Lisa Pfister Product Launch Consultant

According to Robert B. Cialdini, Ph. D there are the six psychological principles that direct human behavior and compliance:

— Reciprocation, Commitment and Consistency, Social Proof, Liking, Authority, and Scarcity —

The science, and power, behind these six principles of ethical persuasion lies in their ability to produce an automatic response from people. The principles, when applied correctly, influence the individual to respond affirmatively without first giving the situation any in-depth thought.

According to Cialdini, this automatic response is part social conditioning, part learned behavior, and part a timesaving defense. When faced with a decision we often rely on shortcuts — or cues — that clue us in on whether it would be more prudent to say yes or no. We rely on these cues in order to avoid the time, effort, and complex thought processing that are needed to accurately analyze the situation and make a truly informed decision. It is by understanding these shortcuts and the science of persuasion that you can use these cues to influence people to act according to your wishes.

The first principle – Reciprocation – revolves around the basic social rule: if someone does us a favor, we are obligated to do one for him in return.

The second principle – Commitment and Consistency – gets its power from our desire to stand behind any previous decisions we have made: if we tell a salesman that we like horror films, then we must purchase a ticket when asked to do so in order to stand behind our previous statement.

Principle three – Social Proof – preys on our belief that if others are doing it, “it” must be the correct thing to do: if we see others buying, we subconsciously feel the need to buy also.

In principle four – Liking – the power to receive a favorable answer lies in the relationship with the target. According to Cialdini’s research people are more likely to purchase something from someone they know and like.

Principle five – Authority – uses our automatic belief that people in authority know better and are actively looking out for our best interests.

Finally, principle six – Scarcity – preys on our fear of missing out or on losing our chance at something. A regular box of writing pens becomes very coveted if the purchaser is lead to believe that these pens are the last ones of their kind. The same is true if there are plenty of pens but they will only be this inexpensive for a very short period of time.

According to Cialdini, automatic thinking — the single most important aspect to every one of these principles — is almost a necessity to everyday life. In a world where people are bombarded by new information, improved products and solutions, changing business demands and the need to constantly be up-to-date, they rely more than ever on the ability to pick up on one or two cues in order to make a quick and hopefully correct decision. With an understanding of the science of persuasion and the correct tools of influence — Cialdini’s six principles — you can effectively transform your power to persuade.

Now if you don’t think you can actually use these principles to influence and persuade, listen to what Dr. Cialdini has to say about the SCIENCE of persuasion:

Next up … my favorite principle of persuasion …

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