Rick Henkin

This is the first in a series of articles on ethical persuasion techniques used in marketing. By ethical persuasion, I simply mean that you have your customer's best interest in mind without using covert or overt influence.

There are psychological reasons why we say "yes" or behave in certain ways. Dr. Robert Cialdini wrote what have become the classic books on the subject, Influence: Science and Practice (5th Edition) and Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion (Collins Business Essentials) . In these books he identifies the following 6 principles that influence how we persuade or are persuaded by others.

1. Reciprocity- In almost all societies, we feel obliged to repay in kind for something that someone has done for us first. It's practically an unwritten rule of society. You smile at someone on the street, and more often than not, they'll smile back. Someone holds a door open for you and you hold a door open for someone else



2. Commitment/Consistency- we are more likely to be influenced when we've already made a commitment or taken a stand because we feel pressure to act in a way that's consistent with our prior choice



3. Social Proof- we will do what others have done in a given situation. Whether or not what others have done is "correct" is less likely to be a factor in the decision as long as enough other people have made a similar choice. The more people taking a specific action, the more likely it is to be seen as the correct action to take. Consider the teenager who wants to do something because, "everyone else is doing it"



4. Liking- we are more likely to say "yes" to people we like or want to identify with



5. Authority- we are more influenced by those we perceive as "authorities." Authority status can be conferred by the type of clothing one wears- a suit, a uniform or a badge. It can also be conferred by a title which might indicate a certain level of education or ranking- a doctor, a lawyer or a captain



6. Scarcity- we are more likely to be persuaded by a deadline or a belief that availability of something is in short supply. We are afraid of "missing out"