Robert Cialdini Influence Principles

Dr. Robert Cialdini wrote a book, Science and Practice, in 1984 which discussed various strategies that can be used to influence people. Dr. Cialdini determined that there are six major principles of persuasion. These principles, described below, can be very beneficial for those who make a living in the world of sales.

Dr. Cialdini’s book became a classic required reading for marketers or anyone in the business of trying to get customers to say ‘yes’. Dr. Cialdini’s theory of influence is based on six core principles namely;  reciprocity, commitment and consistency, social proof, authority, liking, and scarcity.

As a company, you need to persuade your prospects that you’re delivering a superb solution to a problem they want to solve.

This psychology of persuasion model is a handy tool to help you frame your business communication strategy.

Robert Cialdini Principles of Influence.

The Cialdini’s six principles of influence;

1. Reciprocity Principle
2. Consistency and Commitment Principle
3. Social Proof Principle
4. Authority Principle
5. Liking Principle
6. Scarcity Principle

Principle of Reciprocity

What is the Reciprocity Principle

People are wired in this way. if you give somebody a favor, if you do something for them, then they tend to feel indebted to you in some way on they would want to pay you back

In many situations, we pay back what we received from others. When you offer something first, people will feel a sense of indebtedness, which will make them more likely to comply with your subsequent requests.

Principle of  Reciprocity Example

To put reciprocity into action means giving people something really for afraid. Regardless of your industry or business, there’s probably something that you can give away, whether that’s your time.

If you’re consulting on maybe a half-hour telephone conversation or some advice on your expertise, you can tell them what they need to know.

Content is one of the most common forms of establishing reciprocity.

Give them templates, free downloads, free webinars, free ebooks, and other sorts of free content that could support your client base.

This is a tactic actually used by Benjamin Franklin when he would often ask for a book from an opponent when a crucial vote was coming up, and they would give him the book, and then he would return it. And he would create a sense of reciprocity so that there was at least a little bit more likely to vote with him.

Six factors will make this principle more effective.

• Offer something first, so allow them to feel indebted to you, and this doesn’t have to come from anywhere other than giving source because you never want to give something.
• Offers something exclusive. Allow them to feel special, personalized the offer, so make sure they know it’s from you. And for them, you don’t just want to offer them something random that will have no value in their life. For example, a book you might offer a book to somebody and think it is of immense value. But if they don’t see it, value is subjective. Sales and sales are effectively convincing somebody that there is value within whatever it is that you are trying to sell.
• Small gifts win. Offer a small piece of candy or small trinket that will stay with them for a while, thus reminding them of you and your kindness.
• Avoid over the top gifts unless you want to be put on some sort of watch list. There is such a thing as too much of a good thing.
• Tit for Tat. Meaning that if you give and they’re happy to continue to give, then you keep that behavior up until they refuse. This was also highlighted in the book Give and Take, where they found the givers and the takers. The givers were both the biggest losers and the biggest winners, meaning that minus giving so being the self-sacrifice is as stupid as minus taking.

Principle of  Commitment and Consistency

What is the Commitment and Consistency Principle

People tend to stick with the decision they make. If they commit to something, they will feel an automatic compulsion to stick with it.

The way to earn customer loyalty using this principle is to make them commit something. A statement, stand, identity. They will then feel an automatic compulsion to stick with it.

There are two specific sets of approaches that could work for you here. Creating your consistency that understands exactly who your customer is creating a persona, then crafting the headlines and the value propositions that speak directly to that person’s self-image desires.

This forms the basis of your messaging and you’re branding because you’re establishing, influenced by creating consistency, then invite commitments. We’re asking them to take some action.

Principle of  Commitment and Consistency Example

Follow these three ways;

• Ask your customers to start from small actions. That way, they’ll have to stick with it.
• Encourage public commitments. They’ll be less likely to back out peer pressure.
• Reward your customers for investing time and effort in your rent.
• Use the exclusivity principle for awarding said customers. Whether it’s exclusive, swag like hats, T-shirts, or wrist bands
• Ask yourself what the smallest item I could give would yield a return in harnessing reciprocity and more of the customers’ commitment.

This can be something from a food sample, or this could be something sent to them in the mail. Whatever it is, it can also be applied to your employees. If they’ve been with you for a while, they may want to throw a random gift. What’s $50 if it incites $500 of productivity?

Principle of Social Proof

What is the Social Proof Principle

People tend to have more trust in things that are popular or endorsed by people that they like.

