Influence – Psychology of Persuasion 

Robert Cialdini, in his book Influence, the psychology of persuasion details his study of what influences people to make certain decisions.

He has found that across cultures, social groups, different occupations, geographies and industries, that the factors which influence people fall into a small number of principles;

He found that while people mostly think they use rational and reasonable apporaches to making decisions, in fact their decisions are often driven by simple, reflexive responses.

These universal principles of influence are:

• Reciprocation
• Commitment and consistency
• Social Proof
• Liking
• Authority
• Scarcity

Cialdini argues that even though people are capable of profound thought and analysis, most of their decisions are governed by a reflexive or instinctive responses humans rely on reflexive responses.

These responses are widespread in nature and often help prepare us for complex or time critical decisions (eg, run away from a lion), but aren’t always accurate or in our best interests.

Importantly, Cialdini points out that “compliance professionals” (Salespeople and con artists) exploit these reflexive responses to produce desired actions in prospects.

Why do people rely on these primitive responses for important decisions (and often don’t realize it, justifying their decisions with rational analysis)?

Our world is extraordinarily complex, we need shortcuts

Seemingly irrational reflexive responsives can be smart shortcuts – the most rational response available

“Civilization advances by extending the number of operations we can perform without thinking about them”

The smooth functioning of these principles relies on a social contract, and also it creates the social contract. For example reciprocal behavior is a powerful factor in governing our perception and behavior – it is hard to receive without wanting to give back.

This factor results from a social norm, but by complying with it (being influenced) we also reinforce the social norm – so the principles of influence are a social glue which enables the smooth functioning of society.

A recurring theme in Cialdini’s book is that used wisely and genuinely the principles of influence can be positive – it is when they are used cynically, falsified or exploited that we are aggrieved.

Not only does the con man or cynical salesperson exploit the individual – to some degree they undermine the social contract that our society runs on.

In terms of building a brand or social business, both inherently long term projects where trust is a priority, we should align ourselves with the principles of influence – in a two way relationship. We don’t just use compliance or social proof to ‘TRICK” people into buying from use – we need to be consistent ourselves, be genuinely likeable, establish real authority etc. Thus while it is important to learn how the principles of influence work and use them appropriately, they should be used accurately or we are effectively breaking some of the principles ourselves.

While these automatic responses are incredibly powerful and control the outcomes of many of the most important decisions in our lives, there is acutally little knowledge about them.

It is important we do take time to recognize how they work because we are vulnerable to exploitation by those who do know how they work.

Likewise, in our work and lives the majority of our efforts revolve around attmpts to influence the perceptions and actions of those around us.

Developing some sort of literacy around the principles of influence helps us ensure our attempts at communication and influence are effective.

Let’s review the principles of influence and the lessons they hold for us in creating a social business and becoming influential in our sphere.

The Principles of influence, according to Cialdini are:

• Reciprocation – when someone does us a good turn we are compelled to reciprocate
• Commitment and consistency – people will behave in ways consistent with past behavior or commitments they’ve made
• Social Proof – people behave the same to those around them, especially when they perceive those those people to be similar to themselves
• Liking – people are more readily influenced by people they like, including those similar to them
• Authority – People are more readily influenced by people in positions of authority (real or manufactured)
• Scarcity – People value things which are scarce, rarely available or which will soon be lost or are desired by others.

We’ll explore what these are and how we can utilize them in our marketing.

One answer, according to UC Berkeley social psychologist and sociologist Robb Willer is that the more generous we are, the more respect and influence we wield. In one recent study, Willer and his team gave participants each a modest amount of cash and directed them to play games of varying complexity that would benefit the “public good.” The results, published in the journal American Sociological Review, showed that participants who acted more generously received more gifts, respect and cooperation from their peers and wielded more influence over them.

“The findings suggest that anyone who acts only in his or her narrow self-interest will be shunned, disrespected, even hated,” Willer said. “But those who behave generously with others are held in high esteem by their peers and thus rise in status.”

