Get What You Want In Life With The Seven Powerful Principles of Persuasion

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Get What You Want In Life With The Seven Powerful Principles of Persuasion

“Persuasion is grounded in basic scientific practical and learnable principles.” — Harvard Business Review

Have you ever find it difficult to say no to your friends, colleagues and family members? Ever felt trapped into buying something you didn’t really want or hoodwinked into saying yes? Time and again, people in every culture have developed certain predictable reactions to common situations in the persuasion process. It is because of these reactions to certain stimuli that make it possible to predict behavior and for that reason to persuade. Unfortunately it is also these same reactions that make it possible to manipulate or be manipulated by unscrupulous individuals.

Politicians, sales professionals, network marketers, insurance agents, colleagues, friends and family members all have an interest in you agreeing to their requests.

So how do you know whether you have been manipulated unfairly or ethically persuaded?

Although this article looks at the Seven Principles of Persuasion that govern getting to “yes”. And you would have already know your success largely depends upon your ability to persuade and influence others to accept and adopt your point of view. I assert to you that in addition to this, there is a direct correlation between your ability to persuade others and the level of income you receive.

Therefore, knowledge of these Seven Principles of Persuasion would certainly empower you.

Principle #1: PRINCIPLE OF RECIPROCATION

This principle states that when we give something of apparent value, people will respond with a desire to offer something in return.

According to Bob Stone, professor of Direct Marketing at the Northwestern University

and founder of his own direct marketing advertising agency, Stone and Adler, Inc.: “It’s not at all unusual for the right gift to increase the response by 25 percent or more.”

It is no wonder that super salesmen like Zig Ziglar have made this the foundation of how they operate. Zig has always said this: “You can have whatever you want as long as you help enough people to first get what they want.” We can see this powerful principle in practice all around us. Supermarkets offer free samples, car dealers offer test drives, health clubs free workouts, builders offer free surveys and so forth so that potential customers try out the product or service and at the same time become indebted at some psychological level.

It is also common practice, at Tupperware home parties, for the presenter to give away an inexpensive Tupperware item or product sample. And

reciprocation is further reinforced by the generous offer of free refreshments and tidbits – This technique further obligates the partygoers to the host and the company.

You can build a sense of indebtedness in someone by delivering a number of uninvited “first favors” over time. They don’t have to be tangible gifts. In today’s world, useful information is one of the most valuable favors you can deliver.

Another form of reciprocity at work is “risk-reversal”. In marketing, this is offering a guarantee on the products so that you can overcome a prospect’s innate aversion to “taking a risk” and buying the product. With a guarantee, the risk is no longer on the buyer. By reversing the risk, much more sales are made and the customer and vendor are both satisfied. How can you apply “risk-reversal” in your life to get whatever you want? Let me demonstrate by

the example of Napoleon Hill, best selling author of “Think and Grow Rich”.

Napoleon Hill chose his future employer right out of college even though his future employer didn’t know about it. Here’s how he got the job. He went to the employer and essentially said, “Let me work for you for two weeks and I’ll pay you for the opportunity. Let what I pay you be drawn against my future earnings. At the end of two weeks, if you don’t like me, I’ll leave. If you like me, you hire me at the rate I’m paying you for the opportunity to show myself.”

Of course the employer immediately jumped at this idea. A fortnight later, Napoleon Hill had the job he had set out to get. Why did this work? It worked because he helped overcame the employer’s reluctance to hire an unproven fresh graduate. View it from the employer’s perspective, he either got an excellent employee

after two weeks or he got someone to pay him two weeks of wages and two weeks of free labor. For Hill’s employer, it was totally “Risk-Free”.

Can you think of three ways you can apply “risk-reversal” in your life to get more of what you want right now?

Principle #2: PRINCIPLE OF CONTRAST

This principle states that when two different items or circumstances are placed close together, their differences will be made more apparent.

“We can do this the hard way… or we can do this the easy way.” — Gangster Movie Script

I’m not advocating any acts of criminal intimidation here, but there is something to learn from the above quote. The way the Principle of Contrast goes like this – You offer your prospect two choices. One choice will be so ‘bad’ that no one in his or her right mind would take it. The second choice, the one

you want them to take, will seem in contrast to be the most attractive.

For example when two homes are in similar neighborhoods, real estate agents will usually say, “Before we look at the 0,000 home we should really take a look at the 0,000 home.” The more expensive home will always have more features and it is the last home the prospective home buyer will see. Psychologically as the last home is a much more decorated than the first, the less expensive home will appear a lot less attractive to the prospective home buyer.

Here’s another example: Retail store salespersons will always sell you the suit first, then offer you “add on” items like ties, belts, cardigans, etc. The additional to 0 for the extras is considerably less compared to the 0 suit. These retail store salespersons would never sell you the item first, then try to

persuade you to “add on” the suit! By the way, do you remember the last time when you availed yourself to a product and what items you were asked to buy in addition to your original purchase?

Remember when using the Principle of Contrast, we must always start with the choice that no one in his or her right mind would take first. It’s only then that the choice we want our prospects, loved ones or friends to take will be readily accepted.

Principle #3: PRINCIPLE OF CONSISTENCY

“It is easier to resist in the beginning than at the end.” — Leonardo da Vinci

Research shows that we humans have a nearly obsessive desire to be and appear consistent. Once we’ve made a decision or taken a stand, we feel pressure to act in ways consistent with that commitment. Usually once a decision is made, we usually don’t have to think about it any more.

