What leads someone to say “yes” to a request? It might not be what you think. Dr. Robert Cialdini has spent his entire career researching the science of influence. His books, Influence and Pre-suasion, have sold more than 5 million copies and his principles have become a cornerstone for sales and marketing professionals. But the reality is, we can all benefit by understanding the science of influence. On this episode, you’ll learn how to become more persuasive by employing these 7 simple techniques.
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Show Notes
- Why he first started studying persuasion (2:13)
- Going undercover to understand the commonalities behind effective sales and marketing persuasion strategies (3:28)
- The difference between persuasion and influence (5:33)
- The seven principles of influence defined (6:29)
- How he identified these seven principles (11:22)
- Categorizing the principles by the desired goal: relationship building; reducing uncertainty; taking action (12:09)
- Principle #1: reciprocation (15:00)
- The one phrase that maximizes reciprocity (17:02)
- Principle #2: liking (18:57)
- The two factors that drive likeability (19:06)
- Principle #3: social proof (21:23)
- Tell people your most popular options (22:04)
- Principle #4: authority (23:21)
- Credibility + trustworthiness (23:26)
- Do this one counterintuitive thing to increase your trustworthiness (24:02)
- Principle 5: scarcity (26:05)
- When this principle is most effective (26:16)
- Principle 6: commitment & consistency (29:03)
- Amazon’s pay to quit program (31:14)
- Why it’s important to secure an initial commitment (32:12)
- Principle 7: unity (33:44)
- Why he added unity as the 7th principle (33:55)
- The one phrase that increases your chances of success in a job interview (36:49)
- Ask for advice, not an opinion (38:00)
- How physical spaces influence our thinking and behaviors (39:10)
- Applying the 7 principles to leadership (41:08)
- Applying the 7 principles to negotiation (44:10)
- Why you should shake hands at the beginning of a negotiation (44:38)
- The phrase you can use to increase your chances of closing the deal (45:39)
Resources / People Mentioned
- Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini
- Pre-suasion by Robert Cialdini
- Influence At Work
- Gregory Neidert
- Avis Is Only No. 2, We Try Harder
- Amazon’s “pay to quit” program
- Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
- The Hidden Persuaders by Vance Packard
Recommended For You
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- Seth Godin on The 3 Questions Every Marketer Should Ask
- Patrick Lencioni on The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team
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