Page 121 - Today’s Business Communication; A How-to Guide for the Modern Professional

110 TODAY’S BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

Cialdini’s Principles of Influence
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Now that you have a better understanding of how audiences evaluate
you and your persuasive appeals, let’s turn our attention to specific tactics
that you can use to enhance your attempts at persuasion and influence.
To do so, we rely heavily on the work of marketing and influence guru
Dr. Robert Cialdini, whose work on influence has resulted in what he
calls the six principles of influence. Those principles are commitment/
consistency, authority, liking, reciprocity, scarcity, and social proof. Let’s
look at each principle and how they have been used.

Commitment/Consistency

This principle suggests that people have a need to be consistent. When
people make a commitment to do something, or when they publicly
express a particular set of values, they will be more likely to act consis-
tently with those commitments. For example, Jason lost some weight a
couple of years ago by using the Weight Watchers diet. The diet has no
mystery—eat fewer calories and you will lose weight. Jason understands
that basic idea, but why was the diet effective? It was effective because
Jason made a public commitment to lose weight and was held publicly
accountable through meetings. This principle tells us that if we can get
others to make commitments publicly, they will work to behave in line
with those commitments.
If you listen to public radio, then you are familiar with their pledge
campaigns. One way that our local station uses this principle is by telling
listeners that they share the station’s values. They will begin pitches by say-
ing things like, “We know that you value public radio. We know that you
share our love of objective journalism that is free from corporate influence.
You share our desire for truth in reporting. We know that you are commit-
ted to keeping public radio alive.” The radio station is using commitment
to set the stage for asking for a donation. Listeners are left with the choice
of agreeing with the statement and making a contribution, agreeing with
the statement and making no contribution, or disagreeing with the state-
ment and making a decision about the contribution. Those who agree and
really care will be more likely to respond favorably to the appeal.