How Are You Influenced to Buy at Work?

The fun part about being human is that we tend to self regulate the people we hang out with based on common interests. That being said, are there certain things that the regular people you work with, the people you don’t hang out with very often, influence you on at work? And if so, what are the types of things that regular co-workers can influence you to buy and exactly how influential are they in helping you make purchasing decisions?

Anecodtal Evidence

Last year I moved to Humana’s Innovation Center and was surrounded by people with iPhones. So it became an iPhone Christmas for me and my wife. I saw the utility in the device and was able to easily determine that I needed it. It didn’t take much convincing for my wife, and I knew that she would need one if I wanted to have a shot at getting one. So I redeemed Virgin Health Miles for Best Buy Gift cards, and scored us both iPhone 3Gs. This year, we had been talking about redeeming the points for Kindles. What sealed the deal for me was when a couple of my co-workers brought theirs in for show and tell.

It’s an awesome device, and I could imagine reading faster and cheaper with it, so mine is on its way.

Other observations include a new contingent of at least four non-ATT subscribers who have banded together around the HTC Hero, which may be an option for me when my contract expires next year. As well as a small but growing force of Macbook Pro users. There are a few of us with Mint.com accounts, and one dude went out and bought Dj Hero the day after a colleague brought it in to show off…

So What Does it All Mean?

Technology seems to have the power to allow acquaintances to influence. I think it is because the functions that the tools provide meet tangible needs. I need a phone on carrier X, that does Y, and costs Z. We can cover those questions while coworkers go over some of the device’s features in front of us. We know that our colleague isn’t making anything on our potential purchase so we trust their honest review.

Music on the other hand, is more of a personal experience, instead of a functional one. I am at an extreme side of the spectrum when it comes to the music I listen to, so I would have a hard time influencing or being influenced in that category unless I worked with people who knew who the Beat Assassins and Stanton Warriors are… Movie recommendations are also pretty hard, in my experience, for anybody other than my wife. Rob May can tell me that I really need to check out the latest Meg Ryan film, but I’m not going to until my wife puts it in our Netflix queue.

So based on my completely unscientific research and an extremely small sample size, it seems that influence happens at work a lot… and not just by the people you are closest to on a daily basis. Furthermore, influence centers around technology or devices that have functions that adhere to specific needs. That’s the hypothesis, anyway.

The Kicker

None of this influence has been measured? How could it be? It’s all analog. It didn’t happen on Facebook or Twitter. It happened in the office… in real life. And it doesn’t necessarily only happen with “friends.” (If a friend is somebody who has been to your house) It happens with people we know, but may not have much in common with to be considered a close or trusted friends.

Therein lies the rub. Social Media metrics are trying to measure influence, but aren’t hooked into the analog data feed that occurs at the office, or anywhere else for that matter. On top of it all, even if I am “friends” with a coworker on-line, am I going to choose to chat / IM / or Message that person? Or am I going to wait till we’re both at work the next day, to talk in an unmeasurable environment?

So we’re really just looking at a fraction of the influence data and trying to interpret results from it. When does that ever really work?

What Do You Think

Is the workplace a Petri Dish for both the H1N1 virus and influence? Does influence happen on a daily basis at work, and are tech purchases easier to influence on, than other types of purchases? Let me know what you think about all this in the comments below.