This is a unique sales book as it is not just for sales people. Robert B. Cialdini describes himself as a "patsy" as he is an easy sell. As a psychology researcher he became curious about how it was done on him. In this regard the book is mainly about what he calls "compliance professionals" and "compliance practitioners" either of which you might fall into. On the other hand, he occasionally offers antidotes so everyone can benefit from reading this book, which is perhaps the best sales book I have read.
He quotes Alfred North. "Civilization advances by extending the number of operations we can perform without thinking about them." That means a lot of our decisions are made with little thought.
7 Strategies that have been used on you or you have used on others are the core of his book. They are reciprocity, social proof, liking, authority, commitment and consistency, scarcity and unity. His research has given persuasion a scientific basis and his anecdotes make them more understandable.
There are many decisions we frequently make and for the most part we use heuristics, that are just mental short cuts. For instance "expensive is good" or "inexpensive is cheap", both of which are reliably true, but can be misleading.
Reciprocity is simply if you give something to another person you might expect something in return. It can be something concrete (like a sample), a favor or a concession. One interesting example was with the Watergate break in, that on the surface was very risky with not much payoff. However one member of the group started with an even more outlandish plan involving much more money and risk and it was rejected by all the other members of the tight group. A second proposal was about half the cost and, it too was rejected. The other members were exasperated and ended up accepting a third proposal that cost about 1/4 of the original. It was a dumb decision that was partly the result of concessions made in return for agreement.
Often the person who made the concession feels more in control by steering the decision closer to their preference.
As a side issue that demonstrates the author's contention on how to get others to like you is with the partial failures of school desegregation. Most liberals felt it would work when blacks and whites were in contact, but it didn't work in many cases. The author pointed out that blacks were mostly disadvantaged in situations where they competed in classroom for attention. Cialdini felt it would (and did) work better when students were encouraged to be co-operative to achieve mutual goals.
Social proof acts as a reassurance that one is not the only one making a decision. Netflix, just by pointing out the popularity of a film increased its popularity. Another example would be during Covid, many would not wear a mask until they saw others wearing masks.
Using authority as a strategy means relying at least in part on a title that suggests expertise. As consumers we are often approached this way and when it really reflects expertise and is relevant we should pay attention. The author points out methods to buttress authority, but also tells consumers to check the expertise and just as important, determine the relevance. An expert in physics is not necessarily knowledgeable or relevant to climate change.
When something is scarce or becoming scarce, generally it is considered more valuable. Prospects can become afraid of losing something they want (or might want). In the game of love, a partner taken for granted can become more desired when a romantic rival appears. Cialdini feels to protect yourself you should realize ownership and enjoyment are two separate things and before you make a choice bear that in mind. Also realize that scarcity can be deceiving or manipulated.
Another perspective on scarcity and how you might deal with it: http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2025/12/scarcity.html
If I can get you to commit to something you can often be persuaded to continue to a consistent agreement. Nobody wants to appear inconsistent. An example given is with the Chinese prison staff during the Korean War that seeks only a small agreement from one of their American prisoners, but are able to eventually get written and signed statements supporting a Chinese view. One of their tools was to block outgoing mail to soldiers that wanted their families to know they were alive.
Anwar Sadat was known to flatter someone by suggesting they had an excellent reputation. Then to be consistent they were encouraged to move closer to his position.
To avoid the consistency trap it is important to nip it in the bud. At first chance claim you are not chained to previous commitments.
The seventh strategy is labeled"'unity" that points out we prefer to interact with those most like us. Obviously family can be decisive. Anyone can stretch things to find a common point of unity. Common examples are race, ethnicity, gender, favorite sports teams and musical tastes. One example was how a Jewish rabbi explained to Japanese administrators (allied with Nazis) that what the two of them had in common was they were both Asian and that alleviated suffering.
Unity can also be abused and the author gives at least two examples: labor unions and Catholic clergy that he maintains protect abusers amongst their members. In a personal example Cialdini had been called on as an expert witness and found himself on a legal team determined to defeat an opposition, no matter what facts opposed them.
Ethics plays a role in his philosophy. We should not allow ourselves to be railroaded under a unity strategy that abuses others. One piece of paper I keep with me is a quote from Benjamin Franklin: "For having lived long I have experienced many instances by being obliged by better information or fuller consideration to change opinions even on important subjects which I once thought right, but found to be otherwise."
We now live in a world where most of the information is less than 15 years old and we need time to process it. With all the future changes we will find ourselves deciding on smaller reliable strategies.
I have been a professional compliancer and would like to think I have always been honest, but that would be stretching things a little bit. I have in fact walked away from opportunities to make money that made me feel uncomfortable and I have tried to present a true case for whatever I was trying to sell. Robert B. Cialdini points out all the strategies he has told us about are legitimate, but are also subject to abuse. Unlike most sales books he tells us how to minimize abuses against us. Thank you.
No comments:
Post a Comment