A brief exportation of the six key Influence principles as described by Robert Cialdini.

1. Social Influence Tactics
Dr. Jerry A. Smith

2. Questions To Be Answered
✤ If you have 2 options to present to a buyer, which should you present first, the more
costly or less costly?
✤ Is it better to tell prospects what they stand to gain by moving in your direction, or what
they stand to lose if they don’t
✤ If you have a new piece of information when should you mention that it’s new to your
audience? before or after you present this information to your audience?
✤ If you have a product, service or idea that has both strengths and weaknesses, when
should you present the weaknesses, early or late?
✤ After someone has praised you or your organization, what is the most effective thing
you can do immediately after you have said thank you
✤ To arrange for someone to like and cooperate with you, what is the single most
productive thing you can do before you try to influence them
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3. Constantly bombarded by
attempts to influence us…
• Newspapers • Politics and Lobbying
• Magazines • Public relations
• Television • Social action campaigns
• Internet • Law/courtroom
• Radio • Friends and peers
• Outdoor signs • Spouse
Pseudoscience of all types that tries to persuade you to spend
money… such as homeopathy, water divining, magnet therapy,
etc.
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4. Are we aware of the influence?
✤ Are we aware when others are trying to influence us?
✤ Are we aware of how we try to influence others?
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5. The story of Robert Cialdini
✤ Psychology Professor at Arizona State
✤ Left campus for a three-year project going
undercover to explore first-hand real-world influence
techniques
✤ Wrote a couple of famous books
✤ Influence: the Psychology of Persuasion
✤ Yes! 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive
✤ Speaker/consultant
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6. Reciprocation
✤ We want to repay, in kind, what another person has provided us
✤ One of the most potent weapons of influence and compliance
✤ All societies subscribe to this norm
✤ Size or value of gift does not correlate with the potential to influence “Will you donate $100”?
✤ Small gifts have significant impact beyond their value NO
✤ Examples… “Oh, how about $5”?
✤ Free estimates YES
✤ Give a flower then ask for a donation
✤ Send prospect pre-printed return address labels with solicitation letter
✤ Small gifts and comped meals
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7. The Principle of Reciprocation
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8. The Principle of Reciprocation
✤ 1985 Ethiopian famine: $5,000
donation was sent by the Red Cross
between Mexico and famine-stricken
Ethiopia …
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9. The Principle of Reciprocation
✤ 1985 Ethiopian famine: $5,000
donation was sent by the Red Cross
between Mexico and famine-stricken
Ethiopia …
✤ … that is, FROM Ethiopia TO Mexico
(for the earthquake victims there).
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10. The Principle of Reciprocation
✤ 1985 Ethiopian famine: $5,000
donation was sent by the Red Cross
between Mexico and famine-stricken
Ethiopia …
✤ … that is, FROM Ethiopia TO Mexico
(for the earthquake victims there).
✤ Why? Mexico sent aid to Ethiopia in
1935, when it was invaded by Italy.
(Note: 70% of Ethiopian evangelical
Christians are said to tithe [10% of
income to church].)
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11. The Evidence
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12. The Evidence
✤ Example #1: Dennis Regan, Cornell
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13. The Evidence
✤ Example #1: Dennis Regan, Cornell
✤ Subject is asked to rate quality of paintings along
with a confederate (“Joe”).
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14. The Evidence
✤ Example #1: Dennis Regan, Cornell
✤ Subject is asked to rate quality of paintings along
with a confederate (“Joe”).
✤ Case 1: Joe brings the subject a (10 cent) Coke when
he comes back from a break. (“I brought one for
you, too.”)
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15. The Evidence
✤ Example #1: Dennis Regan, Cornell
✤ Subject is asked to rate quality of paintings along
with a confederate (“Joe”).
✤ Case 1: Joe brings the subject a (10 cent) Coke when
he comes back from a break. (“I brought one for
you, too.”)
✤ Case 2: Just comes back.
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16. The Evidence
✤ Example #1: Dennis Regan, Cornell
✤ Subject is asked to rate quality of paintings along
with a confederate (“Joe”).
✤ Case 1: Joe brings the subject a (10 cent) Coke when
he comes back from a break. (“I brought one for
you, too.”)
✤ Case 2: Just comes back.
✤ Joe asks the subject to buy raffle tickets. If he sells
the most, he gets a prize. 25 cents each. “Any
would help, the more the better.” 8

