Michael

            p.s. But isn't the word "best" an absolute? Nothing is more bester than the best.

            Which is why, as a rule, you stay away from "best" when giving multiple
            choice questions because more often than not, best is subjective and
            thus, an argument for "none of the above" can always be made...even if
            the test giver intended for A, B or C to be the right answer.

            Conversely, it is perfectly reasonable for the test taker to assume that
            if you're asking which one is the best, one of them HAS to be the best.

            Again, I hate multiple choice questions.

            More times than not, especially with these types, they lead to arguments
            and the teacher ultimately saying, "Okay, if you answered A or D I'll give
            you credit."

            And even then, you have to show how none of the other answers can
            possibly be the right ones.

            Did I say I hate multiple choice questions?
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          • Profile picture of the author Dennis Gaskill
            Originally Posted by Michael Oksa View Post

            I agree.



            ~Michael

            p.s. But isn't the word "best" an absolute? Nothing is more bester than the best.
            The "best" can only be defined if you have all knowledge, and even then the context can change what is best. Best is a subjective interpretation based on limited knowledge.

            Is the best ice cream flavor to you the same as the best ice cream flavor to me?
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            • Profile picture of the author Michael Oksa
              Originally Posted by Dennis Gaskill View Post

              The "best" can only be defined if you have all knowledge, and even then the context can change what is best. Best is a subjective interpretation based on limited knowledge.

              Is the best ice cream flavor to you the same as the best ice cream flavor to me?
              Fair enough.

              I just saw a report on Friday that the best Beatles' song of all time is...

              "A Day In The Life"

              HA!

              HA!

              HA!

              Everybody knows the best Beatles' song is, and always will be, "I Am The Walrus".



              ~M~
              Signature

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              • Profile picture of the author Dennis Gaskill
                Originally Posted by Michael Oksa View Post

                Fair enough.

                I just saw a report on Friday that the best Beatles' song of all time is...

                "A Day In The Life"

                HA!

                HA!

                HA!

                Everybody knows the best Beatles' song is, and always will be, "I Am The Walrus".



                ~M~
                Couldn't agree more -- everyone knows I Am the Walrus is the best. People can be so silly.

                Originally Posted by Lance K View Post

                Excuse me for I interrupting the semantics game, but I feel what I have to say is really IMPORTANT...

                I know they say 6 is afraid of 7 because 7 8 9. But WTH happened to 10? Is 7 responsible? Am I the only one still troubled by 10's mysterious absence?
                Lance, I have it on good authority that U 8 1 2, so I think you know more than you're telling.
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                • Profile picture of the author Michael Oksa
                  Originally Posted by Dennis Gaskill View Post

                  Couldn't agree more -- everyone knows I Am the Walrus is the best. People can be so silly.

                  Lance, I have it on good authority that U 8 1 2, so I think you know more than you're telling.
                  No offense, but I find your accusatory tone quite offensive, Gaskill!

                  This has nothing to do with who 8 1 and who didn't. We are talking about 10 and your interjecting stinks of a red herring! A herring I tells ya!

                  ~M~
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                  • Profile picture of the author Tina Golden
                    If you're giving that question to a class of students who are taking a
                    computer programming class and somebody answers role playing games
                    as an instructor, you're going to say, "What are you a smart ass?"
                    Hey! I'll have you know I resemble that remark

                    Tina
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                  • Profile picture of the author Dennis Gaskill
                    Originally Posted by Michael Oksa View Post

                    No offense, but I find your accusatory tone quite offensive, Gaskill!

                    This has nothing to do with who 8 1 and who didn't. We are talking about 10 and your interjecting stinks of a red herring! A herring I tells ya!

                    ~M~
                    There's nothing wrong with my herring except a little tinnitus. It certainly hasn't be read though, there isn't even any printing on it, wise guy!

                    Man, give a guy a walrus and right away he thinks he knows everything about all the animals.
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                    • Profile picture of the author Steven Wagenheim
                      Originally Posted by Dennis Gaskill View Post

                      There's nothing wrong with my herring except a little tinnitus. It certainly hasn't be read though, there isn't even any printing on it, wise guy!

