What Persuasion and Anchors Have in Common

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In a previous post, I wrote about the concept of anchoring: When it comes to numbers, we “anchor” to whatever number we hear first regarding a specific topic. Click here for more details.

Another component of anchoring, and one that is much more difficult to control but still worthy of consideration, is that of unrelated anchors. This can occur when numbers with no relevance to your initiative can nevertheless influence your target’s thinking.

In one study, participants were shown a bottle of wine and asked to estimate the highest dollar amount they would pay for that particular bottle. Before they wrote down their bid, subjects were asked to jot down the last two digits of their social security numbers. Those that had the highest social security number digits also bid the highest for the wine. The participants anchored to a totally unrelated number, which influenced their response.

If you are presenting numbers for the first time in a meeting, take into consideration whether your target is being exposed to other numbers prior to your presentation. If so, those numbers could impact the perception of your request. If you can adjust the agenda to give your good idea the best chances of success, do so.

Working With Numbers and the Concept of ‘Anchoring’

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When it comes to numbers, we “anchor” to whatever number we hear first regarding a specific topic.

• The new manufacturing plant will cost $35 million.

• The marketing initiative will take $5 million of our budget.

• The new training program is going to run us $550,000.

Now, whenever we think of these initiatives, we will rightly or wrongly compare any cost figures to those. In fact, not only do we anchor, we compare and contrast, too.

Say, for example, you are quoted a price for a new training program. Next, you compare all subsequent figures you see and hear, relative to that first figure. And then, another fascinating psychological occurrence happens: The principle of contrast kicks in. If the first dollar amount you were quoted was $550,000 for a training program, and the next one is $750,000, that cost seems even higher than it actually is, because you are comparing it to your anchor of $550,000.

If you’re vying for approval on a budget, and you have numbers to share, always share a range of numbers early in your communication, and make sure those numbers are generous. That way, subsequent numbers won’t seem quite as high, because you’ve already anchored your targets to a numerical set.

Similarly, if you’re trying to dissuade someone from following a particular route, make certain early conversations use lower numbers, which will make subsequent numbers seem even higher by comparison.

Remember, though, that your numbers must always be two things: real and legitimate.

Next time: How do you control unrelated anchors?

Revisiting Cialdini’s Six Principles of Persuasion: Social Proof

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In five previous posts, I’ve covered the noted psychologist Robert’s Cialdini’s five principles of persuasion: reciprocity, scarcity, consistency, liking and authority.

Now, we come to Cialdini’s last principle: social proof. People follow the lead of similar others, and this condition of social proof intensifies when there exists a condition of uncertainty (Sales are down! What should we do?) or similarity (All the other computer companies offer package deals.) The most powerful example of this is peer pressure among teenagers. Studies show that teens are more likely to vape if their friends and family approve.

Social proof holds sway in the office, too. If you notice coworkers signing up for the United Way HomeWalk, you will be more inclined to do so. If you see that others are working late at the office, you more than likely will start setting aside a few evenings to stick around, as well. If everyone appears to be on board with the new marketing direction, you will probably be on board, too — even if you’re not a fan of the new marketing direction.

We are social creatures.

The absolute best way to leverage social proof in a business setting is through the use of testimonials and referrals, which demonstrate that others have benefitted from knowing and working with you. And now your target will, too. That is the power of social proof.

It’s important to know that people often use Cialdini’s six principles, individually or in combinations, to make decisions. And now that you know them, so can you.

Revisiting Cialdini’s Six Principles of Persuasion: Authority

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We defer to experts. Whether you’re a scientist, a medical doctor, a Ph.D., or a professor, if you have a level of expertise — and your target is aware of that expertise — you automatically become more persuasive.

This ties in well with Robert Cialdini’s fifth primary principle of persuasion: authority. (In other recent posts, I’ve covered Cialdini’s first four principles: reciprocity, scarcity, consistency and liking.)

If you have a title, credential or significant certification, make it known in subtle yet powerful ways. Put that distinguishing credential in your email signature or post your diploma in your office.

