The science of persuasion and how to create your tribe
How mastering Cialdini’s 7 Principles of Persuasion can help your business grow
Robert Cialdini is the author of the hugely successful bestselling book on persuasion ‘Influence’ in which he outlines seven key principles behind the psychology of why people say ‘yes’.
As a three-time New York Times bestselling author, with more than five million copies sold throughout the world, he’s earned the rather cool moniker “The Godfather of Influence.”
So what are the key principles of persuasion? And how can you apply them to your business? Let’s dive in 👇
Reciprocity
Have you ever turned up somewhere during the festive season and been given a surprise gift by someone and not had something to give them back? It feels awkward, right? And if this has ever happened to you, you probably thought at that exact moment that you should scramble around for a gift to give them the next time you see them. That’s reciprocity in action. When someone does something nice for you, you feel obligated to do something nice for them. Someone does you a favour, you feel like you owe them a favour.
Here’s a different scenario: imagine you’re out for a meal and at the end of your dinner the friendly waiter brings you some of those little mint chocolates with your bill. Cialdini’s first rule of persuasion suggests that you then feel obligated to give them something back, like a tip or a positive review on Google.
So how does that work for brands? Well you could offer a free workshop, training course or webinar. Giving your audience something of value will likely lead to them wanting to give you something in return, whether it’s signing up to your newsletter or recommending you to a friend.
Consistency and commitment
Talking of signing up to newsletters, although it’s a small step, once someone’s made it there’s an increased likelihood that they’ll go through with a further step, like actually attending the webinar you’re hosting, providing feedback, or ultimately becoming a paying customer. This rule is most powerful when you make it easy for the audience, so if you have encouraged people to sign up to a newsletter and attend a webinar, one way you can make it super simple is to enable them to add it straight to their calendar.
Social Proof
People are social creatures. When we’re uncertain about something we often look to the actions of others to determine what we should do. There’s a reason restaurants like to fill up seats by the windows first (you’re far more likely to choose the restaurant that looks busy than the one that’s empty).
The truth is the majority of us don’t want to be early adopters as it doesn’t feel safe, we’ll look to the herd to see what the consensus of a product or service is. Think of the review and star rating system in Amazon - it plays a huge part in whether you decide to buy something or not.
So for brands, using social proof can be incredibly powerful. Whether it’s featuring customer testimonials and case studies on your website or leveraging the influence of experts and industry leaders in your field, social proof is all about building a customer base that will ultimately champion your brand for you.
Authority
This principle is based on the idea that we’re more likely to listen to and take advice from people of authority (experts or leaders in their field). Imagine if a doctor was to advise you on some medication - you’re far more likely to listen to their advice than a friend. You don’t even need to know the doctor well, you’d instinctively trust them more based on their position of authority, the diplomas on their wall, the certification, and the way they talk. So for your brand, building up a position of authority makes it more likely for consumers to trust the content you’re putting out. There are so many ways you can build trust and authority in your space, the main one being a consistent and compelling content strategy and aligning with other trusted voices in your field of expertise.
Liking
Simply put, the more you like someone the more likely you are to do something for them. We tend to like people who are similar to us, people who share the same interests and hobbies and have similar views on the world. It’s becoming more and more clear that people like companies that align with their own values - check out this blog on brand authenticity and brand positioning for more information.
Scarcity
Companies love to play on your fear of missing out or ‘FOMO’. Items reduced for a limited time only, a deal that expires in 24 hours or those ‘only two rooms’ left and ‘20 people are looking at this’ messages that pop-up on booking websites all the time.
When there’s less availability of something we tend to value and want it more. So for your brand that could be giving a limited window of opportunity for people to sign up to an offer, highlighting how quickly a product is selling or creating deadlines when a certain deal expires.
Unity
It’s in our nature to want to belong, to want to be part of a group or community that have similar beliefs and ideologies to our own. You want to create a ‘tribe’ between your brand and your audience, where people feel they’re part of your community. A great example of this in action is VW Campervans and the whole outdoor travel ethos they’ve created (VW drivers will often wave to each other, form clubs and be active in a variety of forums). Clever brand positioning, brand authenticity and utilising the social proof principle can all aid the creation of this ‘tribe’ mentality.