Dr. Robert Cialdini - What makes people say 'Yes'

The world’s leading influence psychologist, Dr. Robert Caildini and author and keynote speaker, Steve Martin brought over 50 years of research to audiences in Sydney and Melbourne this week. Organised by The Growth Faculty, it was a spectacular collision of scientific research and practical business implications with actionable insights we can begin implementing today.

Over 500 business leaders, sales people, marketers and HR professionals gained a rich understanding of the principles of social science that lead people to say ‘yes’ and how to apply that practically to business dealings. Insight-filled, real-world story illustrated and jam-packed with practical takeaways, there were too many ‘good bits’ to mention. Here’s our highlights package:

 
PRE-SUASION – The Launching Pad For The Message

As Cialdini said, "We have focused almost entirely on the quality of the pitch. We've ignored what comes before - the launching pad for the message."

• Pre-suasion: "If you arrange to put me in a state of mind that is aligned to the central theme of your message, it will have a leveraging effect on my agreement." In other words, there is power in what is said, what is visualised and the situation a person is placed in BEFORE the critical moment of decision making.
• As the influencer, you can create a mindset consistent with your goal. Focus your prospect on something that overwhelms the risk, pair your pitch with something positive – related to the central theme of your argument.
• Cialdini presented his study of Harvard Business graduates. After focusing students on “The Thinker” image prior to completing a problem-solving task, students saw an increase of 48% in results. 
• Cialdini used research studies with astounding results to expose measures we can take to reduce reluctance to change:
  1. Get your timing right
  2. Focus on people’s adventurous sides

Cialdini’s research exposed some fascinating insights into the human mind. Did you know you’re MORE willing to accept change at the beginning of the month? And furthermore, MOST willing following a new birthday? Apparently our subconscious mind says ‘Change is in the air, so why not a little more.’

Cialdini concluded “if you can change what people pay attention to in the moment, you can change who they are in that moment, and therefore their willingness for compliance.”

 
The Six Principles Of Influence – Are you a bungler, smuggler or a sleuth?

Cialdini presented his world-famous six principles of influence providing eye-opening results from his business experiments. But he cautioned: Use influence wisely, use it ethically.

Be careful not to bungle opportunities, and nor should we use what we know to take advantage of others, instead we should play the role of the sleuth, applying influence with ethical wisdom.

1. Principle 1: Reciprocity; I’ll scratch your back, you scratch mine. Remember, the gift is most effective when it is meaningful, unexpected and personal.
2. Principle 2: Liking; Rapport flows from positive connections. In a university study - commonality reduced online negotiation study deadlocks from 30% to 6%.
3. Principle 3: Consistency; Obtain a commitment. Ask questions, invite people to voice their commitment. People strive to be consistent with what they say.
4. Principle 4. Scarcity; What makes people camp out overnight for the next Iphone? Loss aversion - the fear of missing out.
5. Principle 5. Authority; Make your credentials known. Be sure to use a third party to communicate. No one likes a bragger! A takeaway for all sales people; Mentioning a weakness or drawback to your position establishes yourself as a credible source of information for everything you say next. 
6. Principle 6. Consensus; Tell people what is most popular among the choices. It causes them to stop deliberating and start choosing. Remember, people are most willing to follow those that are similar to them.

 

Influence Applications
Co-author of New York Times bestselling, Yes! 60 Secrets From The Science of Persuasion and The Small BIG, Steve Martin took to the stage in the afternoon. His presentation style and content proved the perfect compliment to Cialdini, bringing theory based research and scientific data into actionable takeaways for the business audience.

Martin began his presentation by warning against applying every principle of influence at once. He likened it to “taking the entire spice rack and dumping it into your dish. The result is never going to be pleasing.’’

From the UK Tax Department, Energy companies, Roads & Traffic Authority to home appliance brands, Steve Martin used market-tested experiments to illustrate how selecting the right principles to marketing literature, sales pitches, and internal discussions can have profound impacts on reaching desired results.

Martin provided a great checklist for determining the best use of influence to amend collateral:

Ask yourself:

• Is it ethical?
• Does evidence exist to support the idea?
• Is it cheap to implement?
• Are the chances of unintended consequences low?

 
               
The day provided something for everyone and more. From those in frontline sales, marketing wordsmiths, HR professionals to business leaders.

An exceptional event from two exceptional men.
 
Dr. Robert Cialdini is recognised as the world’s leading psychologist in the studies of influence and persuasion. He is the author of New York Times and Wall Street Journal’s bestselling books, Influence and Pre-Suasion.

Get To Know Dr. Robert Cialdini and Steve Martin. Catch our backstage interviews on Facebook by liking our company page now.