The Art and Science of Influence

Daniel Crosby, Ph.D. www.incblot.org daniel@incblot.org (256) 683-5551

You are influential! • Who am I to be influential? • “We typically don’t think of

ourselves as influencers because we fail to see that the common thread running through most of the triumphs and tragedies of our lives is our ability to exert influence.”

Power and Responsibility

• “With great power comes great responsibility” - Peter Parker

• The things you will learn today are real and powerful

• The appropriateness of their application is our responsibility

Prisoner’s Dilemma

• What is the best communal outcome?

• How does this play out over time? – …if the other initially

confesses? – …if the other initially

remains silent?

RECIPROCATION

• People return kindness for kindness, and malice for malice

• Transcends cultures, allows us to build societies

What would you say?

• Client: “Thanks so much for assisting me with that, it was a huge help!”

• You: ??? • Typically we give away the power of reciprocation by

explaining away our service • Next time try: “I know you’d do the same for me if

asked,” or, “No problem, that’s what long-term partners do.”

Choose One

SCARCITY

• People want what they cannot easily have

• People act with a sense of urgency when they perceive opportunity slipping away

Leveraging Scarcity

• Emphasizing limits on supply or time when promoting an idea

• Rewarding a desired behavior if performed within a specific amount of time

• Highlighting the uniqueness of a given persuasive appeal or idea

Which is more persuasive?

• “Acting on this will provide countless benefits, such as…”

• “Failure to act on this will be very detrimental to what you’re trying to do, for example…”

• People are TWICE as upset about loss as they are excited about gain. Be sure to emphasize the opportunity cost of failure to act.

The Art of Scarcity

• People are motivated by the rare but attainable

• Making an idea, product, or behavior out of reach will prompt dismissal

• Be sure to “connect the dots” on how to get from here to there

AUTHORITY

• Milgram Experiment • Son of Jewish refugees of

WWII • Wanted to examine

motivation of Nazi soldiers • 65% compliance rate • 90% compliance when

authorities disparaged student

The Power of “Expertise” • Would you choose a cardiologist with 5

or 20 years experience? • Would you choose a therapist with an

M.S. or a Ph.D.? • In groups – build one another up and let

others know your partner’s expertise • Individually – humbly but accurately let

others know why you are qualified to weigh in

Authority and Honesty

• All products, services, and ideas have weaknesses

• Individuals find experts who acknowledge weaknesses more credible

• Immediately follow coverage of weaknesses with discussion of strengths

• Promote believability and open the door for your strongest points to be heard

COMMITMENT AND CONSISTENCY

• We want to be seen as consistent

• We want others to be consistent – doing so allows us to take cognitive shortcuts

• Once we have made a decision, we begin to devalue all other options

Power of Commitment

Initial Choice

1 2 3 4 5 6

Commit 1 3 2 5 4 6

Amnesia 1 3 2 5 4 6

Foot in the Door

• California housewives asked to take a five minute survey

• Three days later, asked if six men could spend two hours rummaging through cupboards

• Those who had agreed to the short survey were more than twice as likely to consent

Power of Labels

• Homogenous group with respect to grades and behavior

• Randomly assigned as “poor,” “fair,” or “gifted”

• Arbitrary category was the best predictor of final grades

Power of Labels

• Rosenhan Experiment • 12 subjects, 5 states • Hearing “thud” • All given Dx and Rx • Some incarcerated for months • Not a single subject was

discovered by doctors • Discovered by fellow patients

CONSENSUS

• The Asch Experiment • Most people are followers • Doing what others has

done offers us yet another cognitive shortcut

• “This is our most popular dish.”

Asch Experiment

Leverage the Unseen “They”

Influence the Influential

• Hard truth: The merit of an idea does not predict its adoption rate as well as its adoption by influential others does.

• John Lancaster invented a cure for scurvy that took 200 years to catch on.

• The most influential people in a group are usually slightly more gifted than the masses, but similar in other important ways.

LIKING

• We are most easily influenced by people we like and who we perceive to be like us.

• You see me with this symbol on my shirt, what assumptions do you make about me?

Who do we like? • Physically attractive – halo effect • People who pay us compliments –

sincere or otherwise • People who make us laugh • People with whom we share a

common struggle

Matching

• Don’t parrot! • Tone • Content of conversation • Use of humor • Body language • Dress • Pace

Be a Detective of Personal Brands

• People “brand” themselves in myriad ways

• Cars, clothes, haircuts, pictures, relics are all peoples’ attempts at being understood on their own terms

• Find and build on similarities

• Take an interest

Influence in Summary

• Reciprocation • Scarcity • Authority • Commitment and Consistency • Consensus • Liking

Thank You!

@incblot – Twitter www.incblot.org

daniel@incblot.org