Influence – Page 1
INFLUENCE
The Psychology of Persuasion
ROBERT CIALDINI
ROBERT CIALDINI is professor emeritus of psychology and marketing at Arizona State University where he specializes in
persuasion, compliance and negotiation. He has previously taught at several universities including Ohio State University, the
University of California and Stanford University. He is also CEO and president of his own consulting firm, Influence At Work. Dr.
Cialdini has consulted with firms such as Google, Microsoft, Cisco Systems, Bayer, Coca-Cola and many others. He is the
best-selling author of Pre-Suasion and Influence which has sold more than 3 million copies. He is a graduate of the University of
North Carolina and Columbia University.
The author's website is at: [Link]
ISBN 978-1-77544-950-8
[Link] is a lifetime learning company specializing in business smarts. We provide concise information and tools for
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Influence – Page 1
MAIN IDEA The six weapons of influence
There is a science to persuasion. Specifically, there
are six weapons of influence which people and
companies (especially advertisers) use to try and
get you to do something or buy their stuff. Those
weapons of influence are: INFLUENCE
INFLUENCE
Weapon #1 – Reciprocity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 2
You always feel an obligation to give back when you have received something first. Be the
first to give something personalized and unexpected to the person you're trying to
1 2 3 influence and they will feel obligated to do the same for you.
Reciprocity Consistency Social Proof
Weapon #2 – Consistency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 3
4 5 6
People prefer to take action which is consistent with what they have previously said or
Likability Authority Scarcity done. Therefore, look for small initial commitments they are willing to make and they will
then be more likely to agree to much bigger commitments in the future.
Weapon #3 – Social proof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 4
These weapons of influence work because life is People always look to the actions and behaviors of others for hints on how they should act
busy and you need to make quick decisions rather in any setting. If you point out the choice that many others in comparable situations have
than laboriously gather all the data. Therefore, you made, you increase the pressure for them to do the same.
rely on an isolated piece of information to decide
quickly. Sometimes that works well but when others
are manipulating the weapons, problems arise. Weapon #4 – Likability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 5
To counter these weapons of influence, be aware of People prefer to say "Yes" to those they like. Always look for areas of agreeability or
what the compliance professionals are trying to do. similarity before you start getting into more controversial topics. Give sincere
They're selectively fudging the data to try and get compliments first and you enhance your persuasiveness.
you to say "yes" to whatever they offer. Fight back
and retaliate. The stakes have gotten too high to sit Weapon #5 – Authority . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 6
back and do nothing.
People inherently like to follow the lead of credible experts. Signal your credentials and
"Although there are thousands of different tactics your power to influence will increase accordingly. Have your team members introduce
that compliance practitioners employ to produce you as an expert and customers will be inclined to follow along without question.
yes, the majority fall within six basic categories.
Each of these categories has the ability to produce
a distinct kind of automatic, mindless compliance Weapon #6 – Scarcity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pages 7 - 8
from people, that is, a willingness to say yes without People always want more of what there is less of. To increase demand for your products
thinking first. It will be increasingly important for the and services, point out what is unique about them and then explain why stock is limited.
society, therefore, to understand the how and why Explain what people stand to lose if they fail to buy to ratchet up the pressure to buy.
of automatic influence."
– Robert Cialdini
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