How and why do some people succeed in influencing and persuading others to do things primarily in the persuader's interest and only secondarily – or not at all – in the interest of the persuaded?
Dr. Robert B. Cialdini, professor of psychology at Arizona State University, has explored this question through more than three decades of scholarly research and a three-year field study (during which he had himself trained as a salesman in various industries).
In his best-selling book, he explains six psychological principles and behavioral patterns underlying influence. These generally provide our brain with "mental shortcuts" to work more efficiently and free up its capacities for other tasks. Advertising professionals and marketing experts, on the other hand, translate the principles into sophisticated advertising and sales strategies.
The first principle, reciprocation, states that people generally return favors. Otherwise, society as we know it could not exist. In marketing, this principle is used, for example, through free samples. And in the good cop/bad cop strategy, the "good cop" accommodates the suspect in the hope that he will pay off his "debt" by confessing.
The second principle, commitment and consistency, leads us – once we have made a decision or taken a stand – to behave congruently with that position. This principle saves us from having to constantly rethink decisions once they have been made. The principle is used, for example, in the "money-back guarantee": once we have bought a product, we usually keep it.
The third principle, social proof, lets us adopt the actions of our fellow human beings – especially those close to us. Children learn in this way. We adults, for example, like to use testimonials and reviews to help us decide for or against a particular product. In this case, both parties are pulling in the same direction (as long as the reviews are genuine, of course).
Liking, the fourth principle, states that we are more easily persuaded by people we like, find attractive, and who are similar to us. We tip the friendly waiter more than the grumpy one. And it's no coincidence that most car salesmen's clothes and hairstyles fit perfectly and that they make small talk with us, looking for characteristics that connect us to then respond to them. "Refer-a-friend" programs also use the liking principle.
The fifth principle is authority. We typically say "yes" to authority figures – even when we are asked to do actions we find unpleasant. We do this because we trust the knowledge, experience, and expertise of these people. Without this principle, we could not trust our doctor, our lawyer, or an airplane pilot. Companies use this principle, for example, by having actors portraying a doctor (or known from doctor roles) present us the benefits of their latest toothbrush.
Last but not least, the scarcity principle causes us to want things the more, the less of it there is. Companies take advantage of this by limiting products in terms of number or time (e.g., Black Friday).
With the knowledge of these six principles, we can recognize when others want to exploit them against our interests and manipulate us.
The book is written in an understandable and interesting way and reads smoothly. Entertaining examples from various everyday situations accompany the explanations of the six principles.
A recommendation for anyone who wants to sell products and services. And for anyone who wants to recognize the misuse of these principles against their interests and defend themselves against it.
🎧 Suitable as an audiobook? Yes!
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