Persuasion plays a very large role in our lives whether it is in a retail outlet, our home or in the boardroom. It is sometimes aligned with a dirty technique used by aggressive salesmen to close a deal but this powerful force errs more on the side of encouragement rather than deception. There are many principles that serve as inputs into a persuasive action and when multiple principles are applied in a single situation it increases the effectiveness of persuasion.
Likeability
We hear often that people buy from someone they like. I was told this throughout my sales experience and it was a guiding principle because it’s an easy thing to do. Not only does someone want to buy because they feel comfortable around you; if they like you, they want to please you. There is much more than just being liked, however. In any situation where you are using persuasion it’s important to find real similarities with the person and offer them sincere and honest praise. It is important to establish this early because this base-level of appreciation and admiration will build in future encounters.
When you find common ground with the other party it allows the relationship to begin to grow based on similar interests. Attempt to find at least one thing you have in common throughout your conversations– be it a hobby, a sports team, family, etc. This allows you to engage in informal conversations that bring a heightened level of appreciation for each other. Similarity draws people together.It’s important to offer sincere and honest praise, as Dale Carnegie has mentioned over and over again. By sharing positive remarks toward their traits, personality, work ethic it creates an assumption of compassion in future encounters. Even if the person is someone your genuinely dislike, there has to be something about them that you sincerely admire.
Pay It Forward
Our actions are contagious. By exuding an action it is likely we will have it returned to us. Take that person you don’t like… if you offer sincere praise it is likely that it will be returned and you will create a better working relationship. It’s because its the universal human tendency to treat people the way they treat you. It’s the Golden Rule, remember? Have you ever caught yourself saying hi or smiling at someone because they did it first? That is exactly how it works.
Social Proof
We are more likely to do something if someone else has done it first. As humans we look to others around us for cues on how to feel, think and act. This can be used to our advantage in many situations, especially as sales people or pitch men. The other day a recycling cooperative company came by asking for donations to jumpstart a new recycling program in our neighborhood. Usually I am highly unlikely to donate to such an organization but my roommate donated last month and they brought that to my attention, showing a list of my neighbors who donated. Using this social evidence swayed me to make a monetary donation. Testimonials are best when they are prom customers who share similar circumstances.
Scarcity
Good ol’ economics brings scarcity to light with economic goods– goods that are scarce in nature. With finite resources, time and opportunities we have to make wise decisions that maximize our inputs that grant us the greatest outputs. Therefore, opportunities are more valuable as they become less available. Marketers manipulate this prinicple by offering limited supply and one-of-a-kind offers. It’s important to show what we could lose rather than what we stand to gain in the situation. Many people think in terms of loss and it’s a more direct effect.
It’s important to act ethically when presenting and using these tactics in persuasion because they can easily be used the wrong way and manipulate others through deception. It’s important to attempt to take emotions out of situations, whether it’s negotiating a price on a car or persuading a coworker to your way of thinking.