I know a professional who once attended a prestigious executive education program, but rather than tell everyone he attended, he simply showed up at meetings with a coffee cup from that university! Subtle … yet effective.

Revisiting Cialdini’s Six Principles of Persuasion: Liking

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We like people who like us (and state so publicly). We also like people are who are like us. Whether they share similar political views or hobbies, hail from the same part of the world or simply both smoke cigarettes, individuals with commonalities feel an affinity for one another.

In other recent posts, I’ve covered Robert Cialdini’s first three principles: reciprocity, scarcity and consistency. Now I’m going to briefly explore the fourth principle: liking.

I’ve heard the argument that respecting somebody is more important than liking somebody. Fair enough, but if you actually like that person, you’re more willing to consider his arguments more carefully, give him more time to communicate and be more receptive to his messages. Again, this is human nature; you just can’t help it.

The takeaway here? Be approachable, seek similarities and don’t be afraid to pay someone a compliment every once in awhile.

Revisiting Cialdini’s Six Principles of Persuasion: Consistency

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What do you call someone who says one thing, yet does another? Hypocrite. Liar. Flip-flopper. Politician. Teenager. Most of those terms aren’t considered glowing characteristic traits.

This is where Robert Cialdini’s third primary principle of persuasion comes in: consistency. (In other recent posts, I’ve covered Cialdini’s first two principles, reciprocity and scarcity.)

We like, trust and want to interact with people who follow through on what they say. When a co-worker tells you he’ll hand in a report by the close of business, you think highly of him when he does just that. If he doesn’t, that colleague’s credibility drops a notch. Similarly, when company management promises to make a change to a problematic tuition reimbursement policy that never comes, the culture in that organization shifts to the negative.

The good news is that these occurrences aren’t likely to happen. Why? Once most people make a decision or take a position, especially publicly, they strive to act in accordance with that publicly stated notion. This demonstrates consistency, and it has been proven time and time again.

Next time, I’ll explore what “liking” has to do with all of this.

Meanwhile, if you haven’t already done so, consider reading Cialdini’s Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, 

Revisiting Cialdini’s Six Principles of Persuasion: Scarcity

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In a recent post, I introduced Robert Cialdini, author of Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, who created something akin to a “Unified Field Theory of Persuasion” by categorizing almost every persuasion approach into one of six primary principles: reciprocity, scarcity, consistency, liking, authority and social proof.

Last time, I covered reciprocity. In this post, I’ll focus on the second of those principles: scarcity.

Scarcity

Call it the rule of the rare, the fact of the few or the coefficient of the insufficient. People want more of what they perceive to be a dwindling supply.

Countless examples exist of how individuals have responded to a decreasing supply of something. One of my favorite reactions is the panic caused when Hostess Brands Inc., the 82-year-old maker of Twinkies and other snacks, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2012. Shoppers began stockpiling Twinkies, fearing they’d find no alternative for their sugar fixes. News outlets reported that at least one person tried to capitalize on the scare by offering a single Twinkie on eBay for $8,000!

To truly leverage the principle of scarcity, the scarcity must truly be real. There really needs to be “Only three days left!” or “Limited inventory!” Anything else, and lack of ethics comes into play. And if you think people are worried about what they might be missing, they’re even more concerned about losing what they already have. That’s why “loss language” (forfeit, surrender, forgo) is always preferable to “gain language” (acquire, obtain, secure) when playing the persuasion game.

Try incorporating the principle of scarcity into your persuasion efforts this week.

Revisiting Cialdini’s Six Principles of Persuasion: Reciprocity

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It’s been almost 35 years since Robert Cialdini, now regents’ professor emeritus of psychology and marketing at Arizona State University, wrote Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, in 1984. (It later was published as a textbook under the title Influence: Science and Practice.) The original book stemmed from Cialdini’s literature review of almost 50 years of scientific research regarding persuasion, plus his own ethnographic studies.

Today, Influence is regarded as one of the most, ahem, influential books on the topic.

