Recently I read an article
called "Harnessing the Science of Persuasion" by Robert B. Cialdini.
The article got me thinking about persuasion and I came to the realization that
persuasion is like a game. If you are able to convince someone to do something
that they did not want to do or if you can make someone believe something that
they did not previously believe then you are considered a winner in the game of
persuasion. But how do you master the art of persuasion? If you want to be a
great basketball player then you practice and work hard to develop the skills
to be able to perform at a certain level. Persuasion also takes practice and
over time we are able to learn which tactics to use depending on the person and
the situation.
The article highlighted general advice that is important to use on a
daily basis so that when it comes time to persuade someone you barely need to
open your mouth to get them to commit because they already have trust in you. I
felt that the advice was extremely helpful and interesting so I thought that I
should share it with the intention of helping others get to the winners bracket
in the game of persuasion.
First Cialdini talks about the
principle of liking and he explains that people like those who like them. The
application of this process is to uncover real similarities and offer genuine
praise. It is important to establish a bond when you first meet someone because
it creates a presumption of goodwill and trustworthiness in every subsequent
encounter you have. Whether it is politics, sports, or movies it is important
to display interest in others and find a common bond. Next the article talked
about the principle of reciprocity and how people repay in kind. The moral of
this principle is that we must give what we want to receive. If you lend a
fellow classmate a hand by sending them a study guide for your upcoming final,
you will significantly increase the chance of getting help when you need it. He
emphasized the power of social proof by explaining that people follow the lead
of similar others. We must use peer power whenever it’s available. As human
beings we naturally rely heavily on the people around us for cues on how to
think, feel, and act. Cialdini talked about the importance of consistency by
explaining that people align with their clear commitments. It is important to
make commitments active, public, and voluntary. Commitments should always be
put in writing .In addition it is important to expose your expertise because
people defer to experts. Very often people mistakenly assume that others
recognize and appreciate their experience. It is best to use informal, social
conversations to establish your credentials. It is also extremely beneficial to
highlight unique benefits and exclusive information because it is human nature
to want more of what you can have less of.
After reading
this article I felt like I had just gone to persuasion practice. It is amazing
to me that in order to master the art of persuasion it is not just about small
little tactics. Instead the mastery of persuasion is a direct reflection of
your past actions and encounters with the individual you are trying to
persuade. Think about it. In your
group of friends do you believe some individuals more than others? Maybe it is
because they have harnessed the science of persuasion.
-Shannon Funsch
I completely agree that the art of persuasion is definitely a game and is an important, if not the most important skill to learn. And just like any other game, there are those naturally gifted in it and others who will have to learn, as you said, through practice. However, the delivery of persuasion is hard to practice as you can't really set up situations yourself but rather must act upon it when the opportunity presents itself to you. But I think the suggestions you listed above are a great way to build a foundation for when that opportunity does come your way, setting yourself up to take advantage of it. However, I think the most important aspect of this is to be genuine, otherwise you can easily come across as bossy or manipulative and definitely burn bridges this way.
ReplyDeleteThis article about persuasion reminds me about Stanley Milgram's obedience study. In his famous experiment he looked at why people would be persuaded by the experimenter and submit to his authority. Even though the test subjects knew that it was wrong to shock the person on the other side of the wall, they continued to do it anyway because the power and authority of the guy wearing the lab jacket. This famous study helps explain the discrepancy between our expected and actual behavior as a change in psychology which is referred to as the agentic shift. When people submit to authority they are no longer themselves, no longer autonomous and responsible for themselves. It takes different degrees of persuasion to transform some one and submit to authority. I've encountered this experiment in multiple classes and seems to have many practical applications.
ReplyDeleteI have always been envious of people who are able to use persuasion to get what they want. Every aspect of life outside of the bubble of college uses some sort of persuasion, whether it be to convince people of the truth or to convince people of lies. There is nothing left in our life that is mapped out for us. Living at home, we had our parents to run our lives and the only persuasion we really ever needed was to get curfew extended or ask a teacher for a certain grade. Now, life isn't handed to us and people feel no obligation to give us the position or offer a job just people we asked nicely. Instead, we must show that we deserve it and persuade people that we are the best candidate. Without mastering this "game" we fall short and people will overlook our possibilities.
ReplyDeleteThe idea of persuasion reminds me of an article I "stumbled upon" about charisma and how to use it to get what we want. It made me realize that the most successful people had both charisma and persuasion mastered.
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/4slMz5/:s+2UQvrF:Dc1hwAq4/www.highexistence.com/8-ways-to-be-uber-charismatic/
This article was extremely interesting and I thought that the 6 principles that Cialdini suggested were very broad ideas that you can incorporate into your everyday life. I have always thought that I change my tactics based on who I am talking to and what I am trying to persuade. These are really interesting things that I really do think would improve my relationships with my friends and make me appear more trustworthy and therefore when it comes time to persuade them they will believe me. This makes me think about persuasion in a different perspective and I now will think about these different ways to approach people when I meet new people and even for people I already know. I think of these as principles that earn trust. As an I said before, when people trust you they are more willing to agree and listen to what you have to say. I think I am a very trustworthy person and have proven myself to many of my friends, which is why I have always been such a persuasive person.
ReplyDelete