I know this may be hard to accept, but coffee might be the reason you didn’t receive that raise. The reason you lost that negotiation might have had less to do with the cup of coffee you slammed beforehand or the stain on your blouse, and more with something much simpler. A study found that people who held coffee during difficult conversations seemed more persuasive to the person they were speaking with.
According to a 2008 study by Lawrence Williams of the University of Colorado and John A. Bargh of Yale, Business Insider found that…
Researchers asked participants to come into the lab and answer a short questionnaire–this is standard research protocol. However, what they didn’t know was that the experiment had already started before they entered the room.
While each participant took the elevator up, they were joined by a research assistant. The assistant was very busy; at one point, she asked the participant to hold a cup of coffee while she wrote down his or her name.
The participants were evenly split between those holding a hot cup of coffee and those holding an iced coffee.
Upon arrival at the lab, participants were asked to rate a stranger’s personality on several measures, such as whether they were generous or good-natured.
The conclusion of the study showed that those who held warm coffee said that the individual had a warmer personality. The authors deduced that holding a warm object leads people to have more positive feelings toward others.
When you hold hotter objects, you act more generous and soft – not how you want to be during a negotiation talk. If you need a beverage during negotiation, go for cold water or iced coffee – thankfully it’s getting warmer!
H/t Business Insider
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