Cialdini is so highly respected in the field that he was a part of a “dream team” of behavioral scientists who helped create persuasive approaches for President Barack Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign. Regardless of your political leanings, you’ve got to admit that Cialdini’s additions were subtle and brilliant.

“We know you’ve voted in the past … ” was a subtle prompt known as “consistency” that convinced voters in 2008 to vote for Obama again in 2012. Cialdini also helped teach campaign volunteers to address rumors that Obama was a Muslim by reframing them: “Obama is not a Muslim” actually repeated the claim and reinforced it in the electorates’ collective mind. “Obama is a Christian,” on the other hand, reframed and refocused the discussion.

Cialdini created something akin to a “Unified Field Theory of Persuasion” by categorizing almost every persuasion approach into one of six primary principles: reciprocity, scarcity, consistency, liking, authority, and social proof.

In this post, I’ll focus on the first of those principles: reciprocity.

Reciprocity

Reciprocity involves the give and take of human exchange. People repay others in kind. Every culture in the world teaches this principle in one way or another. When you do something for someone else, it’s almost embedded in human DNA to want to return that favor in kind.

Reciprocity can range from the simple and instantaneous to something much more involved and complex. Examples can be found in day-to-day life on an individual level, such as helping a co-worker prepare for a presentation after he helped you prepare for yours.

On a departmental level, the sales team might assist the marketing staff with some unusual but critical market data, and then marketing reciprocates by providing extraordinary support for sales.

Reciprocity can even occur between companies, such as when two companies share resources, knowledge and sometimes people.

If you stop to think about it, reciprocity helps societies evolve. People inherently realize that when they do something for somebody else, they are not simply giving of their time, energy, and financial resources; they eventually will receive something in return. The best way to leverage reciprocity is to enter every situation by asking yourself, “Who here can I genuinely help?”

Next time, we’ll explore scarcity.

The Role Emotions Play in Persuasion Success

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More than 400 words exist in the English language to describe “emotion.” In fact, neurologists have even identified distinctions between emotions (the automatic brain response) and feelings (the subjective way we interpret those emotions).

Depending on how thinly you’d like to slice the topic, you could literally list dozens of human emotions — from acceptance, affection and aggression to pity, pleasure and pride to shame, suffering and sympathy. And of course, there are degrees of emotions that measure the intensity level of any particular emotion.

To simplify things, let’s consider that there are three categories of emotions: positive (hope, love, satisfaction), neutral (acceptance, detached, unenthusiastic) and negative (anxiety, frustration, loneliness).

Now it’s time to get strategic and purposeful about how you use emotions in the act of persuading. What emotions could you create? What emotions should you create, so that you can do the right thing for all involved?

Here are my seven emotional objectives to consider when building your case to persuade — or dissuade.

  1. Provoke, by causing a reaction, especially an angry one.
  2. Inspire, by giving people a particular feeling, often positive.
  3. Invoke, by enabling someone to see a particular image in his or her mind.
  4. Awaken, to make someone experience a new feeling or emotion.
  5. Arouse, to create an emotion, especially one that excites.
  6. Touch, to create a sad or sympathetic emotion.
  7. Ignite, to jump-start a particular feeling.

Building one or more of these ideas into your business case will materially improve your chances of yes success.

When Going Negative Can Be a Positive

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If you want to be hired for the job, you’d like the person in charge of hiring to have interest and hope in you and your abilities. If you’re looking to partner with a venture capitalist, you’d hope that your potential partner is ecstatic about your idea.

These examples are self-evident, but there also may be times when you need to provoke a negative emotion.  For example, when attempting to convince a sluggish manager that it’s finally time to do something about his department’s lackluster customer service, make him feel the same frustration you, your colleagues, and your clients feel about his lack of performance in that area. You may even want him to experience some regret, as he realizes he’s not reaching his full potential as a department head.

If momentarily experiencing these negative emotions is the catalyst to spur someone to fix the problem, then what’s the problem?

Beware, however, that just like rafting through grade five whitewater, it’s the way in which you navigate the rapids that determines your success.