Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion

These two qualities refer to the propensity of most individuals to make a decision—commitment—then faithfully maintain that decision—consistency. These principles emerge from the desired human trait of being “as good as one’s word.” As a lever of influence, compliance professionals know that when a person writes down a particular commitment or expresses it verbally, that person seldom abandons the commitment that has been made.

Compliance refers to the act of an individual, Person A, influencing another person, Person B, who has a variety of options to make a specific decision that complies with the intentions of Person A. Whenever any person tries to influence another, they become Person A, whether they are a parent trying to elicit certain behavior from a child, a salesman trying to persuade a shopper to buy a car, or a politician trying to win the vote of a listener. Cialdini’s book reveals in detail the tools of influence—the levers—an influencer uses to achieve compliance.

Compliance professional is the term Cialdini uses to refer to those individuals who use the levers of influence to persuade people to make certain decisions. Beyond the server who asks a diner if they would like dessert after a meal, compliance professionals are trained, practiced individuals with knowledge of the various tools available, as described in Influence. Additionally, Cialdini notes that such professionals continue to hone their abilities and develop new tactics to achieve compliance, that is, to get the customer to say “yes.”

Cialdini describes seven levers of influence, which are derived from shortcuts humans have long used to make quick decisions without having to examine all the pertinent information available. Knowing these levers and how to use them can help one person influence another.

Liking is the lever of influence that emerges from the reality that people are more likely to comply either with others who they like or with others who like them. Cialdini’s research reveals that being friends or being attracted to someone creates an air of favoritism that is often unrecognized or even denied, though virtually irresistible. This preference does not require a long-term relationship and sometimes occurs quite rapidly.

Reciprocation refers to the universal human impulse to offer something in return when something is received. Cialdini expresses this concept as rooted in the underlying need to share with others to survive. He notes that the person who desires something from another is more likely to succeed by first offering something before making the request. Often, the value of the request is greater than the value of the initial gift.

Scarcity refers to a current or future lack, diminishment, or rarity of a desired resource. In terms of a lever of influence, scarce resources tend to be more highly sought than abundant ones and are often more expensive. Compliance professionals often describe the relative scarcity of something to heighten interest in it.

Social proof refers to the choice of individuals to accept an idea because many others accept it. This lever of influence is sometimes referred to by logicians as “jumping on the bandwagon.” In this instance, an individual believes that a group of others—usually people who are similar to the individual in some respect—have made a correct choice; the individual therefore takes the shortcut of adopting the group’s decision.