Influence – The Psychology of Persuasion, written by Robert B. Cialdini (1984) is considered to be one of the most important books on business ever written by industry gurus such as Guy Kawasaki (Apple Inc. Evangelist) and Paul Allen (Microsoft Co-Founder).
About Robert Cialdini
Author, Robert Cialdini, conducted prolific scientific research on selling which led him to write about his discoveries. During his research phase, Cialdini was obsessed with finding out what led people to say “yes” during a sales transaction. His research has earned him a place in history as a respected social scientist and expert on the psychology of persuasion.
Six Major Principles of Influence
Working “undercover” for a diverse set of clients including owners of car dealerships and multi-level marketing companies Cialdini discovered what he thought were the six universal principles of influence.
They are:
Reciprocity: Humans innately feel obliged to return favors.
Commitment & Consistency: We want to be seen as being consistent in our opinions and actions.
Social Proof: We rely on the actions of others to determine what we should do.
Authority: We trust the opinions of “experts” to help us make decisions.
Liking: We are more likely to be persuaded by people we like.
Scarcity: We tend to find items that are in short supply to be more desirable.
Elaine Allan, BA, MBA
Technology & Business Blogger
Vancouver, BC, Canada