Created by Kavya Shankar (Harvard 2014) from Lynbrook High School.

1. Kavya Shankar
Harvard, Class of 2014

2. INTRODUCTION

4. RULE| We feel the need to repay what another
person has provided us
SENSE OF FUTURE OBLIGATION
APPLICABLE TO UNINVITED FAVORS
CAN SPUR UNEQUAL EXCHANGES
RECIPROCATION

5. WHAT OFFICE ITEM CAN MAKE
YOUR INFLUENCE STICK?
MORE THAN 75% OF THE PEOPLE
WHO RECEIVED A SURVEY WITH A
STICKY NOTE REQUEST FILLED IT OUT
AND RETURNED IT VERSUS A
HANDWRITTEN MESSAGE OR NO
MESSAGE AT ALL.
People recognize the extra effort and personal touch that the sticky
note requires, and they feel the need to reciprocate the personal
touch by agreeing to the request.

6. WHY SHOULD RESTAURANTS DITCH
THEIR BASKETS OF MINTS?
GIVING TWO CANDIES COMPARED
WITH ONE WITH THE BILL HAD THE
EFFECT OF INCREASING TIPS
FROM 3.3 PERCENT TO OVER 14
PERCENT.
There are three major factors that help make a gift or favor more
persuasive and as a result more likely to be reciprocated: when the
gift or favor is significant, unexpected, and personalized.

8. RULE| Once we make a choice or take a stand, we
encounter personal and interpersonal pressures to
behave consistently with that commitment
VALUED BY SOCIETY
BENEFICIAL APPROACH TO LIFE
VALUABLE SHORTCUT
COMMITMENT &
CONSISTENCY

9. HOW CAN A SIMPLE QUESTION
DRASTICALLY INCREASE SUPPORT
FOR YOU AND YOUR IDEAS?
ON ELECTION DAY, THOSE WHO WERE
ASKED TO MAKE A PREDICTION
YIELDED A TURNOUT RATE THAT WAS
TWENTY-FIVE PERCENT POINTS
HIGHER THAN THE RATE FOR THOSE
WHO WEREN’T ASKED.
When people are asked to predict whether they’ll engage in a socially
desirable behavior in the future, they feel compelled to say yes. Once
they have publicly stated that they’ll perform the behavior, they’ll be
motivated to behave consistently with the commitment they made.

10. HOW CAN YOU BECOME A JEDI
MASTER OF PERSUASION?
LUKE SKYWALKER TURNS TO DARTH
VADER AND SAYS, “I KNOW THERE’S
STILL GOOD IN YOU. THERE’S GOOD
IN YOU, I CAN SENSE IT.” THIS
HELPED BRING DARTH VADER OVER
TO THE LIGHT SIDE OF THE FORCE.
You should assign a trait, attitude, belief, or label to a person and
then make a request of that person consistent with the label. People
feel the need to act consistently with the public perception of them.

12. WHAT COMMON MISTAKES CAUSES
MESSAGES TO SELF-DESTRUCT?
A SIGN AT A NATIONAL PARK THE SAID
“MANY PAST VISITORS HAVE
REMOVED THE PETRIFIED WOOD FROM
THE PARK, CHANGING THE NATURAL
STATE OF THE PETRIFIED FOREST” LED
TO HIGHER VANDALISM.
We have a natural tendency to do what most other people are doing,
even when that behavior is socially undesirable. Focus the audience
on all people who engage in the positive behavior.

13. RULE| One important means that people use to decide
what to believe or how to act in a situation is to look at
what other people are believing or doing there.
APPLICABLE TO KIDS & ADULTS
FOR DIVERSE ACTIVITIES
STIMULATE PERSON’S COMPLIANCE
SOCIAL PROOF

15. WHY DO I LIKE YOU?
Let me list the reasons…
•Similarity: Background, interests,
appearance; even if trivial!
•Compliments:
Like people who
•Physical like us!
Attractiveness:
We •Familiarity: The more we are exposed
automatically to something, the more we like it.
assign good-
looking people
positive traits •Association: Like things that are “innocently”
connected to positive things

16. HOW CAN SIMILARITIES MAKE A
DIFFERENCE?
PSYCHOLOGICAL EVIDENCE SHOWS
THAT PEOPLE ARE MORE LIKELY TO
COMPLY WITH THE REQUEST OF A
STRANGER IF THE TWO OF THEM
SHARE THE SAME BIRTHDAY.
We’re most likely to relate to others with whom we share personal
characteristics, such as values, beliefs, and gender.

17. WHAT TIPS SHOULD WE TAKE FROM
THOSE WHO GET THEM?
FOOD SERVERS RECEIVE LARGER
TIPS WHEN THEY REPEAT THEIR
CUSTOMERS’ ORDERS BACK TOT
HEM EXACTLY AS THE CUSTOMER
VERBALIZED IT.
Mirroring someone makes it so that they are more likely to like you,
because people naturally like those who are the most similar to
them.

19. LESS IS BEST AND LOSS IS WORST
Why does the scarcity rule hold true?
•Things that are difficult
to attain are typically
more valuable •As things become less
accessible, we lose
freedoms
RULE| People assign more value to opportunities
when they are less available.

20. WHEN IS A LOSER A WINNER?
IN THE YEAR 2003, GENERAL
MOTORS’ CAR LINE OLDSMOBILE’S
SALES SKYROCKETED WHEN THEY
DECIDED TO DISCONTINUE THE LINE
DUE TO CONSISTENTLY POOR SALES.
People show a greater desire for an object or opportunity when they
learn that it is unique, available in limited quantities, or obtainable for
only a limited time.

21. WHAT CAN YOU GAIN FROM A
LOSS?
PEOPLE WERE ANGERED WHEN
COCA-COLA DECIDED TO PULL
ITS TRADITIONAL SODA AND
INTRODUCE A SWEETER ONE
BECAUSE OF THE INTEREST IN
PEPSI’S SWEETER SODA.
People have “loss aversion” in that they are motivated by avoiding
losses rather than acquiring gains. People are more sensitive to
possible losses than to possible gains.

23. RELATIONSHIPS
You are more If you want Once you
likely to someone’s develop the
make friends help, you friendship,
with those should do you’re less
who you them a favor likely to lose
share or imitate it over time
common their behavior
interests with
Personal relationships can be formed,
maintained, & understood with the weapons
of influence

24. LEADERSHIP
Make Give your Make your
someone feel teammates group seem
invested in incentives more
the project and rewards exclusive or
through a upfront rather limited to add
small than through importance
commitment. results-based
approach
You can get your team to like you, work harder,
and produce better results with the weapons
of influence

25. BUSINESS
When When Use people
soliciting targeting an who are
donations or older crowd, physically
selling a ensure that attractive to
product, free the new market and
samples product is sell your
really do consistent products
work! with existing.
Marketing boils down to influencing people to
be interested in your product, which can be
generated by the weapons of influence.

26. INTERNATIONAL
In war, Once a Countries
countries are country gives with
more likely to a something in
support those commitment common are
who have or opinion, it more likely to
supported is difficult to like each
them act other
previously inconsistently
International Relations operates according to
the weapons of influence as well!

27. THANK YOU!
HOPE YOU LEARNED SOMETHING
INTERESTING ABOUT HOW YOUR
MIND WORKS AND HOW TO
BEST WORK WITH OTHER PEOPLE!
KAVYA SHANKAR
[e] kshankar.92@gmail.com
Harvard University, Class of 2014