By Ward White, Vollmer Public Relations
Have you ever heard a speaker who absolutely blew your socks off? I did recently, and I feel so energized by the experience that I’m driven to share it.
His stuff isn’t about vague or lofty principles. Everything he writes, you can use today. It’s all based on fascinating, actual-life research of real people in real situations. He illustrates with convincing stories and data showing how people act and what moves them to act in a particular way.
Here is a sneak preview of the first three of Cialdini’s “Six Laws” that drive social influence
- Reciprocity -- You first, then me, then you again. A person helped by another, or given something of value, feels a natural impulse to return the favor. Cialdini says this law is found in every human society ever studied. It’s as old as human nature itself. Give and ye shall receive. You scratch my back; I’ll scratch yours. One who receives a gift of some value feels obliged to give in return. Hence our expression, “Much obliged.” The most important thing about the Reciprocity principle is this – you have to go first. Give useful or timely information. Give services. Give concessions. Whoever gives first, wins. Think about this principle in terms of managing your boss or prospecting for new business or interdepartmental cooperation or whatever is the most critical success factor in your career right now. More on this later. I’m inclined to see reciprocity as the single most important of the six principles.
- Scarcity – Offer what’s unique, or at least rare. People want more of what they can have less of. Think of diamonds -- valuable (and valued) because scarce. When it comes to information, if what’s scarce is exclusive, that’s even better. Offer what is unique, limited, found only here. “I just got a draft of the attached White Paper this morning. This is not yet public information, as it won’t be released until next Monday. Hope it’s useful to you or your boss/your CEO.” The scarce item may not be a single thing, it may be a bundle of attributes unique to your particular company. Victoria Falls is not the tallest waterfall, it’s not the widest, it doesn’t have the greatest water volume – but it’s the greatest combination of all three factors. It is this bundle of attributes that makes it one of the most spectacular natural wonders on the entire planet.
- Consistency and Commitment – Humans have a desire to be (and to appear) consistent with what they have already done or said. A consistent orientation helps simplify the complex options presented by our modern way of life. So people tend to behave consistently with choices they’ve already made, even very small choices. If someone can get you to commit to a small action now (sign a petition, make a tiny contribution, wear a yellow wrist bracelet), you will be more inclined to take larger supportive actions down the road. Research shows that, if you write a goal down on a piece of paper, you’re much more likely to achieve it. This can be a purpose of your personal annual planning meeting , or your team’s. This practice gets your goals set down on paper and, an even more important motivator, it makes them public to all who participate. Commitments are more effective if they are active, public, effortful and felt to be uncoerced.
That’s a snapshot of Cialdini’s first three laws of how people’s behavior can be triggered. Next time, we’ll take a look at the remaining three laws:
- Liking
- Authority
- Consensus/Social Proof
Cialdini’s books have sold more than two million copies and have been translated into 26 languages. Fortune magazine lists Influence: Science and Practice in its "75 Smartest Business Books” of all time. Small wonder. More bits of wisdom from Robert Cialdini to follow. Stay tuned.
1 comment:
This is such an amazing book. We studied Cialdini in my Theories of Persuasion class at UT last fall, and I was fascinated by all of his theories.
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