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August 16 - September 1, 2025
The principles—reciprocation, liking, social proof, authority, scarcity, commitment and consistency, and unity—are
one of the main motives (goals) of a persuader involves cultivating a positive relationship.
three motives of persuaders: reciprocation, liking, and unity for when relationship cultivation is primary; followed by social proof and authority for when reducing uncertainty is foremost; followed in turn by consistency and scarcity for when motivating action is the principle objective.
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. —Leonardo da Vinci
when we ask someone to do us a favor, we will be more successful if we provide a reason.
Price alone had become a trigger feature for quality,
inexpensive = bad rule that applies to our thinking
cheap doesn’t just mean inexpensive; it has also come to mean inferior.
“You get what you pay for”
You and I exist in an extraordinarily complicated environment, easily the most rapidly moving and complex ever on this planet. To deal with it, we need simplifying shortcuts.
Perceptual contrast—the tendency to see two things that are different from one another as being more different than they actually are—is
Reciprocation The Old Give and Take
most potent of the levers of influence around us—the rule of reciprocation.
The rule says that we should try to repay what another person has provided us.
Japanese word for thank you, sumimasen
a $5 “gift” check along with an insurance survey was twice as effective as offering a $50 payment for sending back a completed survey.
there is an obligation to give, an obligation to receive, and an obligation to repay.
One important reason concerns the clearly unpleasant character of the feeling of indebtedness. Most of us find it highly disagreeable to be in a state of obligation.
Japanese proverb makes this point eloquently: “There’s nothing more expensive than that which comes for free.”
it’s a case of heads I win, tails you lose.
“Knowledge sets us free”
92 percent of consumers trust product recommendations from someone they know, such as a liked friend,
What are the factors that cause one person to like another?
A halo effect occurs when one positive characteristic of a person dominates the way he or she is viewed in most other respects.
important fact about human nature: we are phenomenal suckers for flattery.
Find and give genuine compliments you want the recipient to live up to.
teachers don’t hoard information. They disseminate it.
Often we don’t realize our attitude toward something has been influenced by the number of times we have been exposed to it.
the research of education specialists into the concept of “cooperative learning.”
“Popularity is a data point that people can choose to use . . . We don’t want to suppress it if it’s helpful to members.”
95 percent of the people are imitators and only 5 percent initiators, people are persuaded more by the actions of others than by any proof we can offer.”
We ran an ad that focused on the great demand for our vehicles, how many people were buying them, and, consequently, how we needed to expand our sales force to keep up. As we hoped, we saw a significant jump in the number of applications to join our sales team.
the biggest effect we saw was an increase in customer floor traffic, an increase in sales in
your best strategy when in need of emergency help is to reduce the uncertainties of those around you concerning your condition and their responsibilities.
Be as precise as possible about your need for aid.
SOCIAL ACCEPTANCE We feel more socially accepted being one of the many.
“We have a deal. All you have to do is agree to this proposal.”
“loss aversion”—that people are more driven by the prospect of losing an item of value than by the prospect of gaining it—is
Scarcity: Less Is Best and Loss Is Worst
identify a feature of your product or service that is unique or so uncommon that it can’t be obtained elsewhere at the same price or at all.
Scarcity—highlighting items low in stock. Social Proof—describing most popular and trending items. Urgency—using time limits, often with a countdown timer. Concessions—offering discounts for visitors to stay on the site. Authority/Expertise—informing visitors of alternative products that are available. Liking—including a welcoming message.
employee commitment is highly related to employee productivity.
If we have no peace, it’s because we have forgotten that we belong to one another. —Mother Teresa
that person is one of us.”
unity rule of influence can thus be worded: People are inclined to say yes to someone they consider one of them.
People say yes to someone they consider one of them.
The perception of belonging together with others is one fundamental factor leading to feelings of “we”-ness.
Not only is the informational power of our digital devices unprecedented, but it can be addicting
people check their phones on average over one hundred times a day,
