Summary - Robert Cialdini - Influence Science And Practice

Influencing others isn't luck or magic – its science. This is the complete summary of a Cialdini’s book influence. And Science behind the Principles is “People’s ability to understand the factors that affect their behavior is surprisingly poor”. Most people can’t explain why they made a particular decision. But Cialdini can. And being able to identify the underlying factors that influence decisions means he also understands how to use them to get more positive responses. 

Below are his six principles

1.Reciprocation:

Reciprocation recognizes that people feel indebted to those who do something for them or give them a gift.  Cialdini says: “The implication is you have to go first. Give something: give information, give free samples, give a positive experience to people and they will want to give you something in return.”

2.Commitment and Consistency:

Cialdini says  “People do not like to back out of deals. We’re more likely to do something after we’ve agreed to it verbally or in writing”. People strive for consistency in their commitments. They also prefer to follow pre-existing attitudes, values and actions.

The consistency principle states that “Once we have made a choice or taken a stand, we will encounter personal and interpersonal pressures to behave consistently with that commitment. Those pressures will cause us to respond in ways that justify our earlier decision.” In layman’s terms, this means that once we have made a small commitment or statement (especially publicly), it becomes part of our self-identity.

3.Social Proof:

When people are uncertain about a course of action, they tend to look to those around them to guide their decisions and actions. They especially want to know what everyone else is doing – especially their peers.

4.Liking:

Cialdini says “People prefer to say ‘yes’ to those they know and like”. People are also more likely to favor those who are physically attractive, similar to themselves, or who give them compliments.

5.Authority:

People respect authority. They want to follow the lead of real experts. Business titles, impressive clothing, and even driving an expensive, high-performing automobile are proven factors in lending credibility to any individual.Giving the appearance of authority actually increases the likelihood that others will comply with requests – even if their authority is illegitimate.

6.Scarcity:

Scarcity relates to supply and demand. Basically, the less there is of something, the more valuable it is. The more rare and uncommon a thing, the more people want it. People will try to seize those opportunities that we offer them that are rare or dwindling in availability. This is an important reminder that we need to differentiate what we have to offer that is different from our rivals and competitors.