The Psychology of Persuasion

The Psychology of Persuasion

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How can it be that one person can significantly increase the likelihood that another person will say yes … to the same thing?

That question was something that Dr. Robert Cialdini started his talk with in 2007. If you don’t know who Dr. Robert Cialdini is, he is the author of his much sought after 1984 book, “INFLUENCE: The Science and Practice” [ISBN#0-321-01147-3 ©2001 4th Edition]

In fact in his talk before a college audience he said that besides talking about … the practice of influence … that he was going to take responsibility for what he had to say. He issued a guarantee that if you understand and employ the principles of influence that he will talk about that morning … you’d become a significantly more effective agent of influence in your professional environment.

The principles he went on to speak about were … so fundamental … so universal … that they don’t seem to apply to your professional environment … although, that’s where he spent most of his time discussing. He went on to say that they also apply to … other context in which you find yourself … and you want to be influential.

They will allow you to be more effective in getting people to say “yes” to you. If they are your friends … if they are your neighbors … if they are your family members.

He said he’d even guarantee … that if you understand and use these principles … you will even get … the most resistant of all audiences to be willing to say “yes” to you … your children.

He then went on to say that after crawling out on this limb …. Let’s see if he can come through on that particular guarantee by being SPECIFIC.

First of all … he said, he wanted to be SPECIFIC about a particular type of influence … a particular type of persuasion that he wanted you to consider. It’s … it’s … Compliance.

The idea that … we’re not just interested in changing attitudes or perceptions or opinions … we want to change BEHAVIOR.

Getting people to … say “yes.” It’s the science of … GETTING WHAT YOU ASKED FOR. And I don’t use this term ‘science’ lightly as it’s suggested.

The ‘Art of Persuasion’ is NOT the only route to success. There is … a SCIENCE to persuasion.

There is a systematic study … and a vast body of research … 50 years now … of scientific investigation into WHAT CAUSES PEOPLE TO SAY YES TO REQUESTS … when they receive them.

He said he’ll review what he thinks are the most important conclusions from that research.

So, he said, we’ve been talking about COMPLIANCE.

Getting people to say “yes”… to do WHAT YOU WANT, rather than to just think about it in a positive way.

Another way he said he would be SPECIFIC … is that when he did this program in a smaller group setting … like say a half-day or a whole day workshop … he’d go around the room and he’d ask the people what they wanted to get from the time that they would have together.

And invariably … at least one person said, “I’ll tell you what Dr. Cialdini … I think the Science of Influence and the topic of Persuasion are inherently interesting, engaging issues involved I’m sure …. But, I’ll tell you what I really want from this day. I want … one thing … that I can take back to my office and implement tomorrow morning. And be more successful as a result. Give me one thing this day … and I’ll count it as a success.”

Well … I’ll tell you what … I’m going to give you more than one thing right now. I’m going to give you six things right now. That you will be able to implement immediately upon going back to your office. Because they have to do with things that you confront on a daily basis.

I will answer the following six questions for you during our time together.

Here’s the first Question:

• If you have two options to present to your client, which would you present first … the MORE COSTLY or the LESS COSTLY ONE?

Here’s the second Question:

• Is it better to tell your prospects WHAT THEY STAND TO GAIN … by moving in your direction … or WHAT THEY STAND TO LOSE IF THEY DON’T?

Clear answer to that one

 Third Question:

•  If you have a new piece of information … WHEN SHOULD YOU MENTION THAT IT’S NEW … BEFORE or AFTER you present this information to your audience?

 Fourth Question:

• If you have a product, service or idea that has both strengths and weaknesses … and what doesn’t? When should you present the WEAKNESSES … EARLY … or LATE … in your presentation?

Clear answer to this one.

Fifth Question:

• After someone has praised you, your product or your organization … WHAT IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE THING YOU CAN DO IMMEDIATELY AFTER YOU HAVE SAID THANK YOU?

 And finally, the Sixth Question:

• To arrange for someone to like you and want to cooperate with you … WHAT IS the single most productive thing you can do … BEFORE you try to influence that person … to like you and cooperate with you?

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Blog post link: http://bit.ly/PsychologyOfPersuasion
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“Always Be Marketing”
~Jonathan Dune
Direct Response Marketing Consultant | Copywriter
JonathanDuneDotCom
Two Comma Copy Pty Ltd
(Located in Avalon… just north of Sydney suburbs and
sometimes at my office in La Jolla (San Diego) California in the States)
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