This is a crucial ingredient in any marketing. People will buy what they see other people buying, seeing, and doing. Using testimonials, these are one of the greatest weapons that you can use to reinforce how powerful your product or services.

Create good content that gets commented upon, whether online or offline, and it’s still about recognizing that other people appreciate your business.

Principle of Social Proof Examples

Here is how to work it.

• Experts approval from credible experts in the relevant field
• Approval or endorsement from celebrities paid or unpaid.
• Users approval: from current or past product/service users. So, ratings reviews and testimonials.
• Wisdom of crowd’s approval from large groups of other people.
• Beers approval from friends and people that you know the way that you want to work.
• If you have no social proof, the easiest way to gain it is to partner up or be seen in the present being around people. Because if you have a deep knowledge area, you are just one person with social proof away in your niche from having something very dynamic, having a very dynamic partnership.

Principle of Liking

What is the Liking Principle

People are more likely to buy from people they know, like, and trust, very simply because they’ve established a relationship with them already.

This is about relationships. This is about networking with people getting to know people, getting to like people, and trusting people. It’s really important to do networking to follow through and connect with people using social media platforms.

Use photographs of them, if you can on bond, attack them because they’re much more likely to respond to that with a like or a share, and particularly if they share, then it’s going to go out to their contacts as well.

Create a positive and active social presence. People do interact online because it is the virtual water cooler of today’s workforce, but you also need to be doing it in real life, too,

We are likely to comply with requests made by people we like hence why. If Hitler said something true, people would be much less likely to believe it in the same way. If somebody like well said something false, people are much more likely to believe it.

This could range from our closest friends to strangers that we’re attracted to.

This explains why we trust word of mouth recommendations from our peers and stuff endorsed by our favorite singers.

Principle of Social Proof Example

Follow these principles to make the light the liking principal work.

• Physical attractiveness. Make sure your website is well designed, functions well, and suits what you’re selling.
• Behave like a friend, not a brand. Show them that you can relate to and understand them. Effective sales come down to how much you can flex your chameleon muscles.
• Have a voice. Use social media platforms not just to broadcast but hold intimate conversations and form relationships with your customers. Create value, create value, create value.

• Contact and cooperation. Fight for your customers’ same causes: nothing builds rapport and closeness like good old-fashioned teamwork.
• Conditioning and association. Associate your brand with the same values that you want to communicate and possess.

Principle of Authority

What is the Authority Principle

The vast majority of the human population is made up of followers. They will respect authority figures who have an important message or an effective style and platform from which to speak.

If you have a well-defined niche, it’s possible to become the authority in that niche for more content, more presence, and more information; you will begin to grow your platform, search your expertise, and gain recognition and respect within that niche.

We follow people who looked like they know what they’re doing. This holds especially true in fields where we are experts.

Principle of Authority Example

Most headlines utilize principle by including phrases as scientists say, experts say research shows. You can give off the air of authority if you pay attention to these factors.

• Titles; Position of power experience
• Clothes; superficial cues that signal authority.
• Trappings; accessories/ indirect cues that accompany authoritative rules. For example, a real estate agent might buy a Lambo nice car even though the real value is knowledge. But they might buy a very nice car to show people. Hey, look, I know what I’m doing. I make money doing this. Maybe they don’t like the Lambo, but it’s an investment for their service.

Principle of Scarcity

What is the Scarcity Principle?

If people think that something is going to run out, they will rush to buy it. The limited-time-only sells them while supplies last phrases are overt evidence of this method of persuasion.

People are always drawn to things that are exclusive and hard to come by. They assume that difficult things are difficult to obtain, usually better than those that are easily available.

Scarcity doesn’t need to be a reality. People simply need to think that there is something scarce for it to be compelling.

Principle of Scarcity Examples

The link availability to quality. You can learn to;

• Trigger your customer’s sense of urgency with these limited-time items in short supply that won’t be available once it runs out of limited-time items that are only available during a time period. Most online marketing websites harness principle very well by having a time or saying we’re only doing this run for three days, and then it counts down, and it just gives an impulse.
• One special sometimes utilizes one or two of the above techniques from form one of events. So, collaborations, anniversaries, something that utilizes a sense of surprise.
• Utilizing competitions is an inclination to want things more because other people also want them. So this is used in things like auctions, orbits.
• Use absence to increase respect and honor. Too much circulation makes the price go down.

Robert Cialdini’s Six Principles of Influence.