                      Man, give a guy a walrus and right away he thinks he knows everything about all the animals.
                      He said herring Dennis, not hearing, which is what tinnitus effects.

                      Geesh...deaf and blind.
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                • Profile picture of the author Lyn Woodring
                  I don't know what is happening to me but everytime I come here I learn something. Maybe my mind is expanding some and I don't have to worry about 'oldtimers' after all.
                  I have questions about #11 & #12 that hopefully someone can help me understand.
                  I think both questions, as the famous TV lawyer Perry Mason used to say;"...assumes facts not in evidence."
                  I have taken a fair share of tests in my day and one thing you always look for in multiple choice questions is the one answer that doesn't fit with the other answers.That's not always the case but it is the most obvious.
                  In #11 the question has "complain" and answers (a) (b) (d) has complaints,complainers, and complain in it. But "c" is not a logical choice.
                  The question starts with "When People" and I have to ask how many people. If enough people complain then doing nothing seems not to have a logical reason behind that inaction. And in the "d" answer "some people" have been included when that wasn't in the question. My mind goes to the extreme so if the premisis of the question is to remove complaints the "a" seems the closest to me. Raise the price enough will eliminate both buyers and complainers. Problem solved!
                  I also have a problem with the wording and the implied suggestion in answer d. I have always understood that for everyone who complains a dozen other people feels the same way but does nothing.
                  Question #12 violates everything I understand about the brain and what I thought was pretty well established about customers. First I look at reasons as choices and I always thought offering too many choices to people and they do nothing. Second it is true that a rule is that 2 numbers each side of 7 is about all you can consciousness hold at one time in your brain. Another reason I would say (c)7 is a better answer is based on an email I got today, "99 reasons to..." and I deleted it without opening it. I don't need a thousand, a hundred reasons, just a few good reasons will do.
                  I'd like to get your opinions on my thinking as I am not infallable and am open to learning more truth.
                  But thanks to all the observations as I have learned a lot about logical thought.
                  -Lyn

                  "11. When people complain about your pricing, you should:
                  a. Raise prices, which eliminates complaints.
                  b. Lower prices just for the complainers, so they'll buy.
                  c. Lower prices for everyone.
                  d. Do nothing. Some people just habitually complain."

                  12. How many reasons to buy should you give people?
                  a. Just one. Keep it simple.
                  b. Three is the magic number. More than that is confusing.
                  c. Seven. Beyond that, the human mind can't take in more information.
                  d. As many as possible.
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                  • Profile picture of the author Michael Oksa
                    Originally Posted by Lyn Woodring View Post

                    I don't know what is happening to me but everytime I come here I learn something. Maybe my mind is expanding some and I don't have to worry about 'oldtimers' after all.
                    I have questions about #11 & #12 that hopefully someone can help me understand.
                    I think both questions, as the famous TV lawyer Perry Mason used to say;"...assumes facts not in evidence."
                    I have taken a fair share of tests in my day and one thing you always look for in multiple choice questions is the one answer that doesn't fit with the other answers.That's not always the case but it is the most obvious.
                    In #11 the question has "complain" and answers (a) (b) (d) has complaints,complainers, and complain in it. But "c" is not a logical choice.
                    The question starts with "When People" and I have to ask how many people. If enough people complain then doing nothing seems not to have a logical reason behind that inaction. And in the "d" answer "some people" have been included when that wasn't in the question. My mind goes to the extreme so if the premisis of the question is to remove complaints the "a" seems the closest to me. Raise the price enough will eliminate both buyers and complainers. Problem solved!
                    I also have a problem with the wording and the implied suggestion in answer d. I have always understood that for everyone who complains a dozen other people feels the same way but does nothing.
                    Question #12 violates everything I understand about the brain and what I thought was pretty well established about customers. First I look at reasons as choices and I always thought offering too many choices to people and they do nothing. Second it is true that a rule is that 2 numbers each side of 7 is about all you can consciousness hold at one time in your brain. Another reason I would say (c)7 is a better answer is based on an email I got today, "99 reasons to..." and I deleted it without opening it. I don't need a thousand, a hundred reasons, just a few good reasons will do.
                    I'd like to get your opinions on my thinking as I am not infallable and am open to learning more truth.
                    But thanks to all the observations as I have learned a lot about logical thought.
                    -Lyn

                    "11. When people complain about your pricing, you should:
                    a. Raise prices, which eliminates complaints.
                    b. Lower prices just for the complainers, so they'll buy.
                    c. Lower prices for everyone.
                    d. Do nothing. Some people just habitually complain."

