Creative Solutions: The Principles of Persuasion

We all want to be liked. But when it comes to persuasion, it's not as important to get people to like you, as it is to get people to believe that you like them. If people believe that you are looking out for their best interests, and that you are concerned for their happiness and welfare, they will want to do business with you.

The problem is that you have to genuinely like your customers. Liking can't be faked. Most people recognize when they are being falsely flattered. Find something about your customer that you genuinely like or respect about them and they will believe you when you let them know you like them.

It's the reason that successful salespeople often refer to themselves as being a "people person". They really do like people, and it shows.

You've got to give to receive.

People are taught from childhood not to take without giving something in return: to reciprocate. But it's more than childhood lessons... unconsciously, people feel obligated to reciprocate.

Cialdini talks about a study of restaurant tipping habits. If the waiter or waitress left a mint for a group of diners with their tab, their tip went up 3.3%. If the wait person left two mints, their tip jumped up by 14%. But if they could convince the diners they got the second mint because they were "special people" the wait person's tip increased by 23%.

So look for ways to give something to your customers. A small favor, especially if it is personalized, meaningful and unexpected, can serve as a long-term investment. Your customer will feel that they owe you one.

It's been proven statistically that people will follow the crowd. People are more likely to behave in a particular way if they believe other people just like themselves are behaving that way, too. The crowd is especially influencial if it is made up of people who are similar to the one who needs to be influenced: the more similar, the better.

Cialdini talks about a sign posted along a particular stretch of trail in Petrified National Forest, identifying it as a place where park visitors were taking home "souvenirs" of petrified wood and asking them instead to leave the petrified wood in place for others to enjoy. The sign actually increased the disappearance of the wood. The Park was giving their visitors social proof that people just like them were getting away with this misbehavior regularly. So the new visitors were just repeating the behavior of past visitors.

Consistency stems from the desire to stay faithful to our commitments. Once we commit to a relationship, an idea or a cause, we will remain consistent to that commitment, no matter how small the initial gesture. Cialdini calls this "the foot-in-the-door technique". Get a small gesture of commitment, or get a person to say "yes" to a small request, and they are much more likely to repeat the commitment later, in order to stay consistent.

Consistency is a powerful tool in non-profit and charitable causes. For example, in a 1983 study, half the residents of an apartment complex were asked to sign a petition for support of the construction of a recreation center for the handicapped. Most of the people asked, said "yes" to this small request. A couple of weeks later, all the residents were asked to donate money toward the center. The donation rate of those who had previously agreed to support the recreation center was 92 percent, compared to just 50 percent among those who had not been asked beforehand for their support.

People trust experts. We go to surgeons in the hospital, hire engineers and architects to build our structures, and call on expert witnesses in the courtroom. If you are an expert in a particular field, you should let your customers know your credentials.

Cialdini gives an example of the frustrated staff in a hospital physical therapy department whose patients were not keeping up with their therapy regimens after leaving the hospital. Interviews with the patients revealed that they didn't know the credentials of the physical therapy staff, nor if they had any authority to direct their recovery. On Cialdini's advice, the staff posted their credentials on the walls of the department. The result was that patience compliance jumped 34 percent.

People want to work with experts, but they don't know you are an expert if you don't tell them. To let people know your credentials without sounding boastful, Cialdini suggest using a third party to convey the info, or write a "letter of introduction".

Scarcity conveys value. Have you ever been convinced to buy something because the offer is only available for a limited time, or the product is a limited edition? Simply put, the risk of loss is a greater motivator than an opportunity to gain. People are more motivated by the idea of losing something they already have, than by getting benefits that they currently don't have and can get along without. Ask yourself, are you more likely to put new tires on your car if you are told you'll get better gas mileage if you do, or you'll risk your safety and the safety of your passengers if you don't?

A 1988 study of homeowners demonstrates this principle. A group of homeowners were told they could save 50 cents a day by fully insulating their homes, and another group in the same neighborhood was told they could lose 50 cents a day by failing to fully insulate. In the end, 150 percent more people insulated their homes in order to avoid the loss of 50 cents a day, rather than to save 50 cents a day, even though it was the same 50 cents!

"Because" is one of the most persuasive words you can use. Take a look at these results from a 1989 study by Harvard social psychologist Ellen Langer. She asked people waiting in line to use a library copy machine one of three questions. First, she asked; Excuse me, I have five pages. May I use the copier because I'm in a rush? Ninety-four percent complied. Next, she changed the phrase to; Excuse me, I have five pages. May I use the copier? Under these circumstances, only 60 percent complied. Finally she asked: Excuse me, I have five pages. May I use the copier because I need to make copies? Amazingly, ninety-three percent complied. The difference was not that there was a good reason behind the third phrase, since she just repeats the original request, but that the word "because" was used. "Because" implies reasoning.

If there is good solid reasoning behind your offer, those reasons won’t change on a whim. Reasoning is logical, reliable and consistent. If you can explain why your product or service is better, and you can defend your position with reasoning, people will remember it. Your prospect may go home undecided, but if they remember your reasoning, they may use it to convince their significant other to buy your product or use your service. And use the word "because" in your explanation... because it can't hurt.

The principle of contrast affects the way you see the cost or value of two different items, depending upon which one is presented first. If the contrast between the two is noticeable, it will seem more significant than it actually is. For instance, if the weather is a toasty 102 degrees in the shade outside, an air-conditioned room may feel downright chilly at 75 degrees. On the other hand, if it's below freezing outside, the same 75 degrees indoors feels very warm.

How can you use this principle in practice? Let's say you sell kitchen cabinets. You have several styles of cabinets including one expensive, high-end style made of exotic wood. Your mid-grade styles made of more common wood are your bread and butter, and you rarely sell the high-end style. But the mid-priced cabinets are percieved as being significantly less expensive if you show them after you show the high-end cabinets.

We can take this example one step further. Once the customer has bought an entire kitchen of new cabinets, the cost of adding drawer slides, spice dividers and other add-on features seems like a trivial added expense. Ironically, the mid-grade cabinets with add-ons may end up costing more than the high-end style, but by that time your customer is willing to accept the price, because of the order of presentation.