17. The Evidence / Examples
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18. The Evidence / Examples
Results:
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19. The Evidence / Examples
Results:
✤ Subjects in Case 1 (receive gift) buy twice as many tickets
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20. The Evidence / Examples
Results:
✤ Subjects in Case 1 (receive gift) buy twice as many tickets
✤ Subjects who liked Joe better (initially) bought more
tickets. BUT giving the Coke totally wiped out the
relationship between liking Joe and buying tickets.
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21. The Evidence / Examples
Results:
✤ Subjects in Case 1 (receive gift) buy twice as many tickets
✤ Subjects who liked Joe better (initially) bought more
tickets. BUT giving the Coke totally wiped out the
relationship between liking Joe and buying tickets.
✤ The rule for reciprocity overwhelmed the influence of the
other factor – liking the requester.
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22. The Evidence / Examples
Results:
✤ Subjects in Case 1 (receive gift) buy twice as many tickets
✤ Subjects who liked Joe better (initially) bought more
tickets. BUT giving the Coke totally wiped out the
relationship between liking Joe and buying tickets.
✤ The rule for reciprocity overwhelmed the influence of the
other factor – liking the requester.
✤ Hare Krishna Society’s “donation-request” tactic
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23. Reciprocity Techniques
✤ Technique 1: If someone makes a concession, we are obligated to respond with a concession
✤ A large, unreasonable request is made which most probably will be refused
✤ Follow 1st request with 2nd request of a smaller favor (a planned compromise)
✤ 2nd request appears more reasonable and usually results in reciprocation
✤ Consumer examples
✤ Commonly used tactic in negotiating contracts
✤ Add-ons to new car after closing deal
✤ Making a concession gives the other party a feeling of responsibility for the outcome and greater
satisfaction with resolution
✤ Technique 2: Rejection then retreat: exaggerated request rejected, desired lesser request acceded to
✤ Technique 3: Contrast principle: sell the costly item first; present undesirable option first
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24. Social Proof
✤ One means we use to determine what is correct is to find out what other people think is correct
✤ Looking to others, particularly role models, is a useful shortcut to determine how to behave
✤ The greater number of people who find an idea correct, the more the idea will be correct.
✤ Pluralistic Ignorance: each person decides that since nobody is concerned, nothing is wrong
✤ Similarity: social proof operates most powerfully when we observe people just like us
✤ Examples…
✤ Product is “largest selling” or “fastest growing”
✤ Advertisements using targeted demographics
✤ Testimonials
✤ Laugh tracks and applause
✤ Mob behavior, inaction toward crime or emergency
✤ Jonestown
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25. Social Proof: The Evidence
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26. Social Proof: The Evidence
✤ Study: Researchers publicize that people in New Haven, CT, are
considered charitable people. Two weeks later: Researcher calls
housewives and asks for donations. Result?
✤ Donations increase.
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27. Social Proof: The Evidence
✤ Study: Researchers publicize that people in New Haven, CT, are
considered charitable people. Two weeks later: Researcher calls
housewives and asks for donations. Result?
✤ Donations increase.
✤ When it works best:
✤ People are most likely to “follow the leader (or the group)” when
the situation is unclear or ambiguous.
✤ We are most likely to look to people who are “just like us” when
looking for people to emulate.
✤ Exception: Will follow “authorities” even when they are not like us
(at least while they are watching). (Milgram) 12

