Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini

Chapter 1: Weapons of Influence

Trigger feature: that thing which causes us, or any animal or thing to act or respond

We need shortcuts as our environment is complex – we haven’t the energy or the time or capacity

• so automated, stereotyped behavior is prevalent in much of human action, because in many cases it is the most efficient form of behaving, or it’s just necessary.
• We use Rules of thumb to classify things according to a few key features and then respond mindlessly when these trigger features are present

One property of this: it makes us terribly vulnerable to anyone who does know how they work.

Our automatic tapes usually develop from psychological principles or stereotypes we have learned to accept.

With proper execution, exploiters need hardly strain a muscle to get their way, like Jujitsu.

• And it’s manipulation without the APPEARANCE of manipulation.

Example: Contrast – the difference between two things depends upon how they are presented in relation to one another

• If talking to an attractive woman and then joined by an unattractive one, the 2nd woman will strike us as less attractive than she actually is.
  • In a study, college students rated a picture of someone of the opposite sex less attractive after they had 1st looked thru ads in some popular magazines

Lifting a heavier object 1st will then make the lighter object “seem” lighter, and vice-versa.

A man might balk at the idea of spending $95 for a sweater, but if he has just bought a $495 suit, a $95 sweater doesn’t seem excessive.

• Auto dealers do this by suggesting lots of options AFTER the new car price has been negotiated.
  • The extras are brought up independently so that each small piece seems petty compared to the already determined much larger one.

 Chapter 2: How to Awaken the Automatic Success Mechanism within You

We should try to repay, in kind, what another person has provided us. We feel obligated to do this.

Example: a university professor sent Christmas cards to a sample of perfect strangers, and a bunch of them sent cards back to him in return even though they never had heard or met him!

This is a unique adaptation of humans – we share things like food and skills in an honored network of obligation

• It allows for an exchange of diverse forms of goods
• We can give something to another with confidence that it was not being lost.

Generally, there’s general distaste for people that don’t give in return: moocher, ingrate, welsher; and we can go to great lengths to avoid being considered one of their number.

And the rule is so strong that it overwhelms the influence of other factors sometimes, such as whether or not the person is liked or disliked, that normally would affect the decision to comply.

(Think about the buying of a coke for someone and then asking them to buy a raffle ticket study)

Example: In the 60s and 70s, the Krishnas would give a book or a flower to someone, wouldn’t take it back under any circumstances, and then would ask for a donation to their society.

• It funded the ownership of temples, businesses, houses, and property in 321 centers in the US and overseas.
• So what did we do? We’d rather AVOID them then accepting their gift and telling them no.

This is why in mailers from people asking for donations they would send address labels, or a penny, or include a dollar, or a calendar.

Although the obligation to repay constitutes the essence of the reciprocity rule, it’s the obligation to receive that makes the rule easy to exploit

• This obligation to receive reduces our ability to choose whom we wish to be indebted to and puts that power in the hands of others.
• When someone gives us something, it’s awkward to turn it down. And this introduces an indebtedness.

The “rejection-then-retreat” technique: asking for something way more than you really want so that you end up retreating, which is a concession on your part, and then someone often will reciprocate by agreeing to your second request

• Example: the Boy Scout who asks you to purchase something for $5, then you say no, then he asks for something that costs $1 – you feel more compelled to purchase it.
• But if the 1st set of demands is so extreme as to be seen as unreasonable, the technique backfires.
• This also engages the Contrast principle – a larger one first, then a smaller one.
• Ask for the whole loaf when you really want only a 1/4 of it.
• Since the tactic uses a concession to bring about compliance, the victim is likely to feel more satisfied with the arrangement as a result. And it stands to reason that people who are satisfied with a given arrangement are more likely to be willing to agree to further such arrangements.

To combat it, the rule says that favors are to be met with favors; it doesn’t require that tricks be met with favors

• So the next sales person that gives you something, recognized that it is a sales strategy.
• If justice is to be done, exploitation attempts should be exploited – so sell the gift yourself!

 Chapter 3: Commitment and Consistency

Once we have made a choice or taken a stand, we will encounter personal and interpersonal pressures to behave consistency with that commitment

• these pressures cause us to respond in ways that justify our earlier decision

Example: racetrack bettors, 30 seconds before putting down the money, they had been tentative and uncertain; 30 second after, they were significantly more optimistic and self-assured.

