Weapons of Influence

Weapon of Influence: A psychological principle that directs human behavior by producing a distinct automatic, mindless compliance from people – a willingness to say yes without thinking first.

Stereo-Typed Behavior: In order to more effectively deal with the complexity of life, we have default behaviors that trigger in certain situations. These behaviors usually guide us to the correct course of action. However, they make us vulnerable to anyone who knows how they work.

The 6 Fundamental Weapons of Influence

1. Reciprocation: We feel obligated to “return the favor”
2. Commitment and Consistency: When we assert a commitment we feel pressure to live up to it
3. Social Proof: We tend to align our judgments with what we think other people’s judgments are
4. Liking: We are more likely to comply with someone if we like them or are attracted to them
5. Authority: We are more likely to obey people we think have authority and status
6. Scarcity: We tend to want things that are scarce
7. (Obvious) Material Self-Interest: “…people want to get the most and pay the least for their choices.”

Techniques in Chapter 1

Provide a reason: “A well-known principle of human behavior says that when we ask someone to do us a favor we will be more successful if we provide a reason”. Be sure to include the word “because”. “People simply like to have a reason for what they do”.

The Contrast Principle: When comparing two items, “if the second item is fairly different from the first, we will tend to see it as more different than it actually is”.

• Ex: Show undesirable houses first, then show the house you want to sell
• Ex: Normally they would refuse to buy a tie that costs X. But after buying a suit that costs XXXX, X doesn’t seem like much.

Reciprocation

Definition: “…we try to repay, in kind, what another person has provided us.” – we feel future obligation to the

Notes

• It does not matter if you like the other person
• It works on uninvited favors
• It can trigger unfair exchanges – a small initial favor can produce a sense of obligation to agree to a larger return favor
• It works with concessions – if you concede to something, they are likely to concede too

Examples

• Provide someone with a small favor before asking for a request
• Do favors for people, later you can call upon them when you need it

How to Defend Yourself

• Pay attention to people asking you favors. If you decide that it was just a tactic/trick, instead of an honest favor, then say no

Techniques

Rejection-Then-Retreat Technique: Start with a large request that you think they will reject. When they do, offer a concession – a smaller request. They will be more likely to respond with a concession of their own. Note: The initial request cannot be too ridiculous

• Uses the Contrast Principle (makes second request seem smaller)

Commitment and Consistency

Definition: “It is, quite simply, our nearly obsessive desire to be (and to appear) consistent with what we have already done. Once we have made a choice or taken a stand, we will encounter personal and interpersonal pressures to behave consistently with that commitment.”

Notes

• Commitment is key – get them to “go on record” about something.
• Getting them to make a commitment can change their self-image which leads to internal pressure to being consistent
• Making commitments public can lead to external pressure to be consistent
• The more work that goes into making a commitment, the stronger it will be
• The commitment will be stronger if they accept inner responsibility for it (as opposed to external pressure) – this can happen if they feel they are doing something for a just cause
• Once the commitment is set, the victim will then continue to create reasons to justify their commitment

Examples

• First get them to the small task of signing a petition stating they are for or against something. Then ask them to do a larger task (buy something, advertise for you, etc.) that’s in line with the petition.
• The Chinese had their Prisoners of War write letters about the greatness of their captors even if they didn’t believe in it. However, over time this caused them to have more positive feelings towards the captors
• If you want to change your own behavior then write it down – make a commitment (ex: write down your goals)
• Fraternity brothers making a pledge to their fraternity gets them to do horrible things

How to Defend Yourself

• Be careful not to comply just based on a prior commitment. You will usually feel that something is wrong in your stomach or heart – like there is pressure on you to behave a certain way. Ask yourself – “Knowing what I know now, if I could go back in time, would I make the same choice?”

Techniques

Foot-In-The-Door Technique: Start with a little request that gets them to make a commitment about something so that you can gain their compliance.

Write Down Commitments: Writing down commitments is powerful. Written statements can easily be made public. If you make it public then there will be external pressure for them to be consistent.

Throwing a Low Ball: Get the prospect to decide to buy something by offering a low price (they make a commitment to buy) but then you realize an “error” was made and the price is higher

Social Proof

Definition: “…one means we use to determine what is correct is to find out what other people think is correct. The principle applies especially to the way we decide what constitutes correct behavior. We view a behavior as more correct in a given situation to the degree that we see others performing it.”