28. Commitment/Consistency
✤ People have a desire to look consistent through their words, beliefs, and deeds
✤ Our nearly obsessive desire to be (and to appear) consistent with what we have already
done
✤ Consistency is usually associated with strength, inconsistency as weak; we want to look
virtuous
✤ Examples…
✤ “Please call” vs “Will you please call?”
✤ Foot-in-the-door (small initial request)
“3inch sign”?
✤ Lowballing (you agree to initial offer)
YES
✤ Bait-and-Switch (lower quality replacement)
“Large poorly written sign” “Large poorly written sign”
YES NO 13

29. Consistency Techniques
✤ Technique 1: Have customers not salespeople fill out sale agreements
✤ Technique 2: Elicit a commitment, then expect consistency
✤ Technique 3: Public, active, effortful commitments tend to be lasting
commitments
✤ Technique 3: Get a large favor by first getting a small one (small commitments
manipulate a person’s self-image and position them for large commitment)
✤ Outcome
✤ Commitments people own, take inner responsibility for, are profound
✤ Commitments lead to inner change and grow their own legs
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30. Authority
✤ We have a deep-seated sense of duty to authority
✤ Strong pressure within our society for compliance when requested by an authority figure
✤ Experience, expertise, or scientific credentials helps sell
✤ Tests demonstrate that adults will do extreme things when instructed to do so by an authority figure
✤ 1955 Research: a man could increase by 350% the number of pedestrians who would follow him across the
street against the light by simply donning a suit and tie
✤ Examples…
✤ Titles
✤ Uniforms
✤ Clothes
✤ Trappings of status
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31. Liking
✤
Also known as “attractiveness”, “rapport”, or “affection”
✤
People prefer to say yes to individuals they know and like
✤
Liking has been associated with physical attractiveness, similarity, and praise
✤
Examples…
✤
Connections
✤
Targeted advertising
✤
Peer solicitation
✤
Good cop / Bad cop
✤
Tupperware parties
✤
Celebrity endorsements
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32. Scarcity
✤ Opportunities seem more valuable to us when their availability is limited
✤ We want it even more when we are in competition for it
✤ Scarcity affects value not only of commodities but of information as well
✤ E.g.:
✤ Examples…
✤ final $4.4 million in matching funds disappeared in one week
✤ “Limited time offer”
✤ “We are running out of the item”
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33. Social Psychology
1. Reciprocity: we want to repay, in kind, what another person has provided us
• The free dinner and booze
2. Consistency: desire to be (and to appear) consistent with what we have already done
• Will you try our product?
3. Social proof: to determine what is correct find out what other people think is correct
• Stacking the meeting with like-minded souls
4. Authority: deep-seated sense of duty to authority
• The speaker who is being paid to sell a product or concept (back to reciprocation)
5. Likeability: we say yes to someone we like
• Extroverted reps and peer camaraderie
6. Scarcity: limitation enhances desirability
• The pitch during the presentation
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34. Questions - Answers
✤ If you have 2 Options to present to a client, which should you present first, the more costly or less costly?
✤ Answer: The more costly followed by the less costly if they decline
✤ Is it better to tell prospects what they stand to gain by moving in your direction, or what they stand to lose if they don’t
✤ Answer: What they stand to lose, people are far more motivated by loss
✤ If you have a new piece of information when should you mention that it’s new to your audience? before or after you present this
information to your audience?
✤ Answer: Before, Information is more valuable when new or comes from a reliable resource
✤ If you have a product, service or idea that has both strengths and weaknesses, when should you present the weaknesses, early or late?
✤ Answer: Early, the strengths of the product will outweigh it’s weaknesses. Arguing against your self-interest creates a perception
that you/your company are honest and trustworthy. This puts you in a more persuasive position when promoting genuine
strengths.
✤ After someone has praised you or your organization, what is the most effective thing you can do immediately after you have said
thank you?
✤ Answer: Invite them to return the favor if ever required
✤ To arrange for someone to like and cooperate with you, what is the single most productive thing you can do before you try to influence
them?
✤ Answer: Do something for them 19

35. Next Steps
✤ These are just a couple of possibilities:
✤ Set up web based Sales Knowledge Wiki for sharing idea,
methodologies, etc.
✤ Share specific sales challenges and ways to apply Influence
techniques to them
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