[Summary] Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini — 3 Takeaways, 2 Quotes, 1 Question.
Is there a science behind why we say “yes”?
Welcome to the third of my 3–2–1 book summaries!
For a bit of background on what these are, here’s a link to my first book summary.
Next up in the series…
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion is Robert Cialdini’s international best-seller which explores the psychology of why people say “yes” (and how to apply these findings). In his book, he covers six principles on how to be persuasive and how to defend yourself against them in the future. It’s a great read for marketers, salespeople, and pretty much anyone curious to understand the nuances of human behaviour (which can sometimes be irrational).
The six principles he covers are: Reciprocation, Commitment & Consistency, Social Proof, Authority, Liking, and Scarcity. However, in keeping with the spirit of my 3-2-1 summaries, I’ll cover my three favourites below…
3 Takeaways
#1: We’re more likely to do something if we see others doing it too.
I feel like the principle of “Social Proof” isn’t anything groundbreaking for most of us. What I thought was most interesting though is how we’re most likely to trust social proof when we’re in uncomfortable or unfamiliar situations.
The best way I can illustrate this is with this clip from Brain Game:
From a consumer standpoint, how often have we bought the thing on Amazon that had the most reviews (especially if it’s a product we’ve never bought before)? In fact, I’m more likely to trust a product with a hundred 4-star reviews, than one with only a few 5-star reviews. The key point is that in most situations, social proof is a good thing: it helps us weed out the bad from the good. We just need to be aware that this can sometimes be used against us— especially when we’re in an unfamiliar situation.
#2: We tend to trust people who are similar to us.
Part of the reason why we “Like” others is because we see them as being similar to us — whether it’s with the way we dress, a shared belief or opinion, a common hometown, or having the same favorite sports team. Humans just have a natural desire of wanting to belong to a group (or a “tribe”, if you will) because it makes us feel safe and in control. If I see another Canadian while I’m in Canada, it’s not a big deal — but if I’m somewhere unfamiliar like the UK, seeing another Canadian is somehow ten times more special.
Once we feel that sense of connection with someone similar to us, it’s natural for us to let our guard down — which again is totally fine! How exhausting would life be if we have our guard up 24/7? It just helps to be mindful of when we feel that way and what caused us to feel that way — especially when we’re in a sales situation, for example, where the salesperson keeps emphasizing similarities in an obvious attempt to win our favor.
#3: Our fear of loss is greater than our desire to gain.
“Scarcity” can be a powerful tactic used by marketers and salespeople alike. When we fear that we’ll miss out on an opportunity (e.g. “limited quantities available”, “offer only valid until tomorrow”, “buy the dip before stocks rebound”), we’re more likely to act irrationally and do whatever we can to avoid that feeling of loss.
In a way, we can tie this “hoarding” behavior back to our hunter-gatherer days where we didn’t know if, let’s say, the wild berries we came across today will still be there tomorrow. Like the previous two principles, this is all a part of our natural behavior, but it’s worthwhile to realize when it’s being used to influence us.
2 Quotes
#1:
“The idea of a potential loss plays a large role in human decision making. In fact, people seem to be more motivated by the thought of losing something than by the thought of gaining something of equal value.”
#2:
“All things being equal, you root for your own sex, your own culture, your own locality… Whomever you root for represents you; and when he wins, you win.”
1 Question
Are we ever really, truly rational in our purchase decisions?
P.S. The link above that drives you to the book’s Amazon page is an affiliate link — meaning that, at no additional cost to you, I’ll earn a commission if you click through and decide to purchase.
