One technique useful to achieving success in life is the ability to influence others. This is true not just for getting what you want, but also for encouraging others to change the world in ways you want it to change. Here are some keys to rallying others to your causes, from influence expert Robert Cialdini:
- Reciprocation: People give back to you the kind of treatment that they have received from you.
- Scarcity: People will try to seize the opportunities that you offer them which are rare or dwindling in availability.
- Authority: People will be most persuaded by you when they see you as having knowledge and credibility on the topic.
- Commitment: People will feel a need to comply with your request if it is consistent with what they have publicly committed themselves to in your presence.
- Affability: People prefer to say yes to your request to the degree that they know and like you.
- Consensus: People will be likely to say yes to your request if you give them evidence that people just like them have been saying yes to it.
Cialdini says that successfully influencing others requires using the factors above to arrange for a favorable psychological environment before making a request. What do you want? Whatever it is, you can probably use these factors to successfully encourage others to help you make it happen.
- Reciprocation: People give back to you the kind of treatment that they have received from you.
- Scarcity: People will try to seize the opportunities that you offer them which are rare or dwindling in availability.
- Authority: People will be most persuaded by you when they see you as having knowledge and credibility on the topic.
- Commitment: People will feel a need to comply with your request if it is consistent with what they have publicly committed themselves to in your presence.
- Affability: People prefer to say yes to your request to the degree that they know and like you.
- Consensus: People will be likely to say yes to your request if you give them evidence that people just like them have been saying yes to it.
Cialdini says that successfully influencing others requires using the factors above to arrange for a favorable psychological environment before making a request. What do you want? Whatever it is, you can probably use these factors to successfully encourage others to help you make it happen.
3 Comments:
I am of the opinion that people of influence normally have the ability to take advantage of one of the above mentioned caracteristics without necessarily having knowledge of them. Some people command your respect from the moment you meet them, and for no apparent reason. Along the same line, some people are naturally likeable while others seem to be quite genuine. It is very difficult, I think, for someone who does not possess these qualities to fake them
By MegaP, at 1:07 PM
Great posts by the way! Didn't quite know where to put this comment cuz it regards the overall blog, I really loved reading your "11 Things that Fill Me with Awe".
By Neuroxik, at 3:35 AM
megap - I agree. Some people naturally have these characteristics and others don't. These skills are more procedural than declarative - just knowing these strategies doesn't make it easy to apply them. But for those who don't naturally excel in these areas, I do think that progress can be made with some conscious effort.
neuroxik - Thanks for the compliment. I plan to write more articles when I have time, but they tend to take me a LOT longer than these daily posts.
By howtolive.org, at 8:57 AM
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