                    12. How many reasons to buy should you give people?
                    a. Just one. Keep it simple.
                    b. Three is the magic number. More than that is confusing.
                    c. Seven. Beyond that, the human mind can't take in more information.
                    d. As many as possible.
                    Hi Lyn,

                    Here's my thinking on question #12. You don't tell people how many reasons there are in your copy, you just give them as many reasons as you can, and. largely, for the reason you mention.

                    Assuming people will only be effective at remembering 7 of those reasons, it makes sense that they will also remember the 7 reasons that are the most relevant to them (or that they perceive as relevant).

                    As you introduce each new reason they will either replace one that's already in their minds, or ignore it. Either way, the total will likely hover around 7.

                    Furthermore, they may not even consider some of your reasons as reasons, but each one will still influence their decision to buy.

                    Granted, I'm not a psychology major, but that's my guess as to why you should give them as many reasons to buy as possible.

                    All the best,
                    Michael
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                  • Profile picture of the author Lance K
                    Originally Posted by Lyn Woodring View Post

                    <snip>

                    Question #12 violates everything I understand about the brain and what I thought was pretty well established about customers. First I look at reasons as choices and I always thought offering too many choices to people and they do nothing.

                    <snip>

                    12. How many reasons to buy should you give people?
                    a. Just one. Keep it simple.
                    b. Three is the magic number. More than that is confusing.
                    c. Seven. Beyond that, the human mind can't take in more information.
                    d. As many as possible.
                    I took "reasons" to mean benefits.
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            • Profile picture of the author marciayudkin
              Truce!

              Any quiz question that has generated so many objections and such heated debate was obviously not worded as well as it could have been.

              My apologies. And thanks for the debate.

              I hereby "give points" to anyone who scored badly on account of this question.

              Sincerely,
              Marcia Yudkin
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              • Profile picture of the author Dennis Gaskill
                Originally Posted by marciayudkin View Post

                Truce!

                Any quiz question that has generated so many objections and such heated debate was obviously not worded as well as it could have been.

                My apologies. And thanks for the debate.

                I hereby "give points" to anyone who scored badly on account of this question.

                Sincerely,
                Marcia Yudkin
                No need to apologize Marcia. It was an interesting quiz and the debate was very civil. Some readers may have even learned some great lessons that you didn't intend.
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                • Profile picture of the author Lance K
                  Excuse me for I interrupting the semantics game, but I feel what I have to say is really IMPORTANT...

                  I know they say 6 is afraid of 7 because 7 8 9. But WTH happened to 10? Is 7 responsible? Am I the only one still troubled by 10's mysterious absence?
                  Signature
                  "You can have everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want."
                  ~ Zig Ziglar
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            • Profile picture of the author Elmer Hurlstone
              Originally Posted by Dennis Gaskill View Post

              Originally Posted by Michael Oksa
              I agree.



              ~Michael

              p.s. But isn't the word "best" an absolute? Nothing is more bester than the best.
              The "best" can only be defined if you have all knowledge, and even then the context can change what is best. Best is a subjective interpretation based on limited knowledge.

              Is the best ice cream flavor to you the same as the best ice cream flavor to me?
              Actually, ask almost any small child and you'll quickly discover,"bestest", trumps "best".

              Elmer
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  • Profile picture of the author Drewry_Media
    New to the forum and just checking with as this is my 1st post. Good morning to everyone
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  • Profile picture of the author PeterDunin
    1.B
    2.A
    3.D
    4.D
    5.A
    6.D
    7.A
    8.A
    9.B
    10.B
    11.D
    12.D
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