Yes!

50 Scientifically Proven
Ways to Be Persuasive
Robert B. Cialdini with Noah J.
Goldstein and Steve J. Martin

Six Universal Principles of Social

Influence

Reciprocation

Authority

We feel obligated to return favors performed

for us.
We look to experts to show us the way.

Commitment/Consistency

We want to act consistently with our

commitments and values.

Scarcity

The less available the resource, the more we

want it.

Liking

The more we like people , the more we want to

say yes to them.

And we like and trust people like us similarity.

Social Proof

We look to what others do to guide our

behavior.

Social Proof

When people are uncertain about a course of

action, they tend to look outside themselves
and to other people around them to guide
their decisions and actions.

Ad writer Colleen Szot changed the line at the end

of an infomercial from, Operators are standing
by to If operators are busy, please call again.

Sales skyrocketed because operators waiting meant no

one wanted the product. Busy operators meant others
were calling and wanted the product.

Testimonials from satisfied customers are

powerful social proof.

Social Proof/Similarity

Social proof is powerful, but even more

powerful when the proof or endorsement
comes from people like us our tribe, our
family, our colleagues.
Positive social proof is much more effective
than negative social proof.

2004 election, 4 years ago, 22 million single

women didnt vote focused target audience on
prevalence of problem and validated not voting,
rather than the undesirability. Negative affects
of drug use doesnt work, showing wellness
does.

Positives

Reward good behavior, dont punish bad

behavior, it just represses it, doesnt
change it.

Rewarding good behavior is the only way to

change it.

Appreciation and recognition are infinitely

more powerful than criticism.

Too Many Choices Confuse

The more choices offered in a retirement

plan, the less often people enrolled than
when fewer were offered.

Participation dropped 2% for every ten options

offered.
Participation rates zoomed when only two
options were offered.

Dont give people too many choices it

confuses them.

People Dont Value Free Stuff

Instead of offering a free software

program, offer a $100 software program
at no cost to you.

Put a value on your gifts or bonuses or free

stuff.

High, Middle, Low

If you offer a high-priced, premium product

for $1,000, your medium priced $350
product seems like a bargain.

Even if you were selling it before at $250, but

without a comparison it might have seemed
high.
Always give a comparison to something higher
to reinforce the value of your offer.

Fear Often Paralyzes

Fear-arousing communications usually

stimulates an audience to take action to
reduce the threat.
However, when the fear-producing
message describes danger but the
audience is not told of a clear, specific,
effective means of reducing the
danger, they may deal with fear by
blocking out the message or denying it
applies to them.

Do Favors For People

We too often ask, Who can help me?

Instead ask, Whom can I help? and do
them a favor.

Sets up an obligation for reciprocity.

Management is about getting results

through other people, so set up a web of
indebted colleagues who have benefitted
from favors, attention, and listening.

Personalize Requests

When you ask people at work to do

something, like filling out a survey, instead
of sending out a mass email, personalize
your request with an individualized
PostIt note.

Giving Gifts

Gifts are appreciated much more if they

have three qualities:

Significant
Unexpected
Personalized

No Strings Attached

To increase the sense of obligation to

reciprocate, act first with no strings
attached.

For example, you give a donation to a charity

or a candidate at a party you are giving,
announce it, but indicate that there is no
expected quid pro quo.

Others donations will increase.

Foot-in-the-Door Technique

Get agreement with a principle.

Do you believe in safe driving?

Make a small request (commitment and

consistency will work in your favor).

Will you put up a small Safe Driving sign in

your yard?

Yes

Come back next week and ask them to put

up a bigger sign.

Commitment and consistency will work in your

favor again.

Door-in-the-Face Technique

Get agreement with a principle.

Do you believe in safe driving?

Make a small request (commitment and

consistency will work in your favor).

Will you put up a huge Safe Driving sign in

your yard?

No

Will your put up a medium-sized Safe Driving

sign in yard?

Yes
Commitment and consistency work in your favor.

Labeling

Assign a trait, attitude, belief, or other

label to a person, then make a request of
that person consistent with that label.

Luke to Darth Vader, I know theres good in

you.
Darth Vader saves Luke from the Emperor.

Ask For Commitment

Instead of asking, Please call if you have

to cancel your reservation, ask, Will you
please call if you have to cancel? and
wait for a yes.

Waiting for yes seals the commitment.

Write Down Commitments

Writing down your goals and commitments

strengthen them.

For you and others, too.

People make judgments about themselves based on

observations of their own behavior, and they infer
more about themselves based on their actions than
on their notations.

Behavior Changes Attitudes

Ask someone who doesnt like you or

opposes you to do you a favor, and if they
do it, they will like you better.

People are motivated to change their attitudes

in ways that are consistent with their behavior.

They avoid cognitive dissonance.

Even a Little Helps

Even a dollar will help works.

Simply pointing out that even a small
amount would be acceptable and
worthwhile to you is likely to be an
effective strategy.

People who can afford a major contribution

think a small amount wont help the cause.
Even a dollar will help worked for Obamas
campaign.

Start Low or High?

If there are going to be lots of bidders,

start low and social proof will result in the
bids going up.
If there are going to be only two bidders,
start high to anchor a perception of high
value.

Groups Make Better Decisions

If youre the brightest person in the room,

youre in trouble because you dont ask for
advice.
Groups of people collaborate and work
hard to come up with a better solution
than one person.
Diversity works.

