Lisa Pfister Product Launch Consultant

Posts Tagged ‘Commitment and Consistency’

Hmmm. That’s a tough one. What do I think is the most important power of persuasion?

Obviously they’re all important.

Reciprocity is so easy to understand and relate to. The example people often point to when proving the power of this principle is the hari krishnas. They’d hand out flowers and the recipients couldn’t help but reach into their wallets to reciprocate – regardless of the value of the “gift” or the feelings the “donator” had about the religion. For those of you who are too young to remember these guys, think of the homeless people who hand out “free” newspapers or squeegee kids who “clean” your windshield. They’re all using this principle and all getting some kind of result because they make you feel indebted. (No, I’m not recommending any of these fields, but maybe in a pinch… J)

Commitment and Consistency clearly has its merits, especially with certain personality types that would rather commit hari-kari than change their minds or appear foolish.

Authority is awesome. Just think of the power of a simple white lab coat, a badge, a judge’s robe or a priest’s collar. We have strong associations with authority and their symbols. When we come from a place of authority people let their defenses down and can be led much more easily. (This is the place where I’m supposed to remind you to only use your powers for good.)

Liking just makes sense. We want to spend time with, and do business with, people we like. If they have similar goals, values and interest as us, it’s simple and pleasant. It’s not always easy to like and be liked by all (it’s also a ridiculous goal) but there’s certainly something to be said for creating a relationship and putting yourself out there and see who you attract.

Now we’re getting to my two very favorites and it’s neck and neck which one wins out.

Social proof or scarcity. Which is my ultimately favorite? They’ve both been sooooooo good to me.

Here’s the thing I love about social proof. It’s just so unbelievably effective. If you can demonstrate that that many others are taking a particular action to get the results you want, then it makes sense for us to take the same action. So when your mother asked you “If Johnny jumped off the bridge, would you?” maybe your answer would be “no.” But if Johnny and every other one of your friends we’re jumping off the bridge, tell me you wouldn’t be right up there with them. Now as seasoned marketers, we’re obviously not looking to get people jumping off bridges. What we’re looking to do is prove one set of input results in one set of output. This is where stats rock, before & afters shine and case studies and testimonials make decisions no-brainers. Try to think of an ad that doesn’t use some element of social proof. C’mon, I dare you!

Even after singing all the praises of social proof, my absolute favorite power of persuasion has to be scarcity. This is for one simple reason. Scarcity is the one trigger that MAKES you get off your backside and take ACTION. If your prospect doesn’t take action nothing else matters. Of course you need to do the other things right to prep your prospect so everything else matters, but the one thing that a successful product launch really rests on is that it pushes people to take action – knowing that if they don’t act now the doors will shut – and their dreams won’t come true. Avoiding that pain is key. If the prospect has all the time in the world to make a decision, their decision will ultimately be “That looks good, I’ll decide later.”

That’s just human nature.

That’s why my ultimate favorite power is scarcity.

I’d love to hear what you love and why you love it. If you have a story of when you rocked one of these principles please share it below.

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 …