The anatomy of persuasion

Communication World, Dec, 1997 by James P.T. Fatt

Effective communicators use six principles to get what they want and to influence and shape the behaviour of others, according to Robert B. Cialdini, author of "Influence: Science and Practice." Each of these principles is governed by a psychological principle that directs human behaviour and gives the users their power. The six principles are reciprocation, consistency and commitment, social proof, liking, authority and scarcity.

Principles of Influence

According to the rule of reciprocation, we try to repay, in kind, what another person has given us. This rule of reciprocation, and the sense of obligation that goes with it, is pervasive in human culture. In other words, if we use communication to persuade and influence another, we must first recognise the tendencies in human nature or culture that we can use for our own benefit.

Consider, for example, your relationship with two persons, A and B. In the course of your relationship, you once offered person A a soft drink. Later, when you try to sell the two persons some charity tickets, because of the obligation felt by person A, who was previously offered the soft drink, he or she will be far more likely to buy the ticket than person B who was not offered the soft drink. This is the law of reciprocation in action. If you obligate a person to reciprocate in the future, you will more likely succeed in persuading or influencing the person.

Consistency and Commitment

Consistency and commitment work together as two rules for influencing the behaviour of others and getting them to do what we want them to do. The power behind these two elements is, quite simply, our obsessive desire to be (and to appear) consistent with what we have already done. Once we have made a choice or taken a stand, we will encounter personal and interpersonal pressures to behave consistently with that commitment. Once we have used communication and reciprocation to gain the person's minor commitment, he or she will more easily move to a deeper commitment to be consistent.

Social Proof

The principle of social proof is that we can determine what is correct just by finding out what other people think is correct. If, for example, someone in front of us buys something, we are more likely to buy it ourselves.

Liking

Liking involves getting the person we wish to persuade to be drawn to us in some personal way. Few people would be surprised to learn that, as a rule, we prefer to say yes to the requests of someone we know and like. What might be startling to note, however, is that this simple rule is used in hundreds of ways by total strangers to get us to comply with their requests.

Authority

Authority involves our natural inclination to obey a figure who is seen as having some sort of authority with respect to professionalism, knowledge and prestige. We are more likely to buy products, services or ideas from such a figure than we are from a person who does not carry that aura of power and knowledge.

Scarcity

Finally, the concept of scarcity can be used to make the potential buyer feel that he or she must act quickly to participate in a bargain or to make the buyer feel that he or she is somehow special in respect to the product or service offered. Opportunities seem more valuable to us when their availability is limited.

Cialdini uses the example of the Tupperware[R] party to illustrate a setting in which most of the compliance principles are used: Reciprocity (games are played and prizes won by the partygoers; anyone who does not win a prize gets to reach into a grab bag for one so that everyone has received a gift from the Tupperware[R] lady before the buying begins); commitment (each participant is urged to describe publicly the uses and benefits he or she has found in the Tupperware[R] already owned); social proof (once the buying begins, each purchase builds the idea that other, similar people want the product; therefore, it must be good); liking (the major seller is the party hostess); and authority (the friend who has organised the party and the Tupperware[R] saleslady herself.)

Other Principles of Persuasion

Douglis Ehninger in his book, "Principles and Types of Speech Communication," lists a number of other elements of persuasion and, as with Cialdini's principles, the persuader needs to have a basic psychological knowledge of his or her audience to be effective.

For example, the persuader must know beforehand, or find out immediately, the disposition of the target toward that which is being sold or discussed. For example, if you wish to sell a vacuum cleaner to a person who is resistant to making such a purchase, you cannot simply tout the vacuum cleaner and expect to make a sale. You must deal directly with the resistance he or she is facing.

When an audience is hostile toward your claim, be sure to present a two-sided message. A one-sided speech offers only arguments for your claim while a two-sided speech takes into account opposing ideas and proposals and then answers them. If you expect resistance, do not simply ignore it. If the hostility is extreme, deal with it early.