Page 122 - Today’s Business Communication; A How-to Guide for the Modern Professional

WhY MUST I kNOW hOW TO INFLUENCE AND PERSUADE OThERS? 111

Authority
The authority principle suggests that people tend to defer to those with
expertise. Stanley Milgram demonstrated this principle through his classic
experiments in which subjects continued to deliver what they believed to
be electrical shocks to others simply because a researcher in a lab coat
instructed them to do so. Don’t worry. No real shocks were ever delivered.
The studies are fascinating and still controversial. If you followed our
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advice above, then you should have greater influence. If you are not the
recognized expert on a particular topic, you should enlist the help of those
who are thought to be experts.

Liking

The liking principle is simple. People are more likely to say yes to requests
from people they like. Jason’s pantry shelf holds evidence of this principle.
His wife has been invited by a friend to Pampered Chef parties. His wife,
because she likes her friend, feels a sense of obligation to the friend and
purchases boxes of cooking utensils that now collect dust in the pantry. The
best way to enhance your liking is to demonstrate similarities that you have
with your audience. In the social media age, the power of liking as a tool
of influence may become more prominent. We have the power to turn to
our social networks for information and advice, even when it isn’t solicited.

Reciprocity
The reciprocity principle suggests that people return favors. When you
help others, they are more likely to help you when you need it. In a recent
interview, Cialdini said, “Get in the habit of helping people out, and
don’t wave it away and say, ‘Oh, no big deal.’ We have serious persuasive
power immediately after someone thanks us.” We see reciprocity as the
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foundation of professional networking, and it just happens to be a pow-
erful tool of influence.

Scarcity
The scarcity principle suggests that people place tremendous value on
things that they believe to be in short supply. You need not look much