Influence - The Psychology of Persuasion

In Influence, The Psychology of Persuasion, author Robert B. Cialdini explores the “levers of influence” which he has determined as being the key principles which encourage us comply with another’s agenda. Using a wealth of relevant studies, anecdotal evidence, and personal insight to illustrate these levers, Cialdini offers an understanding of how we might be influenced; how we might use these levers to influence others, as well as recommendations on how to avoid being influenced if we are, as he says, a “patsy” (often finding ourselves susceptible to being tricked into compliance by those who stand to gain something by successfully influencing us, for example, salespeople.)

Quotes below highlight key points made by Cialdini on various “levers of influence” explained in Influence.

Reciprocation

 “People we might ordinarily dislike – unsavory or unwelcome sales operators, disagreeable acquaintances, representatives of strange or unpopular organizations – can greatly increase the chance that we will do what they wish merely by providing us with a small initiating favor.”

“In general, business operators have found that after accepting a gift, customers are willing to purchase products and agree to requests they would have otherwise declined.”

“… a promoter who provides free samples can release the natural indebting force inherent in a gift, while innocently appearing to have only the intention to inform.”

“The truly gifted negotiator, then, is one who’s initial position is exaggerated just enough to allow for a small series of reciprocal concessions and counteroffers that will yield a desirable final offer from the opponent.”

 Liking

“Find and give genuine compliments you want the recipient to live up to.”

“Research tells us that a bargainer who initiates a handshake at the start of the negotiations signals his or her cooperative intent upfront, which then leads to better financial outcomes for all parties.”

“Compliance professionals are forever attempting to establish that we and they are working for the same goals; that we must “pull together” for mutual benefit; that they are, in essence, our teammates.”

“There is a natural human tendency to dislike a person who brings us unpleasant information, even when that person did not cause the bad news.”

“An innocent association with either bad things or good things will influence how people feel about us.”

“According to the association principle, if we can surround ourselves with success we are connected with in even a superficial way (for example, place of residence), our public prestige should rise.”  

“… when we make a compliance decision, it is always a good idea to separate our feelings about the requester from the request.”

 “Physical attractiveness engenders a halo effect that leads to the assignment of other traits such as talent, kindness, and intelligence. As a result, attractive people are more persuasive in both terms of getting what they request and changing others’ attitudes.”

“We like people who are like us, and we are more willing to say yes to their requests, often in an unthinking manner.”

“Compliments generally enhance liking and, hence, compliance.”

“Two particularly useful types of genuine compliments are those delivered behind the recipient’s back and those selected to give the recipient a reputation to live up to, by continuing to perform the desired behavior.”

“Increased familiarity through repeated contact with a person or thing is yet another factor that normally facilitates liking.”

“By connecting themselves or their products with positive things, advertisers, politicians, and merchandisers frequently seek to share in the positivity through the process of association.”

Social proof 

“… advertisers love to inform us when a product is the “fastest growing” or “largest selling” because they don’t have to convince us directly that their product is good; they need only show that many others think so, which often seems proof enough.”

“Following the advice or behaviors of the majority of those around us is often seen as a shortcut to good decision-making. We use the actions of others as a way to locate and validate a correct choice.”  

“Advertisers know that one successful way to sell a product to ordinary viewers (who compose the largest potential market) is to demonstrate that other “ordinary” people like and use it.”

“People will use the actions of others to decide how to behave, especially when they view those others as similar to themselves.”

“… the mentality of a herd makes it easy to manage. Simply get some members moving in the desired direction and the others – responding not so much to the lead animal as to those immediately surrounding them – will peacefully and mechanically go along.”  

“… persuasive communication should avoid employing information that can normalize undesirable conduct.”

Authority

Quoting Professor Stanley Milgram, “It is the extreme willingness of adults to go to almost any lengths on the command of an authority that constitutes the chief finding of the study.”

“Information from a recognized authority can provide us a valuable shortcut for deciding how to act in a situation.”

“To defend ourselves against misleading appeals containing ersatz authorities, we should always ask, Is this authority truly an expert? We shouldn’t presume we are too smart to be tricked by mere symbols of authority.”

Scarcity

 “… under conditions of risk and uncertainty, people are intensely motivated to make choices designed to avoid losing something of value – to a much greater extent than choice is designed to obtain that thing.”

“When something becomes less available, our freedom to have it is limited, and we experience an increased desire for it.”  

“In a set of 42 separate experiments, adding to a request the words “but you are free to decline/refuse/say no” or a similar phrase, such as “of course, do as you wish,” significantly increased compliance.”

“By learning to flag the experience of heightening arousal in a compliance situation, we can alert ourselves to the possibility of scarcity tactics there and to the need for caution.”

Commitment and consistency

 “Once we make a personal choice or take a stand, we encounter personal and interpersonal pressures to think and behave consistently with that commitment.”

“It appears the commitments most effective in changing self-image and future behavior are those that are active, public, and effortful.”  

“Social scientists have determined that we accept inner responsibility for a behavior when we think we have chosen to perform it in the absence of strong outside pressure.”

Unity

“… people are inclined to say yes to someone they consider one of them.”

“Recipients with non-rational, hedonistic goals should be matched with messages containing nonrational elements such as musical accompaniment, whereas those with rational, pragmatic goals should be matched with messages containing rational elements such as facts.”