Things That Make You Say Hmmm, November 3rd

Good morning and happy Monday. Let’s jump right into some new things that make you say hmmm. So I read this recently and I wanted to throw it out there to see what ya’ll think, because of course I have thoughts…

What a fascinating debate question! Did A ask for a raise before discovering the big save? If it were me in the scenario I’d use it as a bargaining chip. As in, “What if I could save this company ONE million dollars a year? Would that be worth a raise?” And then I would pause to gauge their reaction. I’d continue, “Actually what if I could save us FIVE? No, let’s get crazy. If I found a way to save our company FIFTEEN MILLION dollars a year, what sort of compensation do you think that would be worth?” And then when you deliver that find, based on your new comp plan that profits from the savings on a sliding scale (genius idea by the way), you’re viewed as resourceful, brilliant and possibly even heroic. Your company saves a boatload of cash, and presumably everybody is happy. See, they found the money! However, if they didn’t compensate A based on my strategic plan, I see a whole ‘nuther scenario taking place. Maybe like this…

Can you imagine? Very resourceful and funny! I guess no remote workers could pull that stunt. Especially if you’re in New York and your boss is out of, oh, I don’t know… Detroit. And speaking of challenging relationships, I thought this was the absolute best explanation of a few words that seem similar, are actually different and when appear together deliver a very powerful message. Thank you Sun Sherman for this amazing clarification. Read for yourself…

So true, Sun. Now onto a bit of a word game that affects so many of us so often. It has to do with price anchoring, an amazing concept especially when it comes to selling food. AI says, “Price anchoring is a marketing technique where a higher “anchor” price is displayed first to make the actual selling price seem more attractive. This strategy leverages a cognitive bias where the first price people see influences their perception of value, even if the anchor price is irrelevant. By presenting a higher reference price, the discounted or lower price appears as a better deal.” So when the price of a Venti drink is stupid high, you don’t flinch when you pay for a still overpriced Tall. Had you looked solely at the Tall price, you might not have purchased at all. Fascinating.

Restaurants completely take advantage of us by anchoring their menus in this way. By adding a rarely ordered delicacy purposely priced way out of bounds, the rest of their offerings seem reasonable by comparison. The great disparity actually tricks you into thinking that you’re getting a bargain. Funny how your mind leads you right into the marketing deception with glee. Now that’s something!

And speaking of tricking your keen eye and sharp perception of the world, this quote had me laughing hysterically! This is SO New York.

It is true that looks can be deceiving. I wonder what it was about Joy Marie Clarkson that gave her fellow shopper this impression? Hmmmm…

Perception is so important. I love this take on a salad dressing whose name I never gave a second thought. But now that I do think about it, hmmm…

As long as I’m diving into the food genre (imagine that) I had to share the funniest cooking quote I think I’ve ever read. Judge for yourself…

We’ve all been in the situation where we committed to a recipe and it might not have turned out the way we had hoped, the way it looked on the box, in the picture, or the way Ina Garten chided us, “How easy is that?” Liar!! But because we labored over it for hours, or used a million ingredients, or just one expensive one, or just could not face the agony of our defeat, we tried to market it to our family anyway out of sheer frustration and to prove our commitment to the dish.

Funny that sometimes we just can’t part with something because of what went into it. But here is the exact opposite scenario. Tanner Olson witnessed first hand a genuine pastry crime. Not illegal apparently in some states, but should be. Even I could barely contain my hmmm when I read this. Just why??

And finally a truth known only to the makers of this oddly packaged refresher that never properly closed and always invited purse debris to attack the exposed endcap. And you have to just say (say it with me!) hmmm.

Being curious and questioning the world around us is a great way to boost knowledge and find some funnies to stay entertained. I hope these shoutouts made you smile and definitely made you say hmmm.