INTRODUCTION

In Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion – The author Robert Cialdini explores the intricate art of persuasion and the psychological triggers that make people make decisions and say “YES.” He explores various methods (weapons of influence) that influence our behavior.

WHO SHOULD READ THIS BOOK?

This book is a valuable resource for a wide range of readers who are interested in understanding human behavior, communication, and persuasion. This would include business professionals, leaders, managers, sales and marketing professionals, psychology enthusiasts, researchers, people interested in personal development, etc. It can enrich their understanding of human behavior and persuasion.

SUMMARY AND KEY TAKEAWAYS

Many animals and we humans have a few mechanical behavioral sequences called “Fixed action patterns”. These patterns tend to be triggered by a single feature of the relevant information instead of all the facts of the situation. This can be advantageous at times but also could lead to errors/mistakes when responding in an automatic, mindless fashion.

A strategy called “Click…. Whirr” (similar to cassette sound) gets triggered due to one thing happening. Ex: Just like how we generally pull out our phone and unlock it to scroll when we get bored standing in a line.

Each of these trigger features can be used as a weapon of influence to get compliance from people to agree to requests that they normally wouldn’t agree to. Cialdini illustrates how these principles are used by marketers, salespeople, and other individuals to sway people’s choices and behaviors.

“Civilization advances by extending the number of operations we can perform without thinking about them.” – Alfred North Whitehead

Let’s dive into the 6 weapons of influence Robert explains:

1. RECIPROCITY
   

   This rule says that we should try to repay, in kindness, what another person has provided us. People tend to go to greater lengths to avoid being considered as a moocher or freeloader. They try to return the favor in some form. One profitable tactic employed by companies is giving free samples and later asking to purchase the product. People feel pressured to return the favor of free samples that were given earlier.

   Defense: against this is acknowledging/accepting initial favors or concessions in good faith but be ready to redefine them as tricks if we are being tricked. Once defined in this way, you won’t feel pressure to respond with a favor of your own.

2. COMMITMENT AND CONSISTENCY

   Another great influence tool is “Commitment and Consistency”. Once a person commits something, he/she tries to keep up or do what’s required to finish or withhold it. This is to look consistent. According to studies, the greater the audience they commit to, the stronger their efforts towards it would be. People like to stay consistent in other’s eyes regarding their commitments. This shows your strength, courage, and self-image.

   Defense: against this would be to listen to our stomachs and our hearts for signals. We need to ask ourselves “Knowing what I know, would I make the commitment?” Try to avoid such commitments where you feel pressured to take/accept requests.

3. SOCIAL PROOF
   

   We humans tend to believe or do the same things as others when we’re not sure how to act in an unknown situation. Compliance professionals use this to trick us into buying their products or accept their requests or schemes by mentioning “many others are doing it”.Social proof is influential under 2 conditions

   Social proof is influential under 2 conditions:
   a. Uncertainty –  We follow others when we are not sure about something or a situation.
   b. Similarity – We tend to follow people who are like us.
   
   Defense: Be vigilant on what others are doing but don’t make your decision just based on other’s actions/decisions. Take a step back, analyze the situation objectively, and make an informed decision.

4. LIKING
   

   Liking happens due to factors like similarity, attractiveness, association, increased familiarity etc. with the other person. Sharing (co-operation) leads to better understanding and liking the other person.

   Compliance professionals like salesmen etc. employ strategies like laughing, dressing like us, complimenting us, telling us they do similar activities when not working etc. to make us like them. Another way requesters can manipulate similarity to increase liking and compliance is to claim that they have backgrounds and interests like ours.

   Defense: When in such scenarios where you suspect you might be played, ask this question – “In these times and conditions, why did I like this person?” – Take him out of the offer – check the merits and decide solely on the merits of the offer. This could be a strategy for defense.

5. AUTHORITY
   

   This chapter goes over “Authority,” – which goes over instances where people follow a few orders given by a person in an influential position or an imposter who’s dressed up like a businessman, police officer, etc. They tend to obey the dictation of authorities and consider it as correct conduct.

   There are 3 symbols of authority to be effective according to studies:
   a. Title
   b. Clothing and
   c. Automobiles

   Defense: against the influence of authority – ask these 2 questions:
   a. Is the authority truly an expert?
   b. How truthful can we expect this expert to be?
        Ex: People/companies can underplay a weakness to showcase other benefits/advantages.

   Those 2 questions direct our attention away from symbols and toward evidence for authority status & advise us to consider not the expert’s knowledge and his/her trustworthiness.

6. SCARCITY
   

   Scarcity as a principle of influence is a very powerful strategy that is implemented throughout the world by organizations to increase sales. Any product, which has become scarce recently, is more desirable to people and it causes them to want it and pay extra price for it.

   Ex: Toy companies employ this strategy during the holiday/New Year season to hype up a product and release it scarcely during the holiday buying season. They release those toys after the holiday season to increase sales. Parents are made to purchase one toy during festival season (which is not the toy the kids are looking for) and another of the hyped-up toys for their kid post-holiday season so that they remain consistent with their commitment/promise. This way they bump up their sales.

   The scarcity principle holds for 2 reasons:
   a. Scarce things can serve as a shortcut cue to their quality.
                       SCARCE = QUALITY
   b. As things become scarce, we lose freedom to purchase/use it.
   Combined, it makes scarcity a powerful strategy.

   Defense: against this is a 2-stage sequence.
   a. First, when the tide of emotional arousal that flows from scarcity happens, we need to stop short, calm ourselves, take a rational perspective.
   b. And ask, “Why do we want the item under consideration?” – and then decide how much we would like to spend on it. If we want the item for its function – remember that the item will function equally well whether scarce or plentiful.
   
   

CONCLUSION

In our current era of technology and information, we have built ourselves a very complex everyday life where we often fall back on shortcuts to make decisions. We look for cues of reliable pieces of information. This has caused practitioners to use the weapons of influence (mentioned above) against us to make a decision based on the triggers. Such efforts must be recognized and opposed to retain the beneficial character of shortcut response on which we rely every day to make our lives easier. The stakes are too high to let this happen to us on an everyday basis.

This book helps us understand the psychology of persuasion and how to become aware of and resistant to these tactics. GREAT BOOK…!!

QUOTES

1. “For those to whom much is given, much is required.” – John F. Kennedy
2. “Little things are not always little – not when they link to the big rules of life, like reciprocity.”
3. “It is easier to resist at the beginning than at the end.” – Leonardo Da Vinci
4. “Where all think alike, no one thinks very much.” – Walter Lippmann
5. “The main work of a trial attorney is to make a jury like his client.” – Clarence Darrow
6. “The way to love anything is to realize that it might be lost.” – G. K. Chesterton
7. “The key to properly using the shortcut feature of scarcity is to be alert to the distinction between naturally occurring, honest scarcity and the fabricated variety favored by certain compliance practitioners.”