If you are in insurance or network marketing sales, have you ever had prospects cancel appointments with you at the last minute? In a similar situation back in 1998, a certain Chicago restaurant owner was all ruffled up with last minute cancelled reservations. He solved his problem by asking his receptionists to modify just two words of what they said to patrons requesting a reservation. These two words reduced the no-show rate from 30% to 10%. The magic within these words was that they tapped the human desire to be consistent. The receptionist modified her usual request from “Please call if you have to change your plans” to “Will you please call if you have to change your plans?” At this point, she would deliberately pause and just wait for a response. The pause was critical because it encouraged the customer to make a public commitment. This principle also

worked well for my clients in the insurance industry.

Have you ever wondered why is it difficult for a person to leave a cult? That’s because cult members are unconsciously trying to justify their earlier assurance to their families and friends that no one is ordering them around and that they had chosen to do what they did.” With such public commitment or declaration, getting out can make these cult members feel really guilty.

In a coaching scenario, if a coach can create a situation in which his client or group makes an active verbal or written commitment, particularly if this is done in public, the chances of compliance shoot up dramatically. In reality, the magic of written goals derives its power from the client’s desire to be consistent. A second way to use the Principle of Consistency to persuade is for the coach to frame his request as related to

a commitment his client has made earlier on. For instance, “I know how committed you are to your family. The diligent application of the time management tools we are talking about will free you up for more quality family time, don’t you agree?”

Principle #4: PRINCIPLE OF LIKING

This principle states that people prefer to say yes to individuals they know and like.

The Master Persuader will always emphasize certain factors and/or attributes to increase their overall attractiveness and subsequent effectiveness. He will always use the following factors:

A) Physical Attractiveness
Majority of the population form conclusions about people within the first four minutes they meet. Research has shown that 93% of the time we are judged based on first impression and the remaining 7% is based on our real abilities.

This

means that sales professionals such as insurance, real estate agents with good dress sense are perceived as physically attractive and therefore more likely to influence more prospects to use their services.

Physical attractiveness also gives the impression of intelligence and kindness. As a result, attractive sales professionals and motivational speakers are more persuasive both in terms of changing others’ attitudes towards the business and getting what they request.

B) Similarity
We like people who are like ourselves and are therefore more willing to say yes to their requests, often without much critical consideration.

C) Praise
Sincere and lavish compliments almost certainly enhances liking. Remember Dale Carnegie? He advised all who wants to win friends and influence people to be hearty in their approbation and lavish in their

praise.

Research conducted at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found that inaccurate praise also induces the same intensity of liking for the flatterer. In fact, men will sacrifice their lives for praise, honor and recognition. Intrinsically, we crave and yearn for a boost to our esteem. We all wear an imaginary badge that says, “Please make me feel important.” And ironically most people would never think of physically harming someone or depriving them of food and water, yet often without reservation we will harm someone emotionally or deprive them of love and appreciation! To be a Master Persuader, we should make it a habit to give genuine sincere praise to someone every day. Don’t wait for a reason or for something big to happen. Be generous with your praise. Praise simply makes others more open to persuasion.

D) Increased Familiarity

& Frequency
Repeat contact between a prospect and direct sales professionals (like insurance agents and network marketers) always facilitates liking and influence the prospect’s decision to join the business. This principle explains the necessity to follow-up with your prospects. According to the ‘McGraw Hill Sales Statistical Studies’, 96% of all sales happen after 5.6 exposures to information (and, most importantly, the persuasive presenter).

Principle #5: PRINCIPLE OF AUTHORITY & POWER

This principle states that most people have a very strong tendency to obey authority figures and they also prefer products, services and opportunities that are endorsed by people whom they believe to be credible.

From a very young age, we are trained to obey. First our parents (and by default all adults), then teachers, policemen, managers and

so on. Eventually it defaults to anyone who seems to be our superior. We thus divide the world into those who are superior to us (and who are thus to be obeyed) and those who are inferior (and who should obey us). We also must be cautious not to equate superiority with authority.

Stanley Milgram was a famous Yale psychologist who is most remembered for his work with obedience to authority. Deeply disturbed by what had happened in Germany during World War II, Milgram carried out an experiment to find out whether it was indeed true, as many Nazi collaborators claimed, that ordinary people could be made to commit unspeakably cruel acts under the influence of authority figures.

Posing as an education researcher, Milgram hired an actor to pose as a “student” in the experiment and told his subjects he was studying “learning.” The actor was hooked up to wires

that, Milgram explained to his subjects, would deliver a shock whenever they pulled a lever. In his role as experimenter and authority figure clad in a white lab coat, Milgram instructed his subjects to deliver greater and greater shocks to the actor whenever he got answers wrong on a series of learning tests. The actor would howl theatrically in pain and often feign a heart attack before passing out.

How many subjects do you think continued to administer shocks to the actor to the point that they reached the dangerously fatal level? Sixty-eight percent of them obeyed orders to punish the actor! By donning on a white lab coat, Milgram had undoubtedly created an atmosphere of authority.

“The disappearance of a sense of responsibility is the most far-reaching consequence of submission to authority.” — Stanley Milgram, Yale University Psychologist
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