Robert B. Cialdini

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Robert B. Cialdini The Science of Persuasion

• 6 Main elements of advertising and how they
• affect our buying habits

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Reciprocation
Try to repay in kind what another person has
provided us however, we are obligated to the
future repayment of gifts, favors, invitations

• Politics
• Free Samples (Grocery Stores, Amway)
• Uninvited Samples (American Disabled Veterans)
• Reject-then-Retreat

3
Consistency

• The drive to be (look) consistent in public
• Personal and intellectual strength
• Consistency offers us a heuristic approach -
  allows us to act automatically
• Safe hiding place from truths or realities
• Commitment - forced to take a stand

4
Social Validation

• We determine what is correct by finding our what
  other people think is correct
• Laugh tracks -- if someone else thinks its
  funny, I should laugh too
• An action is appropriate when others are doing
  it as well
• Bartenders - leave tips on the bar
• Ringers in magic shows or religious programs
• fast-growing or best seller last year
• Cults, group-think

5
Liking

• We say yes more often to people that we like
• Door to door salespeople are
• nice/friendly/talkative
• Use widely accepted cues, words, emblems

6
Authority

• Milgrams obedience experiment
• Military - following orders
• Potent motivators - power, prestige -- social
  proof
• Obedience to parents, teachers, church
• Medical decisions

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Scarcity

• Less better - makes them more desirable
• If there are few, social proof suggests others
  are buying
• Opportunities seem more valuable when they are
  less available
• Limited-number
• Rare value (the best one)
• Things that are difficult to get are typically
  better
• Forbidden things -- teenagers, banned books
  (censorship)