“Given how much is to be gained through generosity, social scientists increasingly wonder less why people are ever generous and more why they are ever selfish,” he added.

The post Influence – by Robert Cialdini appeared first on Influential.

A strong digital brand is fast becoming your most important marketing tool. Our changing culture, business practices and career paths have mean that strong personal and company digital brands are essential to help you be perceived as a leader in your market.

Who needs a digital brand?

• Professionals
• Business owners
• Executives
• Creatives
• Politicians
• Change Advocates
• Sole Traders
• Entrepreneurs
• Small Businesses
• Companies
• Anyone who wants to make a difference or become leaders in their field or organisation
• People and companies who are already influential and want to maintain, consolidate or focus their authority, market share and profitability

Does that sound like you? You bet it does!

What’s going on out there?

In the business world, everything has changed. Every profession and industry has been impacted by widely available technology, more rapid communication and changing consumer expectations.

For the last few hundred years businesses succeeded and grew by being faster, more efficient or cheaper than their competitors – and the result has been an endless array of cheap, mass-produced goods. But geographical, language and cultural barriers are falling away in the face of unrestricted information flow, viral sharing and the universal appeal of visual media. Customers suddenly have unlimited capability to search until they find exactly what they want. And nobody’s going to settle for less.

Big businesses are trying to respond by offering personal service and customised product bundles, but are hindered by the very standardisation and production economies which allow them to perform efficiently on a large scale. They simply can’t afford to specialise enough to meet the diverse needs of all their potential customers.

Chaos=Opportunity: how to benefit from market disruption

This leaves the door wide open for small businesses and entrepreneurs to capture and delight those customers. A whole new business ideology has developed around these amazing opportunities within the digital arena to identify a niche market – and establish a position as a leader, a trusted expert, within that market. With the right tools, strategy and mindset you can identify a profitable sphere and become influential within it.
So how does this impact you and your business?

But I’m a professional with a great career, this doesn’t impact me!

Don’t be a statistic – you are not immune to the massive changes which are already starting.

Many professionals and business owners fail to grasp the potential disruption to their expertise, employability and business model. Advances in computing and communication mean that many jobs which once needed an expert – a highly trained and paid professional – can now be done better and faster by a computer.

Even if not, chances are someone in India or Singapore (or even Europe or America) can be trained to do the same work for a fraction of the price. Australia is especially vulnerable to job loss, reduced pay and business failure, because we remain one of the few economies where most people are employed in high paying (in world terms) positions.

Obviously ignoring the threat is a recipe for disaster – but it’s also a mistake to give up. The key is to position yourself as someone able to utilise new tools and opportunities, and navigate the changing landscape of your profession.

10 years ago: your expertise was worth $100 per hour. Today – it is free on Google

In today’s online economy information, which was once the exclusive domain of professionals and experts, is now instantly accessible through Google. But more information doesn’t always lead to better decisions. Without guidance it can be almost impossible to distinguish truth from speculation. Today, more than ever, specialised, personal knowledge is a precious commodity.

The key to success here is keeping up with the latest news and developments in your industry, listening to the needs of your customers and market, and becoming well recognised as an authority in your industry. You need to be the one who knows what is coming before anyone else does, and ready to provide expert insight to those who need it and will pay a premium for it.

Social media makes all this possible, affordable and easy, but if you ignore it too long you may find yourself, or your business, a casualty of outsourcing, cost-cutting or technical change.

What does this mean for me?

What all this means is that if you have an amazing idea or product, or some unique, valuable knowledge to share on a subject, there is a tangible opportunity for you or your business to become highly sought-after. Provided, that is, that you are prepared to put some real effort into it.

The key to success in this social marketplace is authenticity; which means building your expertise around something you really care about, then promoting it with a brand which appeals to other people who share your passion.

