6 Persuasion Principles To Sell More To Your Customers

What if I told you, that there are certain truths that when, and if uncovered, will unlock vast amounts of opportunity to improve your business? In 1985 Dr. Robert Cialdini published the book “Persuasion”. Inside, were outlined principles that told the fundamental truths in the art of persuading people, based on his years studying remarkable compliance artists working the trade of pursuasion.

Knowing these truths, is paramount in being able to truly create a business that can stand the test of time. It does not matter if you have the best ideas, or the best product, because if you do not know anything about human nature, you will not be able to create a business that caters to other human beings.

Dr. Cialdini found 6 key stone principles present in persuasion. They will be outlined and also explained in-depth, as well as have a concrete example so that business owners have an idea on how to actually apply these learnings to their business.

“Knowing these truths, is paramount in being able to truly create a business that can stand the test of time”

6 PRINCIPLES OF PURSUASION

1.) Reciprocity

Pay every debt, as if God wrote the bill.

— Ralph Waldo Emerson

The principle of reciprocation, stands on the fact that, we as humans, have evolved to work together as a group, and that one can surmise that our ancestors were able to survive and procreate, due to the fact that people actually helped each other through small acts of altruism, with the expectation of reciprocating in the future. There is a strong cultural pressure to reciprocate for example, a gift, or a favor in almost any culture in the world.

The reciprocity principle works in this way. If a person gives you something, may it be a small gift, or a small favor, you’re culturally wired to actually feel indebted to this person, and will subsequently feel compelled to comply to his/her request. You will also feel as if you need to give something back in the future. So how can a business make use of this principle?

• By giving out freebies: When you do this, you actively create a sense of indebtedness to your customer. He or she will be more inclined to buy something from you or to comply with a different request such as signing up for your newsletter or membership.
• Personalized gifts: Give your customers something specially made for them. This can be accomplished by tracking consumer data. You will be able to find out what their preferences are through their buying habits, therefore, it will be easy to know which gifts will be the best for them.
• Concession tactic: You offer something expensive for sale, and then after refusal, you offer something cheaper, but also of good quality. You should expect a sale by now. This works because the reciprocity principle also works here, through offering a rejection, the person now feels indebted to concede to the smaller request to not feel bad about themselves.

2.) Commitment and Consistency

It is easier to resist at the beginning than at the end.

— Leonardo Da Vinci

People want to keep their thoughts and beliefs consistent with what they have already done or decided. Why? because it offers a shortcut to the complexities of life, in a world bombarded with so much stimuli, being consistent allows us a very convenient reason to not think too much about anything so that we can conserve a lot of energy. And our brains are actually hardwired to go to the path of least resistance, because if it conserves energy, that means it will have a higher chance to survive because resources are finite!

So if you’re able to convince one of your customers to a cause, or a membership, or a monthly payment, even over the phone. They will be more likely to honor what they said because again, people want to be consistent with their beliefs and actions! it’s a whole lot easier to do something because you’ve already done it, rather than to actively question and analyze each and every option their is in this infinite world.

people want to be consistent with their beliefs and actions!

• Initial small requests: Start with a very small request first, like having them try out one of your cheapest products. They will eventually come to believe that they actually support your brand and will continue to do so long after the act.
• Have them commit publicly: People want to be consistent, most especially when they know people will judge them if they aren’t. Ask your customers to share a Facebook post with your brand on it. These small acts will catch up with them later on when they finally realize that they suddenly like your brand.
• Start with a small order: “The general idea is to pave the way for full line distribution by starting with a small order…look at it this way — when a person has signed an order for your merchandise, even through the profit is so small it hardly compensates for the time and effort of making the call, he is no longer a prospect — he is a customer.” (Influence pp. 72)

3.) Social Proof

Where all think alike, no one thinks very much.

— Walter Lippmann

Humans are social animals. We like getting along with other humans because if we don’t, we won’t survive and be able to procreate, and subsequently pass down our genes to have our own progeny. When we see other people doing something, we’re more likely to follow their course of action because “other people are doing it”. People like to conform because it feels good to be a part of a group.

• Celebrity: Having celebrities endorse your brand is one good way to utilize this principle. People will line up to use your business, when they see their idols a.k.a. people they like, use your brand.
• Web ratings- Admit it. You’re more likely to try out a product when you see it has 5 stars as the rating, instead of 1 star.
• Referrals- ask for referrals. When people are referred by someone they personally know, they will be much more likely to actually go with the purchase.
• Crowd effect- Having a crowd line up to your business sends signals to other people that your store must have something that they want. People will most likely, for example, eat at a restaurant that already has a group of people eating, rather than go to a place that’s devoid of customers.

4. Liking

The main work of a trial attorney is to make a jury like his client.

— Clarence Darrow

As a rule, we are more likely to comply to requests from people whom we know and like. This is why brands usually hire attractive people to represent their brand. Also, ever notice how people who have similarities have some sort of natural connection? People who discover they both like the same type of music for example.

• Brand appearance- Take the time to make sure that your brands aesthetics is well portrayed. Is your coffee shop’s interior pleasing to the eyes? is your website well designed? People will want to go to your brand when it of course, looks good.
• Social media- Use social media to interact and engage with your customers. To show them that your brand cares and relates to them. Don’t just use your social media to announce things, use it to relate with your client base.
• Branding- Associate your brand with the same values that are in line with what you believe in. If your brand stays true with its word, it will attract the type of customers that believe in your cause.

5.) Authority

Follow an expert.

— Virgil

Humans are hierarchical creatures, and we have this innate tendency to more likely believe a person we perceive that is in a position of power. Brands can use these factors to convince their customers that they are an authority in the products that they are trying to sell. Milligram’s psychological experiments on authority would probably be the best example of this principle.

• Authority endorsers- Get positive referrals or endorsements from authorities in your industry’s niche. If you are a 3rd wave coffee shop for example, try getting a coffee bean consultant as a speaker, or someone who would recommend your brand.
• Clothes- Clothes are one of the material symbols that you can utilize to signal authority. Make sure that your staff and managers have uniforms that command dignity and respect.

we have this innate tendency to more likely believe a person we perceive that is in a position of power.

6.) Scarcity

The way to love anything is to realize that it might be lost.

— G.K. Chesterton

When something is not very common, or is in very few supply, it’s value raises tremendously. And for most people, the fear of loss is a more significant motivator for people than the prospect of gaining something. This is called Loss Aversion, and business owners can use this principle in a myriad of different ways.

• 1 Day sales- use these to convince your otherwise apprehensive customers to buy your products because, it’ll only be until today! The idea of not being able to buy something valuable for 40% off is a bit off putting for people.
• Limited edition- having only a few stocks of something valuable will definitely drive up its value because of its scarcity, and
• Expiring coupons- Give out expiring coupons, so that you’ll be sure that your customers will come back before the date of expiration.

These principles are practically guaranteed to stand the test of time. These are guidelines on how people are usually persuaded through taking advantage of our psychological tendencies, based from thousands of years of evolution. Know these principles by heart, and you will be able to understand why people will buy from you — things that all aspiring entrepreneurs should know.

In the upcoming articles, we will delve even further on each individual principles so that you can truly understand and utilize their full potential.