• The act of making a final decision cause these folks to bring what they felt and believed into line with what they had already done.

We all fool ourselves from time-to-time in order to keep our thoughts and beliefs consistent with what we have already done or decided.

Example: beach blanket consistency

• Case 1: a beachgoer puts his blanket and radio down next to someone and takes a stroll. A staged researcher pretends to be a thief, grabs the radio, and hurries away
  • only 4 out of 20 challenged the thief
• Case 2: similar to above, but before leaving, the beachgoer asks “please watch my things”
  • 19 out of 20 challenged the thief, often even restraining them!

The person who’s beliefs, words, and deeds don’t match may be seen as indecisive, confused, two-faced; yet a person who is consistent is seen as having personal and intellectual strength.

Because it’s so typically in our best interests to be consistent, we fall into that habit of just doing it automatically.

• Like other habits, we end up avoiding the effort of continuous thought, which takes energy.

So how do we engage the consistency force?

• by getting you to make a commitment, to take a stand, to go on record.
  • There will then be this natural tendency to behave so that you’re consistent with that commitment.
• and it’s any commitment, such as micro-commitments, even you saying out loud what you’d do IF you committed to doing something.
  • Example: asking people if they would vote ahead of an election will increase the rate of people voting.

For the salesperson, getting a sale, ANY sale, is the first step, even if it is something really small.

• (I think on a sales page, getting people to self-identify with the problem, I’m thinking PAS or DAP copywriting, so then they are shaking their heads “yes”, along the way….and then they almost have to commit to the action.)

You can use small commitments to manipulate a person’s self-image; you can use it to turn citizens into “public servants”, for example. And then they will naturally comply with a whole range of your requests that are consistent with this view of himself.

• Even sometimes the opinion of someone else that you’re a certain way will entice them to be consistent with YOUR opinion.

Once an active commitment is made, then self-image is squeezed from both sides by consistency pressures

• From the inside, there’s a pressure to bring self-image into line with action.
• From the outside, there’s a sneakier pressure: a tendency to adjust this page according to the way others perceive us.

Tactic: Having the customer fill out the sales form, rather than the salesman, cuts the number of cancellations drastically.

Public commitments tend to be lasting commitments.

• Whenever one takes a stand that is visible to others, a drive arises to maintain that stand in order to look like a consistent person.
• The more public the stand, the more reluctant we’ll be to change it.
• Example: Hung juries are more frequent if the jurors have to express their opinions with a show of hands vs by secret ballot.
• Example: some weight loss programs require their clients to write down an immediate weight-loss goal and show that goal to as many people as possible.

Written commitments can be more effective than verbal ones because they require more work

the severity of an initiation ceremony significantly heightens a newcomer’s commitment to a group.

• Military have boot camps, fraternities have hell weeks.

So commitments are most effective in changing a person’s self-image and future behavior when they are active, public, and effortful. But what’s more powerful?

• When we think we have chosen to perform something in the absence of strong outside pressures.
  • examples of strong outside pressures: a large reward or a big threat.
  • Kids: if we want them to continue to perform the desired behavior when we are not around, then we must somehow arrange for them to accept inner responsibility for the actions we want them to take.

The lowball tactic is promising something to get the person to make a commitment, and then when a commitment is made, to take away that promise.

• Example: A guy promises to change, then the girl stays with him (making a new commitment), and then he never changes, but she stays anyway, explaining this by possibly finding other “reasons” to stay.
• So it’s kinda like getting someone to make a commitment under a false promise, then when you yank that promise away, the person goes from an outside pressure to make that decision to an inward pressure keep that decision.

How to combat it?

• Follow our stomachs, that pit
• Realize what’s really going on and repeat it back to the person
• To see if the reasons were genuine in the 1st place, ask “Knowing what I know about x now, if I could go back in time, would I make the same decision?”

Chapter 4: Social Proof

It states that one means we use to determine what is correct is to find out what other people think is correct.

• We view it as more correct to the degree we see others performing it.
• Because usually when a lot of people are doing something, it’s that right thing to do.
  • The greater the number of people who find any idea correct, the more the idea will be correct

Example: canned laughter.

