From Robert Cialdini’s “Influence”
Liking Principle
People are influenced by people or things they like.
- “Take, for instance, the growing number of charity organizations that recruit volunteers to canvass for donations close to their own homes. They understand perfectly how much more difficult it is for us to turn down a charity request when it comes from a friend or a neighbor.” (p. 169)
- The greatest car salesman said he had 2 rules for selling cars. A fair price, and being liked. He sent greeting cards every month to every customer which said “I like you”
- “Research has shown that we automatically assign to good-looking individuals such favorable traits as talent, kindness, honesty, and intelligence.” (p. 171)
- “We like people who are similar to us. This fact seems to hold true whether the similarity is in the area of opinions, personality traits, background, or life-style.” (p. 173)
- “Car salesmen, for example, are trained to look for evidence of such things while examining the customer’s trade-in. If there is camping gear in the trunk, the salesman might mention, later on, how he loves to get away from the city whenever he can; if there are golf balls on the back seat, he might remark that he hopes the rain will hold off until he can play the eighteen holes he has scheduled for later in the day;” (p. 173)
- “Many sales training programs now urge trainees to “mirror and match” the customer’s body posture, mood, and verbal style, as similarities along each of these dimensions have been shown to lead to positive results.” (p. 174)
- Good cop/bad cop technique works because the good cop seems like he is on the suspect’s side.
The Association Principle
- When weatherman predicts bad weather or a storm, they get death threats. Like the Persia Messenger, people associate the bad news with the person giving it.
- Models stand next to sport cars because the good traits of the models make people think the car is faster and better.
- Celebrities sell all kinds of products due to the Association Principle.
- Politicians have an edge if they say political things in their home state. Politicians only give fundraising speeches during dinner or after. People are more likely to change their mind while eating. The association of good food= good feeling = good feeling, towards the politician.
- In Sports, Fans want to be associated with being a winner. So when a Team wins, they say “we won” and it feels very personal. If the team loses, they say “they lost.”
- A doctor’s wife cares a lot about her husband’s image due to the Association Principle. If a doctor didn’t make it to the USA Best Doctor’s List, it’s the wife that gets angry.