Devils Advocates Arent Convincing

A true, authentic dissenter is much more

effective than someone selected to act as
a devils advocate.
When making a decision, find an
authentic, committed dissenter.

It avoids groupthink.

When Training, Focus on Errors

When training, use case studies of

mistakes and errors so people can learn
what not to do.

They dont learn as well from what goes right.

Turn and Weakness Into a Strength

Be candid about weaknesses, it

demonstrates honesty and objectivity.

The two-sided argument is very persuasive.

Reveal the bad, the negatives, and the
weaknesses first.
Then talk about the good, the positives, and
the strengths.
Your credibility soars.

Take Blame

Dont play the blame game.

Take responsibility for mistakes and
problems.

Internal locus of control

Dont blame outside factors such as

economy, luck, competitors.

Not credible.

Find Similarities

Potential clients (targets of persuasion) are

more receptive to sales pitches from those
who they share similarities such as:

Names (first and last)

Beliefs
Hometowns
Alma maters

Pointing out similarities can be the first

step in resolving potentially ugly conflicts
with coworkers and neighbors.

Mirroring

Waiters found they got much larger tips

when they repeat customers orders back
to them exactly as verbalized.

Mirroring creates feeling of liking and

strengthens bonds of trust between two
people.
Creates openness.

Smile Authentically

People can tell the difference between

authentic and inauthentic smiles.
In order to be authentic, find something to
like about a person so you can be
authentic.

We spend too much time finding fault with

people. Look for positives and well like them
more and smile more authentically.

Exclusive Information

Because of the scarcity principle, people

will pay more for a product/service they
perceive to be scarce.

Theyll pay even more if the information about

the scarcity came from an exclusive and
truthful source not generally available to the
rest of the public.

If you pass on information that is uniquely known by

your but fail to point out the exclusivity of the
information, you could be losing an opportunity.

Loss Aversion

People are more than twice as motivated to

avoid a loss as they are to acquire gains.
Instead of presenting something as a
saving, youre more persuasive if you frame
it in terms of what you could lose if you
dont act.

We also get sometimes get tricked by not

wanting to lose the time spent in the buying or
negotiating process when faced with a lastminute high demand.

Use Because

Using the single word because when

associated with a request can more than
double compliance.

To break in a line say, I want to use the Xerox

machine because I have only two copies.

Always back up your requests or points

with a strong rationale a strong
because.

Be Easy to Pronounce and Read

People have a greater affection for words

that are easy to pronounce.

Company names, stock symbols, people.

Persuasiveness of a hand-written message

is influenced by the quality of the hand
writing.

On an easy-to-read font face.

KISS

Keep it simple, stupid.

No jargon or big words:

Were leveraging our assets and establishing strategic

alliances to create a robust knowledge center one with a
customer-ruled business structure using market-leading
technologies to maximize our human systems.

Were consultants.

Rhyme and Climb

Research suggests that when marketers

have mottos, slogans, trademarks, or
jingles that rhyme their likability and
truthfulness perception increases.

Caution and measure will increase your

treasure.
Not, Caution and measure will win you
riches.

Perceptual Contrast

Baseball players swing a heavy bat in the

on-deck circle so their regular bat will feel
lighter in comparison.

Prior experience colors perception.

High-end hot tub costs $15,000.

Having it is like having an extra room in your

house.
Sales went up 500% because people compared
$15,000 to the cost of a $50,000 bedroom
addition.

A Box of Crayons

Red, blue, and yellow dull, not

memorable.
Millennium orange, Kermit green cool,
memorable.

Unexpected names and ambiguous names

cause consumers to think and, thus, are more
desirable, likable, and memorable.

Social Norms Marketing

People are generally motivated to behave

in line with perceived social norms.
When you send a message, accompany it
with some evidence of social norms,
because people do not have accurate
perceptions of social norms.

65 percent of students have three or fewer

drinks when they party.

Students thought the average was much higher.

Mirrors Reduce Theft

People tend to act in ways that reinforce

the image they want to have of
themselves.
Therefore, put a mirror on the wall so
people can see themselves and they will
act as if they are being watched by
themselves.

A mirror in a stock room reduced theft by 50

percent.

Emotions Affect Decision Making

When people are in an emotional state

(especially being sad), it affects their
decision making.

When in an emotional state people are

persuaded to do things they would not do
when in a neutral (unemotional) state.
When in an emotional state (anger, e.g.)
people do things they would not do if in a
neutral state.

Dont send that email when youre angry or

emotional. Sleep on it.

Concentrate and Be Skeptical

When people are tired or distracted, they

are more easy to persuade.
When you have to make an important
decision, concentrate, eliminate
distractions, stay alert and calm, and
remain skeptical.

Give Em Coffee

Caffeine keeps people awake and makes

them more alert.
Make your sales pitch (if its good and well
reasoned) or presentation when people are
most alert.

In the morning after coffee, for example.

Face-to-Face Best

Face-to-face is by far the most effective

communication.

Voice inflection, gestures, and non-verbal

communication can be very effective.
If you cant meet face-to-face, use a video
conference or video chat.
Get to know someone via Facebook picture
and profile.

Emails do not convey emotion and can be

easily misunderstood.

Know the Culture

Individualistic cultures (US, UK, Western Europe)

Collectivistic cultures (Asia, South America, Africa,

Eastern Europe)

Its about me.

Its about we.

In individualistic cultures, ads and messages that

appeal to individuals make me better, prettier,
richer work.
In collectivistic cultures, ads and messages that
appeal to the family, group, tribe make us
better, richer work.