• “The greater number of people who find any idea correct, the more the idea will be correct.”

Notes

• Social proof is more influential when there is uncertainty – we are unsure of ourselves or the situation is unclear → we look to others to see their reactions
• It’s easy to forget that in an unclear situation everyone else is probably looking around for social evidence too.
• Pluralistic Ignorance: We like to look poised and sophisticated around others. Therefore in states of emergency we may look around to see everyone else calm and collected. Then a possible emergency becomes a non-emergency. However, if there was only a single person then the situation may have been correctly interpreted as an emergency.
• If you’re in a bad situation don’t leave any uncertainty (ex: Point directly at someone and ask them specifically for help or to do something)
• Social proof is more influential when you are observing people that you believe are similar to you

Examples

• A persuasive leader just needs to persuade a handful of people. Then just by the number of people, others will begin to follow the leader too. (Ex: A cult)
• TV ads showing people praising a product

How to Defend Yourself

• Look out for when social evidence has been purposely falsified. Also, when you’re feeling uncertain about something, be aware that others are also likely feeling uncertain and they may just be behaving calmly so that they don’t look foolish.

Liking

Definition: “…we most prefer to say yes to the request of someone we know and like.”

Notes

• Good-looking and attractive people have an advantage
• We like people that are similar to us
• Just small similarities can be very effective
• We like things that are familiar to us (the more times we’ve been exposed to it the better – but the exposures need to be enjoyable)
• We like things that are associated with good things (ex: we like a person less if they bring us bad news)

Examples

• Compliance professionals will first try to get you to like them
• Sales programs include grooming and fashion advice (become more attractive)
• Claim to have a background and interests that are similar to the victim
• Give people compliments and flattery
• Compliance professionals make it seem like we and they are working towards the same goals
• Compliance professionals try to associate themselves with things they know we like or anything that is positive. They try to separate themselves from anything that’s negative.
• Visibly manipulate your connections to appear more connected to positive things. Then people will thing more highly of you.
• Use the word “we” to make it seem like you’re on a team
• You can also try to make the connections of people you’re associated with seem more positive

How to Defend Yourself

• Notice when you think you’ve began to like someone more quickly and deeply than you think you should have given the circumstances.
• Keep your feelings about someone separate from your thoughts on a deal

Techniques

• Mirror and Match: match the “customer’s body posture, mood, and verbal style”
• Luncheon Technique: People like things more that they experience while they are eating. Likely due to them associating the experience with the positive event of eating food.

Authority

Definition: People are more obedient towards people they view as authority figures.

Notes

• The appearance of authority is all that’s needed
• We associate a larger size with more status (taller, more muscles, etc.)

Examples

• Wear clothes or uniform that make it look like you have more authority (doctors outfit, tailored suit, expensive clothes, etc.)
• Put a title with your name like Dr or PhD

How to Defend Yourself

• Be wary of people that appear as authority figures. Ask yourself if they are actually experts – focus on their credentials and the relevance of their credentials towards the topic.
• If you believe they are an expert ask yourself how trustworthy they are in the given situation – If they gain something by giving a certain answer then you should be more cautious. Are they actually convincing you or just flaunting their authority.

Scarcity

Definition: “…opportunities seem more valuable to us when their availability is limited.”

• “As a rule, if it is rare or becoming rate, it is more valuable.”

Notes

• “…people seem more motivated by the thought of losing something than by the thought of gaining something of equal value”.
• People hate when their freedoms are limited or threatened (freedom to have something)
• Experiencing the scarcity happen makes it more powerful. Make people know it’s abundant and then make it scarce (as opposed to it being limited all along)
• Being in competition for the scarce resource motivates people more

Examples

• Imperfect items can make them valuable since they are more scarce
• Censoring information can make people desire the information more or make it seem more believable
• Parents who offered their kid sweets have a hard time taking them away. It would have been better if they made the sweets scarce the entire time.

How to Defend Yourself

• Don’t confuse the joy you’ll get from the function of an item with the joy you’ll get from merely owning it. Question what exactly you want from it. Also, be aware of when items become scarce all of a sudden.

Techniques

• Limited Number Tactic: Inform the client that there is a limited number of something to buy and they won’t last long
• Deadline Tactic: A time limit is placed on a customer making a purchase
• Right Now Deadline: The customer needs to make the decision right now or the deal will go away