• By drawing on your genuine knowledge, passion and enthusiasm as you reach out to people who feel the same way about the same thing; you will explore and expand your networks until you find the ideal audience for your idea, service or product.
• By thinking about the specific needs of that audience, letting them tell you what they actually want and making a genuine effort to provide something which meets those needs (rather than using tricks to sell them something they don’t need) you will attract people to your brand – people who value what you do and want to share it with their friends and colleagues who will also benefit from it.
• By contributing something new and useful, and by building a name for yourself as others begin to notice and talk about that contribution, you will gain reputation and influence within your niche.
• By repeatedly meeting their needs and working with customers in your niche, you will develop truly specialised expertise, and a toolbox of useful strategies and systems so you will work more efficiently, deliver better results and stand out as one of the top providers in your field.

Become influential

As a person or business of with a strong digital brand, you have significant online influence, you are someone whose opinion and knowledge people respect. This means you become someone whose advice, service or products people actively seek out.

This is the goal. So, how do you get there?

The post Digital Brand: Why you need one appeared first on Influential.

Our world has changed dramatically in the last few years with the rise of the internet, social media, mobile computing and other technological developments. This online evolution is transforming business, careers, marketing, socialising, learning and practically every other aspect of life.

Democratization of media and publishing means that marketing yourself or your business has changed for ever.

Suddenly anyone, anywhere in the world has access to communication tools which are powerful, instant and free – and there are no limits on what they can achieve.

• Small up-and-coming brands can trump established major players simply by engaging with customers online (for free).
• Online merchants can set up shops which offer cheap, highly targeted products for a specific niche. Their low capital expenses mean they can make a profit on margins a bricks and mortar store couldn’t dream of.
• If a customer is happy – or unhappy – with a product or service they can tell 100’s of people about it at the press of a button.
• Celebrities, sports stars and politicians, and companies of all sizes are far more visible, accessible and accountable.We have moved from a world where big media and big companies had control of the conversation to one where individuals, smaller brands and large companies are on a more or less level playing field.You’ll pay less, but you gotta deliver moreBut while these online platforms are often cheap or even free they do take time, and having the right quality content for a given audience has become more important than ever before, because people have so many more options.Traditionally, you had to pay big bucks to access broadcast media and advertising, but in return you got direct access to your customers’ attention – you could interrupt their day and convince them to buy or believe something. Now, powerful multimedia publishing platforms with global reach are accessible and affordable for anyone, but your audience can tune in or turn off whenever they want.

Social media: handle with care

Before you attempt to develop and market your personal or business brand it’s essential that you get your message right.

It’s vital to remember that social media isn’t a new advertising platform. It’s all about human interaction, and if you approach it as an exercise in blatant self- promotion you are likely to fail – catastrophically. Social media, the internet and world wide connectivity means we can reach a vast audience – which can be amazingly powerful, but also means that if you don’t hit the right note you can do a huge amount of damage to your reputation almost instantly. That means both your brand and your messages need to be well thought out, meaningful, sharable and authentic. Sometimes this means you need to change your whole approach to business.

Become the one they listen to

To be influential online you need to have something worth saying, and have the right tools and strategy to achieve the results you want.

It comes down to being likeable, authentic and authoritative in the topics you talk about. Becoming educated and finding information is no longer a challenge, but expert opinions are still essential to help us make sense of the avalanche of information available online. And we don’t just want put our trust in a random ‘expert’ – we want personalised information, tailored to our needs and reflecting our world view. When we find someone who can provide this for us – on a topic that interests us – we identify with them and begin to value their opinion. These are the people and businesses we’ll listen to, talk about, and buy from:

• People we know, like and trust
• People like us
• People who understand and provide what we need
• People who know what they’re talking about on a specific topic.
• People who are memorable and stand outIn many cases, these people will be people we know via traditional media – such as journalists, celebrities and TV identities, or household name companies.But with the right brand, strategy and effort they could be you.

Download the "Creating an influential brand" Ebook

Enter your details below to download the Ebook

• First Name*
• Email*

The post Creating an Influential Brand appeared first on Influential.