This past weekend, I went out to dinner with a couple of friends to a new restaurant. We were celebrating a girls weekend after not seeing each other for over a year, and wanted to order something fun from the cocktail menu.

When the waiter came by, I asked:
“Which drink is your most popular?”

“The Pump-Le-Mousse,” he said.
(Can you guess the restaurant? 😆 )

I ordered it. Then immediately caught what had just happened.

There were many factors I could have considered when choosing a drink: the ingredients, the price, what my friends were choosing. But in the end I defaulted to one of the most ingrained forces of persuasion: social proof.

The principle of social proof

Coined by psychologist Robert Cialdini in his book Influence, social proof explains how we decide what’s right by looking at what others are doing. (We covered the principles of reciprocity and liking in past issues.)

It’s why:

• Bartenders pre-fill tip jars

• “Most popular” menu items sell more

• Netflix’s “Top 10” list drives even more views

• A line outside a restaurant makes us want to eat there

We see it all the time in marketing, but clever analysts know how to use the same principle to build influence, drive decisions, and get buy-in faster.

Let’s break it down 👇

Social proof works best when…

We’re unsure
When the next step is unclear, we look to others’ actions to reduce uncertainty.

We see “the many”
If a lot of people are doing something, we’re more likely to believe it’s the right move.

We see people like us
The behavior of similar others (peers, colleagues, leaders we respect) is more persuasive than that of “outsiders.”

Now for the fun part...

5 ways analysts can use social proof at work

1. Use peer signals during uncertainty

Leaders are more open to examples of what’s worked elsewhere when they’re navigating something new, such as shifting budgets, changing team structures, or unclear priorities. Use this moment to show how others have handled a similar situation successfully.

Examples:

• “When Engineering faced a hiring freeze last year, they used a pause to clean up backlog data. We could do something similar now with our ops backlog.”

• “Finance used this framework to prioritize headcount asks last quarter. It might help us make trade-offs in our planning discussion next week.”

Why it works:
In ambiguous situations, people crave reassurance. Showing how others have acted (and benefitted) lowers the risk of taking action.

2. Show the majority is already doing it

People want to follow the crowd, because we assume that means whatever they’re doing must be working. So instead of bemoaning low adoption or engagement, highlight what’s already working and how widespread it is.

Examples:

• “70% of managers used this dashboard in their last check-in.”

• “GTM and Product teams are already piloting this approach with success, and there’s interest from CS to join.”

Why it works:
We assume that if many others are doing something, it must be the right thing — especially if we respect those teams or don’t want to be left behind.

Pro tip: 
If the majority aren’t doing the desired behavior (yet), you can still leverage social proof by highlighting the upward trend. For example, instead of saying: “only 40% of employees are following RTO policies,” you would say: “60 days ago, just 10% were following RTO policies. 30 days ago, it rose to 20%. Today, we’re at 40%.”

Framing it as a growing trend makes people want to get on board before they’re the last to join.

3. Cite voices your audience trusts

Support from respected peers is often more persuasive than raw data. Before pitching your idea broadly, build alignment with 1–2 credible stakeholders, then cite their input.

• “Priya from Sales said this dashboard saved her hours during QBR prep.”

• “Our HRBPs said this mirrors what they’re hearing from managers.”

Why it works:
When people like us (or people we admire) endorse something, we’re more likely to accept it (now you know why more and more brands are shifting to influencer marketing). In essence, you get to “borrow credibility” from people your audience already considers to be relevant experts.

The bottom line

If you want leaders to adopt your insight, approve your idea, or move forward on your recommendation…

Show that other smart, similar people are already doing it (or endorse it).

Go use your new powers for good,
Morgan