Influence: The seven principles of persuasion
Understanding the power of persuasion principles and techniques.
Have you ever been persuaded by a salesperson to do something that was not in your best interest?
Have you ever wondered what persuasion tactics make people more likely to comply with requests?
Do you want to learn how to resist unethical persuasion attempts?
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Influence is the ability to persuade others to adopt specific thoughts, make particular decisions, or perform certain behaviours. Dr. Robert Cialdini laid out seven key principles of persuasion in his seminal work 'Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion.' These principles reveal the complex psychological mechanisms used by individuals and organisations to shape the actions and choices of others. Understanding these principles is crucial not only for marketing, sales, and negotiation experts, but also for anyone curious about how people are persuaded and influenced. It's essential to recognise that while these principles offer valuable insights, they are not infallible laws, and their effectiveness may vary depending on the context and individuals involved.
In summary, we are more easily persuaded by people if we owe them a favour (reciprocity), if we like them (liking), if they are in a position of authority (authority), or if we consider them to be one of us (unity). We also tend to exhibit behaviour that will provide us with a scarce resource (scarcity), is consistent with what we have said or done before (consistency), or is exhibited by many others who are similar to us (social proof).
We use these general principles because they typically help us make good decisions and judgements efficiently. However, because we often use these rules of thumb without much thought, they can be exploited by people trying to convince or mislead us. To use these principles effectively and guard against misuse, it is crucial to understand how they function.
The seven principles of persuasion
This section provides a brief description of the seven principles of persuasion. For each of these principles, a link is provided to a detailed description of the principle, including techniques to reduce the adverse impact the principle can have.
⚒️ Reciprocation
We have a strong tendency to feel obligated to reciprocate favours received, even for favours that are unsolicited or unwanted. For example, when someone gives us a gift, we often feel obligated to give a gift in return. We also have a strong tendency to feel obligated to make a concession to someone who has made a concession to us. For example, if one party makes a concession during negotiations, the other party may feel obligated to make a concession in turn to maintain a sense of fairness.
For details see:
🔗 The reciprocity principle: Understanding the power of gifts and favours
Liking
We tend to be more easily persuaded by people we like. For example, we are more likely to buy products from people we like. We tend to like people who have something in common with us (such as beliefs and background), who compliment and flatter us, who are familiar to us, have the same interests as us, or are on our side.
For details see:
🔗 The liking principle: Increasing influence through likeability
Social Proof
We tend to look at the actions or beliefs of others to determine what is appropriate. Especially in ambiguous or unfamiliar situations, when many others exhibit the same behaviour, or when the behaviour is exhibited by people who are similar to us. This principle provides us with a mental shortcut (heuristic) to efficiently navigate our lives through a complex world: follow the crowd. Testimonials, customer reviews, and success stories leverage this principle by showcasing the approval or satisfaction of others.
For details see:
🔗 The social proof principle: The influence of others on our choices
Authority
We tend to comply with requests from people in positions of authority. We tend to assume that they have more wisdom, more power, and better access to information than we do. Symbols of authority, such as fancy titles or uniforms, and endorsements from credible sources enhance persuasion efforts.
For details see:
🔗 The authority principle: The dangers of blindly trusting authority figures
Scarcity
We tend to assign more value to things that are perceived as scarce. If we think something is rare or difficult to obtain, we are more likely to desire it and act quickly to obtain it. Therefore, the scarcity principle is often used by persuaders to create a sense of urgency or exclusivity. The scarcity principle works most effectively under two circumstances. Items that have recently become scarce are valued more highly than items that were already scarce. And scarce items are more valued when we compete for them with others.
For details see:
🔗 The scarcity principle: Limited availability increases perceived value
Consistency
We tend to behave consistently with what we have said or done before. Consistency is activated by commitment. Small voluntary commitments can lead us to comply with larger and larger commitments, especially when they are active and public, because each committed action changes our self-image accordingly.
For details see:
🔗 The consistency principle: Why you should be cautious agreeing to small requests
Unity
We tend to favour those we consider to be one of us. We automatically divide people into those who belong to our group (us) and those who do not (them). The well-being of our group members is more important to us than that of non-members. We offer group members more support, resources, and opportunities than non-members. And we tend to use the beliefs and behaviour of our group members to guide our own.
For details see:
🔗 The unity principle: Harnessing the power of our tribal instincts
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The seven principles of persuasion provide valuable insights into the complicated dynamics of human decision-making and behaviour. By understanding these principles and their applications, we can develop more effective persuasion strategies, forge stronger connections, and navigate the complexities of influencing with greater skill and insight.
References
Influence, New and Expanded: The Psychology of Persuasion, by Robert B. Cialdini PhD
How to Use Power, Influence, and Persuasion for Good, Psychology Today, by Craig Barkacs, MBA, JD
My blogposts about influence are available here:
https://www.a3lifedesign.com/blog-english/category/Influence