• The danger is when we begin responding to social proof in such a mindless and reflexive way.

Saying a product is “fastest-growing” or “largest-selling” helps with social proof

Caveat Robert says “Since 95 percent of the people are imitators and only 5 percent initiators, people are persuaded more by the actions of others than by any proof we can offer.”

• Films and videos showing people doing things help too.

When there is uncertainty, of ourselves, or the situation is unclear, we are most likely to look to and accept the actions of others as correct.

Plural Ignorance

• Example: the failure of entire groups of bystanders to add victims in agonizing need of help.
• It comes about due to we like to look poised and sophisticated in public and because we are unfamiliar with the reactions of those we don’t know, so we’re unlikely to give off or correctly read expressions of concern when in a grouping of strangers.

Your best strategy when in need of emergency help is to reduce the uncertainties of those around you concerning your condition and their responsibilities; don’t allow bystanders to come to their own conclusions because they may not.

• Request assistance of a single individual – find a person and assign a task to them.

Another important condition is here: similarity

• social proof works best when we are observing people similar to us – we will use the actions of others to decide on proper behavior for ourselves, espeically when we view those others as similar to ourselves.
• Example: health researchers have found that a school based antismoking program had lasting effects only when it used same-age peer leaders as teachers.

Widely publicized agression, suicide, etc. has the tendency to spread to similar victims. (Protests as well).

How to say no?

• Problem is, this principle of social proof is more often right than wrong, so we can’t just disconnect it.
• Watch for inaccurate data
• A quick glance around can help.
  • Take your head up above the clouds from time-to-time

Chapter 5: Liking – the Friendly Thief

We most prefer to say yes to the request of someone we know and like. Sometimes we feel pressured to do so.

• Example: For Tupperware, who sells it to you? Your friend
  • Apparently the strength of that social bond is 2x as likely to determine product purchase as is preference for the product itself.
  • In fact, a Tupperware party uses many of the influene factors thus far: social proof, reciprocation (prizes and food), commitment (partygoers are asked to say how they’ve used tupperware in the past).

Example: A charity request from a friend or neighbor is much harder to turn down.

Sometimes just the mention of the friend’s name is enough

• Example: “A friend of yours, John, suggested that I call you.”

Additionally, they first get us to like THEM.

Physical attractiveness helps us to like others

• Example: Appearance affects hiring situations (good grooming)
• Example: A Pennsylvania study found that handsome men had received significantly lighter sentences.

Similarity: We like people who are simliar to us; thus, we can increase others’ compliance to us by appearing similar to them.

• Dress, backgrounds and interests, religion, politics
  • Example: Car salesmen look in the back of a trade-in and relate to something that’s there.
• Mirror and match

Compliments: Flattery or simple claims of affinity

• Example: “I like you, I really do, so let me tell you what I’m gonna do…”
• Positive comments appear to produce just as much liking for the flatterer when they were untrue as when they were true.

Contact and Cooperation

• For the most part, we like things that are familiar to us, so the more often we see or experience something or someone, the more we like them
  • However, continued exposure to a person or object under unpleasant conditions such as frustration, conflict, or competition leads to less liking.
• Joint efforts toward common goals steadily bridges the gap between groups
• Example: the movie Remember The Titans; the white and black players became friends with the common goal of winning football games.
• Example: the new-car salesman does “battle” with his boss to “secure us a good deal”
• Example: bad cop/good cop

Conditioning and Association

• An innocent association with either bad things or good things will influence how people feel about us.
• Example: Manufacturers rush to connect their products with the current cultural rage.
• Example: linking to celebrities
• Example: playing the radio station’s jingle before a hit song.
• Example: Luncheon principle: people become fonder of other people and things they experienced while eating – eating is a pleasant experience!
• People want to also associate themselves with events, such as successful sports teams.
• We purposely manipulate the visibility of our connections with winners and losers in order to make ourselves look good to anyone who could view these connections.
  • Some of this can be due to a poor self image: like a persistent name dropper.

