Power of persuasion

In this book extract
* Secrets from the science of persuasion
* People want to follow the experts
* If it is rare, people want it
* Practise seeing the good in people

“The primary purpose of this book is to give readers access to 50 secrets to successful persuasion that have been validated in scientific studies and that can be used in wholly ethical ways.”

Want to become a master in the power of persuasion?

Who doesn't?

In 'Yes! 50 Secrets from the Science of Persuasion, Professor Robert Cialdini reveals the fruits of a life's work testing how and why people are persuaded.

The Regents' Professor of Psychology and Marketing at Arizona State University, Cialdini is the world's most quoted expert in the field of influence and persuasion and the author of the best selling 'Influence: Science and Practice'.

Together with business partners Dr Noah J Goldstein and Steve J Martin, the authors have helped advise 10 Downing Street, as well as some of the world's largest companies. Then Charlie Munger, Warren Buffett's partner, states that Cialdini has had a major impact on their thinking.

Together with business partners Dr Noah J Goldstein and Steve J Martin, the authors have helped advise 10 Downing Street, as well as some of the world's largest companies.

Mandy de Waal, ITWeb contributor

* When they think about persuasion, most people emphasise their own experiences too much, rather than depending on data or techniques.
* Increase your persuasive power by understanding six core principles: “reciprocation”, authority”, “commitment/consistency”, “scarcity”, “liking” and “social proof”.
* A small gift or favour will make you more persuasive. People will want to pay you back.
* The public believes in authority, so enlist higher-ups on your side.
* People want to be consistent and committed, so show how your proposal aligns with their values.
* The rarer something is, the more people want it.
* Individuals want to be liked, so practise seeing the good in them.
* People tend to follow the majority. By establishing norms, you can get them to act as you wish.
* Fear paralyses people, so use scare tactics only if you offer an antidote to fear.
* Admit your errors. Demonstrating honesty increases your influence.

Book abstract - Yes! 50 Secrets from the Science of Persuasion, by Professor Robert Cialdini, Dr Noah J Goldstein and Steve J Martin, courtesy Learn2Think.

The Nature of persuasion

Persuasion is a curious thing. Because it is based on human psychology and because life gives everyone direct experience of that psychology, people depend too much on their own experiences when they try to persuade others. In fact, people aren't even especially good at figuring out what persuaded them or at understanding why they did something. Instead, they jump to conclusions based on faulty data. The result is that persuasion is seen as an “art” and treated as a mysterious phenomenon. But whether you are innately gifted at persuading other people or not, you can use specific scientifically tested techniques that have proven to be reliably persuasive. Many of these techniques draw on one or more of “the six universal principles of social influence”:

1. “Reciprocation” - People want to treat each other fairly
If you give someone something, even a soft drink, he or she will want to repay you. This can take the form of agreeing to your suggestions or making a larger purchase from you. To apply this principle, consider what you could do for others. How could you help them? What could you give them? You will have an automatic persuasive edge with people you've helped or enriched. This is the essence of reciprocity, which you can apply in small ways. If you do something extra for someone, even scrawling a brief personal message on an attached Post-It note when you send a document, that person will agree with you more easily and respond more quickly. However, the value of doing something nice for someone changes over time. People value a favour most highly right after you bestow it. In fact, its value to them will diminish over time, but - as the person who did the favour - you're likely to value it even more highly as time passes. This can create tension, so take these attitude shifts into account when you request a reciprocal favour.

2. “Authority” - People want to follow the experts
You face a quandary if you need to persuade people of your worth or convince them about a topic you know well. You want to demonstrate how good you are and how expert, but you don't want to seem like an egotistical braggart. Instead, get someone else to speak for you. You can even pay a speaker, since people generally disregard “situational factors”. People don't pay attention to how a situation shapes other people's actions, so they trust what they see more than they should. You can use this predisposition in your office. If two people work together, designate each one as a specialist in some area, then refer related calls to them accordingly. People will give more weight to the so-called specialists' words, even if they don't know anything extra. If you work alone, display some sign of your expertise for visitors. Even posting a diploma helps.

