Let’s face it, information and communication are the order of the day. The news is no longer published daily but launched at the moment it happens, automatically updated 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

Among all this amount of information that is generated, societies are increasingly pushed to improve in the noble art of oratory and persuasion. Whether it is to win over that person we love so much or to win a general election. It is not by whim, in democratic societies, persuasion and mass influence turn out to be the most effective tools that people possess to reach power.

The importance of influencing and convincing others

Much has been said about influence and different ways of modifying or changing people’s behaviour and attitudes and how best to achieve this. But only a renowned American psychologist named Robert Cialdini has managed to discover what are the principles behind any kind of persuasive strategy.

In his book “Influence, the psychology of persuasion” , Cialdini postulates the 6 laws of influence behind any attempt at persuasion , and they are used to achieve the conformity of the receiver.

The 6 laws of influence

We will know the different laws of influence described by Cialdini in his book. A good opportunity to improve our communication skills and the ability to influence others.

1. Reciprocity Act

It is defined as the tendency to return the favor to someone who has done us a previous favor by creating a feeling of obligation . The feeling of being indebted to someone who has done something for us before, makes this person predisposed to accept our requests.

The most important thing for the success of this law, is to always be the first to do the favor, the more valuable, personal and unexpected the given, the greater the feeling of favor, that he does not know he is being manipulated. For example, if you suddenly flatter someone and immediately ask for a favor, or if you make breakfast for your parents and then ask them for a favor, the manipulation is very evident. You should not relate the delivery to the favor you are asking, so don’t wait until the last minute to create the feeling of obligation.

2. Law of commitment or consistency

This law states that people who have previously agreed to a small request are likely to eventually agree to a larger request . By this law, the customer agrees to our request to be consistent with a set of principles, values and beliefs expressed in a previous commitment. The human tendency to be consistent with what we have already done, chosen or decided, means that if we break this consistency we feel cognitive dissonance that is expressed in the form of a feeling that is quite unpleasant for the human being.

For this reason, starting from small commitments, consistency is created with the issuer or product and will tend to be consistent with that commitment on subsequent occasions.

3. Social Evidence Act

This principle is based on the human tendency to consider a behaviour as correct when we see other people carrying it out or when other people think the same way.

When we look closely at videos, songs or any content that is in the top 10 of a best-selling, downloaded or listened to ranking. When we see a crowd watching a street show and we can’t resist the temptation to see what happens. They are all samples of the law of social proof in action. Waiters who place a tip jar know that if they initially put in a few bills or coins at the beginning of the night, they will get more money at the end, since more people will think that tipping is the right behavior because “other people” have done it before. “More than 2,000 people have already tried it” “More than 2,000 people are already members” are common phrases known to have an effect.

We already know why it is common to buy followers of new leaders and referents who launch themselves into the race for power, a greater number of followers, greater truth and appeal of that person’s tweets.

4. The Authority Act

People who reach a high position in the hierarchies are attributed more knowledge and experience than the rest so what they recommend or sell is good.

The most common example we see is when large scale events such as an earthquake, a new epidemic or a terrorist attack occur, let’s hope we hear the interpretation of world authorities such as the president of the United States, the Pope or a Nobel Prize winner in literature. This is a sign that for an idea or service to be accepted by a large number of people, it is only necessary to convince experts and people of high status.

5. The Law of Pleasure or Social Attractiveness

The law of pleasure points out that we are more inclined to be influenced by people we like , and less by people who produce rejection, a simple logic but highly typical of our human condition. Physically attractive people tend to be unconsciously attributed other positive values, such as honesty, transparency and success. However, attractiveness does not necessarily emanate from beauty, it can be given by familiarity, similarity of opinions and groups of belonging or the effect of praise.

You can now understand the success of Nespresso’s advertising campaigns by incorporating George Clooney’s face as a brand image, can’t you?

6. Law of scarcity

I’m sure you’re familiar with signs like “limited time offer,” “latest items,” “run, fly”… All these phrases and slogans are based on the principle of scarcity. Because of this principle, we are more willing to get closer to something if we notice that it is scarce or difficult to get .

Now that you know the six most widely accepted forms of persuasion in the scientific community today, you can easily detect when you are under the influence of one of them, and why not use them for your noble causes.