Chapter 6: Authority

We are trained from birth that obedience to proper authority is right and disobedience is wrong

• After all, we must have some measure of authority structure to function as a social grouping/society

Our obedience frequently takes place in a click, whirr fashion, with little or no conscious deliberation.

• Also because info from a recognized authority can provide us a valuable shortcut for deciding how to act in a situation.

The danger is when someone who’s a legitimate authority is wrong, and those beneath him/her stop thinking and then only start reacting.

• Example: A doctor orders a nurse to give the wrong medication and the nurse complies even though he/she knows it’s wrong.

And sometimes authority principle is used without real authority being provided, or proved.

• Example: JT Foxx claims he’s the number 1 wealth coach
• Example: Robert Young, who played Marcus Welby M.D., in commercials for Sanka decaf coffee, talked about the dangers of buying caffeinated coffee. He ended up selling so much that the commercial went on for several years in various forms.

Also, we’re often vulnerable to the symbols of authority in the same way as to the real authority

• Example: a person in a police uniform…and why does a doctor wear a white lab coat?
• So obviously these can be faked

Titles give the appearance of authority

• Example: graduated from Harvard

Clothes

• Examples: Uniforms or finely styled

Height or Weight

Importance in one field

• Example: Celebrities endorsing or speaking out on somehting, and lots of people listen

Experience

To combat this, we can ask

1. Is this authority truly an expert?
2. How truthful can we expect the expert to be here? Understand how impartial they are going to be.

By establishing their basic truthfulness on minor issues, compliance professionals can be more believable on the more important aspects of their argument:

• Example: “L’Oreal, a bit more expensive, and worth it”
• Example: The waiter who suggests something isn’t good, then tells you what is good that may be more expensive, or then recommends a bottle of wine.

Chapter 7: Scarcity

Opportunities seem more valuable to us when their availability is limited – the idea of loss plays a large role in human decision making.

We’re often more motivated by the thought of losing something than by the though of gaining something of equal value.

• Example: homeowners told how much money they are losing from not having insulation than told home much they are saving are more likely to add the insulation.

The deadline tactic is a form of scarcity

• Example: tours of a new Mormon temple to non-mormons are only available for a short time after it’s built
• Example: you must buy today – once you leave here, the offer is not available anymore.
  • Child portrait studio says “because of stocking limitations, you need to buy as many as you want today because we can’t keep the prints more than 24 hours.”

Things that are difficult to possess are often more valuable than those that are easy to get.

• Again, as with all the principles, we follow them because they are usually right.

For scarcity, as opportunities become less available, we lose freedoms; and we HATE to lose any sort of freedom.

• This is diminishing personal control.

Furthermore, information doesn’t have to be censored, but scarce: we may find it more persuasive f we think we can’t get it elsewhere.

• Example: 3 groups of beef buyers for supermarkets:

1. Standard sales request
2. Standard sales request plus info that the supply of imported beef was likely to be scarce in the upcoming months. (single scarcity)
3. Same as #2 but also that the supply news was not generally availabe info, that it had come from exclusive contacts that the company had. (double scarcity)

• #2 bought 2x as much as #1, but #3 bought 6x as much as #1!

A drop from abundance to scarcity, or newly experienced scarcity, is more powerful.

• So when something is taken away, our desire to have it is higher than ever.
• Example: parents who enforce discipline inconsistently (sometimes it’s OK to have something, other times not, meaning they are taking away something that was granted), product generally rebellious children.

Further powerful is a drop from abundance to scarcity thru the process of social demand

• So not only do we want the same item more when it is scarce, we want it most when we are in competition for it.
• Example: “Only 30 of these are left”. Or people lined up at the Apple store.
• Example: A former girlfriend becomes more appealing if she gets a boyfriend right away.
• Example: A realtor, to get someone off the fence, will call and say there’s another potential buyer who’s seen the house, liked it, and is scheduled to return the next day to talk about terms, or they are “an out-of-state investor buying for tax purposes.”
  • The thought of losing out to a rival frequently turns a buyer from hesitant to zealous.
• Example: Scheduling appointments of people at the same time so they show up together to get something, like buying a used car.

To combat this

• remember the joy is not in experiencing a scarce commodity, but in possessing it.
• (Also I think establishing some policies – anything over a certain price in your life requires 24 hours before purchasing)