3. “Consistency” - People want to act in alignment with their beliefs
The human desire to be consistent plays out several ways. If you want someone to do you a large favour, he or she will be more likely to do so if you lay the groundwork by asking for a small favour first. This will establish a specific image in the person's mind. If you're trying to make a large sale, selling a small sample has a similar impact. This also works when you label a person. For example, if you tell a man that you can discern that he is good, he'll be more likely to be good in order to align his actions with your favourable perception. To get people to perform a “socially desirable behaviour,” like voting, get them to agree to it in public. The more actively you can get someone, including yourself, to commit to an action, the firmer the commitment will be. So write your plans, don't just ponder them. Shape surveys so people make active choices about a course of action, rather than just agreeing by default. When scheduling appointments, get the other person to select the time, so he or she is invested. To boost turnout at a meeting, ask potential attendees how they'd like to be reminded of the session.

To change people's previous behaviour, appeal to their desire for consistency. Don't tell them that they did something wrong. Instead, frame the new choice as being more akin to their values. Use a variation of this idea to reshape relationships that aren't going well. For instance, if you work with someone who doesn't like you, ask him or her for a small favour. That takes nerve, but people who grant you a favour are more apt to shift to seeing you more positively, because that would align their actions and their attitudes. This tactic also helps when you ask for donations. Request a tiny amount of money; explain that even a penny helps. Setting such a small threshold gets people to give, and many will give more than if you had asked without that small specific entry point.

4. “Scarcity” - If it is rare, people want it
When General Motors announced that it was discontinuing the Oldsmobile due to falling sales, sales shot up. Why? Because people realised it wasn't going to be available. The car became scarce and people want rare things. This is powerful since people are loss- averse: They prefer avoiding losses (or even the thoughts of losses) to acquiring gains. You don't have to discontinue your product. Just explain what it offers that the customer cannot get elsewhere.

By contrast, you can inadvertently make an offer unappealing by making it free, since that communicates that it lacks value. Instead, spell out how much the gift would cost, then emphasise that you are giving it to people without that cost to them. This works in service situations. If a restaurant gives away mints after a meal, customers take them for granted. If servers give customers mints with a personal touch, tips increase. If the servers give people mints, and then more mints, or mention how nice the group has been, tips climb still higher.

5. “Liking” - People want to be liked
In the service industry, you can observe a foundational persuasive technique at work. People can tell the difference between a server's “authentic smile”, and a fake or forced smile. Customers like receiving authentic smiles and are more apt to like you if you greet them with one. If you're serving their table or checking them in at a hotel, people are apt to judge your performance as superior if you say hello with a genuine smile. Admittedly, such positive, genuine expressions don't come easily in every situation. You could train your staff in emotional skills, but that's costly. Instead, practice seeing the good in people. This is very valuable with someone you dislike. Try to reflect on what he or she does well. Look until you find something admirable and you'll like the individual more easily.

People also are more prone to like you if you share their “personal characteristics”. These can be large, complex traits, like beliefs, but it also works with smaller traits, even ones you don't choose, such as a shared name. When floods damaged Quincy, Illinois, in 1993, it received a lot of help from people in Quincy, Massachusetts. More people responded to mail surveys from people with names similar to theirs. This surprising tendency applies in many areas. People are more likely to choose careers that sound like their names (“dentist” and “Dennis”). If you move, you're more likely to move to a state with a name like yours (“Florence” to Florida) or to a street that sounds like your name. People are even more likely to marry people with similar names. You can use this tendency several ways. Make projects more attractive to workers by assigning them to people with like names or make a sale by echoing the prospect's name. For instance, call your proposal to “Mr Peterson” at Pepsi, the “Pepsi Proposal” or the “Peterson Plan”. To get a student to read, suggest a book where the main character shares the child's name (give Harry Potter to “Harriett”). Activate a related form of connection by mirroring someone's body language or repeating a menu order back to the customer verbatim - that makes tips go up. You can also use mirroring literally: People are more likely to act honestly when they see themselves in a mirror or know they are being observed.

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Yes! 50 Secrets from the Science of Persuasion
Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Profile (8 Nov 2007)
Language English
ISBN-10: 1846680166
ISBN-13: 978-1846680168