Six Principles of Persuasion

In this Harvard Business Review interview by Sarah Cliffe, Arizona State University professor emeritus and consultant Robert Cialdini shares what he has learned about persuading others:

• Liking – If people feel warmly about you because you and they have things in common (or they think you like them), they’re more persuadable. Social networks such as Facebook are powerful ways of finding what we have in common with others and creating informal connections. 

• Reciprocity – People tend to return favors. “Get in the habit of helping people out,” says Cialdini, “and – this part’s really important – don’t wave it away when people thank you. Don’t say, ‘Oh, no big deal.’ We’re given serious persuasive power immediately after someone thanks us.” 

• Social proof – People tend to do what they see other people doing, especially people with whom they have a lot in common. “Peers are often more convincing than executives when we’re deciding what we should do,” says Cialdini. In addition, “When people see themselves as part of a larger group that has a shared identity, they are willing to take steps they wouldn’t take for their individual interests.” 

• Commitment and consistency – People want to be consistent, or at least look like they are. If you make a voluntary, public promise, you’ll try to keep it – especially if it’s in writing. It’s also helpful to be asked about specific next steps you’ll take and set up a time to check on progress. 

• Authority – Most people defer to experts and those with power. The problem is that if a leader pulls rank or toots his or her own horn, it can turn people off. The trick is to get others to promote your ideas or your authority. This is especially important for women, since there are cultural norms expecting more modesty from women than from men. “Because of this bias,” says Cialdini, “women will do better in organizations where managers are expected to advance the case for their people – where that’s the cultural norm.” 

• Fear of loss – When change is in the air, people fear what they might lose, and a good way to persuade them is to show them what they will lose if things don’t change. 

“The Uses (and Abuses) of Influence” – An interview with Robert Cialdini by Sarah Cliffe in Harvard Business Review, July/August 2013 (Vol. 91, #7/8, p. 76-81), no e-link available

From the Marshall Memo #492