Forget GMAT, Product Managers should care about BMAT

A good product manager generally has a keen instinct for human behavior. However, the best product managers have learned how to incorporate the science of human behavior in a more rigorous way than just relying on instinct. In this post, we will look at a framework that helps understand and change human behavior.

How can you change behaviour?

The equation ‘B=MAT’ rolls of the tongue and sticks in the brain. The concept it communicates is as simple as the equation itself. ‘Behaviour’ is the word Fogg uses to describe an action that someone might do. The question is how can you train customers to do the desired actions.

Fogg suggests that three things are needed: motivation, ability and a trigger. When these three things come together, people are capable of changing the world.

If an ample degree of motivation to perform a behavior is matched with the ability to do that behavior, all that is then needed for the behavior to occur is a reminder or call-to-action (a trigger).

Anytime you want to better understand why a behavior isn’t occurring, all you have to do is simply walk down the list and ask:

• Are they amply motivated?
• Are they truly able to perform this behavior?
• Are we just forgetting to remind them/ask them to perform the behavior?

Let’s look at the three components separately:

MOTIVATION

Here Fogg is talking about the underlying drives which motivate you. He highlights three drives, namely sensation, anticipation and belonging. You can think of motivation as having three distinct levels, a physical level, an emotional level and a social level.

SENSATION: This is the physical level of motivation. Some actions bring us pleasure, whilst other actions cause us pain. We’re motivated to seek pleasure and avoid pain.

ANTICIPATION: This is the emotional level of motivation, specifically, hope and fear.

BELONGING: This is the social level of motivation, people want to feel like they belong and don’t want to feel rejected.

ABILITY:

Fogg uses the word ability, but it doesn’t just refer to someone’s competence for a particular task. He uses the word to mean how simple it is for someone to do something at a particular moment in time. It’s important to remember that no one does anything they don’t think is worth the effort. Fogg outlines six ways that a task can be made simpler to encourage new behavioural patterns to stick. You can look at each of these elements as ability blockers — things that reduce one’s ability.

Time: You have more ability to perform a behavior that takes very little time versus one that takes a lot of time.

Money: You have more ability to perform a behavior that costs very little money versus one that costs a lot of money.

Physical Effort: You have more ability to perform a behavior that requires little physical effort and strain versus one that requires a lot of physical effort and strain.

Mental Cycles: You have more ability to perform a behavior that is not mentally fatiguing or challenging versus one that is.

Social Deviance: You have more ability to perform a behavior that is socially acceptable versus one that isn’t.

Non-Routine: Your ability to perform a given behavior will change over time, and will have a greater ability to perform behaviors that are routine (versus behaviors that are non-routine).

The goal with each of these “Elements of Simplicity” is to minimize them as much as possible.

TRIGGERS

If a customer is raring to do something, and they’re fully able to do it, what happens next? Well… unless you’re very lucky, nothing at all. A customer needs a prompt to spring into action! The final piece of the behavioural puzzle is the trigger.

There are three types of trigger, each aimed at a slightly different audience.

SPARK: The spark is a trigger that comes with added motivation. It’s perfect for those who have the ability but lack the motivation. They want to know why it’s important, and it’s up to you make them care.

FACILITATOR: Some customers are bouncing with motivation, but can’t achieve what’s expected of them. To combat this, go micro and send them snippets of the value each day. These snippets act as a reminder whilst giving further instruction to help the customer reach the level of ability needed to change their behavior.

SIGNAL: Some customers are ready to change. They have the motivation, they have the ability, all they need is the starting gun to fire and they’ll get going. Make sure that your messaging ends with a clear call to action explaining exactly what the customer needs to do.

FINAL WORD

Behavior change isn’t out of reach. It’s entirely within your grasp. With BJ Fogg’s Behavior Model as a trusty sidekick, you can ensure long-lasting behavior change that you expect to bring on your customers.

All you need to do is remember Fogg’s helpful equation: B=MAT.