BY JEFF CORBETT
I once attended an incredible workshop at Arizona State University taught by professor Dr. Robert Cialdini, an often-quoted expert in all things dealing with persuasion, and today I’ll share some helpful gems from that workshop.
Every day you are bombarded by savvy marketers using every tool they can find to lighten your bank account.
Are you one of the many who have infomercial merchandise or unopened QVC boxes stashed under your bed, or an exercise machine that looked SO great on TV but now functions as a clothes rack?
Using these six principles can help you ethically persuade other people and hear the answer “Yes” more often. More importantly, this will open your eyes to how marketers and shysters persuade you, so you can recognize when someone is trying to manipulate you to part with your money.
Here are Dr. Cialdini’s six techniques of persuasion:
Reciprocity
People feel obligated to return a favor or consideration.
When you do a favor for someone, it is human nature for that person to feel they now owe you, and people don’t like to be in debt to someone.
If someone invites you to their party, you feel obligated to invite them to yours.
When you receive a Christmas card, you feel obligated to send one back to the sender, whether you want to or not.
Do you recall those donation requests from the Disabled American Veterans group you received in the mail? A typical mailing produced a donation rate of 18%.
But when the DAV added those familiar free personalized address labels, the donation rate doubled to 35%. People felt obligated because of the gift.
People also feel obligated to make a concession to you when you make one.
For example, someone makes a large request of you, knowing full well you may turn it down.. When you do, they make their concession with a smaller request, which is usually what they wanted all along.
Your concession back to them is to accept the smaller deal.
Dr. Cialdini tells us “An experiment at the University of Pittsburgh, people found people will often avoid asking for a needed favor if they will not be in a position to repay it. The psychological cost may simply outweigh the favor.”
Authority
People look to experts for guidance, and you assume that if an expert says it, it must be true. Beware the claims or wording of “experts.”
Consider the aspirin commercials, citing government tests that show no other aspirin is stronger or faster.
What they don’t tell you is the same test also showed no other aspirin is weaker or slower, and the ad had someone in a white lab coat, to make you feel this aspirin is considered the best by medical professionals.
Do you recall the TV show “Marcus Welby, M.D.?” Robert Young played the role of a doctor. Years later, he became the spokesman for Sanka coffee.
Sanka richly prospered because people still saw Young as a doctor, an authority, and put more credibility into his pitch.
Also, beware the authority phrase “clinically proven.” Whose clinic? What proof?
In another experiment, half the time, a young man in street clothes asked passers-by to pick up a discarded paper bag. The rest of the time he wore a security guard’s uniform.
Many more people obeyed the requester when he wore the uniform.
Liking
Dr. Cialdini says, “People prefer to say ‘yes’ to those they know and like.”
He also notes that the most successful negotiators invest 400% more time seeking shared interests and goals than the average negotiators.
One study found that, at a Tupperware party, how much the guests liked the hostess
affected their buying decision twice as much as what they thought of the merchandise.
And if people think you like them, they are much more likely to agree with your requests.
Scarcity
You know those TV commercials that shout, “Call in the next five minutes and receive a free gift?” (and by the way, what other kind of gift is there besides ‘free’?)
The scarcity is time.
Scarcity could also be exclusivity of information or products, such as a stock tip or a bargain that we think very few know, or a limited supply of a desired merchandise.
All the TV home-shopping channels are masters at using scarcity.
They have a count-down timer on your screen to give you an urgency to buy the product. (They also have a counter of how many have been bought, and they talk with customers on the air who praise the product, this is Social Proof).
Have you ever used Amazon for a purchase, or booked a hotel room or flight online?
Did you notice that the one you wanted had a bold message beside it stating “only three left at this price?”
From my experience, there are many more rooms or seats open than they claim, or plenty more of the item, it’s just a scare tactic to push you to press the purchase button.
Consistency
Commitments we make publicly are far stronger than those we make privately, and our sense of self requires our actions be consistent with our commitments.
Thomas Edison, when starting work on a new invention, would always call a press conference to announce it. He did so to have public accountability to get the job done.
In a goal-setting study, 86% of those with a public goal were successful, compared to 14% with a private goal.
Try this next time you want to lose weight or do some improvement to your life, tell your friends when you begin.
Often, when we sign a petition, it’s not uncommon that these petitions are trashed and never used.
We have put in writing our agreement with the petition’s position, so we are much less likely to go against that position in the future. Often, it is a ploy to cement our position, not to make a statement.
Social Proof
When we are not sure what to think or how to act, we look to others similar to us to see what they’re doing.
And when a lot of people are doing the same thing, our first reaction is that they know something we don’t.
Dr. Cialdini also notes that social proof works best when the proof is demonstrated by the actions of a lot of people.
I fell victim to the Social Proof principle late one Tuesday afternoon, as I was driving to Pinehurst to do a speech the next day at a convention. I realized I would arrive at the hotel after all the restaurants were closed, so I needed to stop somewhere for a quick supper.
As I drove through Denton, a small town on the way, I came upon a seafood restaurant that was packed—on a Tuesday evening, no less. My first thought was “This place must be REALLY good!”
So I finally found a parking spot, walked into the restaurant, and to my horror, the dining room was totally empty!
I asked the hostess what was going on. She said,” Oh- there’s a political rally in the back room.”
Laugh tracks are based on the social proof principle, we laugh because others laugh. In fact, we’re 30 times more likely to laugh when interacting with others versus when we’re alone.
Bartenders’ tip jars are social proof traps. They stuff them with dollar bills to give the impression that plenty of others are tipping generously with $1’s or $5’s..
Become familiar with these six persuasion techniques and never again say “yes” when you want to say “no.”
Jeff Corbett is an experienced public speaker, meeting facilitator and sales and marketing professional. He lives in Statesville. He can be reached at jeff@speak-well.com.