Influence

1. “Excuse me, I have five pages. May I use the Xerox machine because I have to make some copies? The result was that once again nearly all (93 percent) agreed, even though no real reason, no new information, was added to justify their compliance. Just as the “cheep-cheep” sound of turkey chicks triggered an automatic mothering response from maternal turkeys—even when it emanated from a stuffed polecat—so, too, did the word “because” trigger an automatic compliance response.”

2. “The truly gifted negotiator, then, is one whose initial position is exaggerated enough to allow for a series of reciprocal concessions that will yield a desirable final offer from the opponent, yet is not so outlandish as to be seen as illegitimate from the start.”

3. “It is much more profitable for salespeople to present the expensive item first, not only because to fail to do so will lose the influence of the contrast principle; to fail to do so will also cause the principle to work actively against them. Presenting an inexpensive product first and following it with an expensive one will cause the expensive item to seem even more costly as a result—hardly a desirable consequence for most sales organizations.”

4. “It is odd that despite their current widespread use and looming future importance, most of us know very little about our automatic behavior patterns. Perhaps that is so precisely because of the mechanistic, unthinking manner in which they occur. Whatever the reason, it is vital that we clearly recognize one of their properties: They make us terribly vulnerable to anyone who does know how they work.”

5. “food servers trained to mimic customers’ words received higher tips; (b) salespeople instructed to mirror customers’ verbal and nonverbal behavior sold more electronic equipment; and (c) negotiators taught to imitate opponents’ language or body movements got better results whether they were American, Dutch, or Thai.”

6. “There is nothing more effective in selling anything than getting customers to believe, really believe, you like them.”

1. Reciprocity: People Feel Obligated to Return Favors

When someone does something for us, we feel psychologically obligated to return the favor. This principle is so powerful that people will often return favors that are larger than the original gesture. Give first, and give genuinely, to activate this deep-seated human tendency.

2. Commitment and Consistency Drive Behavior

People want to appear consistent with their previous commitments and self-image. Once someone takes a position or makes a commitment (especially publicly or in writing), they're much more likely to follow through. Small initial commitments lead to larger ones because people want to be consistent.

3. Social Proof: We Follow What Others Do

When uncertain about how to behave, people look to others for guidance. This is especially powerful when the "others" are similar to us. Testimonials, reviews, crowd behavior, and social media metrics all leverage our tendency to follow the crowd when making decisions.

4. Liking: We Say Yes to People We Like

People are more easily influenced by those they like. We like people who are similar to us, who compliment us, who are physically attractive, and who we associate with positive things. Building genuine rapport and finding common ground increases your ability to influence others.

5. Authority and Scarcity Trigger Automatic Responses

People defer to authority figures and react strongly to scarcity. Credentials, titles, uniforms, and expertise symbols trigger compliance. Meanwhile, limited quantities, time constraints, and exclusive access create urgency and desire. These triggers work because they're usually reliable shortcuts for decision-making.