The Art of Persuasion

Persuasion has been described as a behaviour or method used to influence the actions and decisions of others, or as a way to get someone to accept and follow through with a suggestion. Persuasion is not similar to coercion. Rather, it is much more delicate as compared to coercion where force and threats are used. Persuasion occurs through reasoning. The person being persuaded has the choice and agency to make decisions.

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What, then, makes persuasion an art form? Why is it considered such a nuanced ability and practice? How does the subtly of persuasion leave behind lasting impacts? We delve into how humans encounter persuasion daily in their lives. We also explore why it becomes important to understand persuasion in such depth and detail.

A Simple Definition

Persuasion is the act of influencing someone’s beliefs, attitudes, or actions through communication, without the use of force or coercion. Coercion leans more towards the category of violence, where it is fear that lets one get influence. Persuasion does no such thing. A person is not forced to act against their will when they are being persuaded. Rather, it is the voluntary nature of persuasion that makes it so interesting.

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The nature of persuasion has been summarised below —

1. Persuasion can take the image of subtleness or it can also be evident and obvious.
2. Persuasion makes use of figurative signals also known as symbolic representations such as images, visuals, auditory sounds or even words).
3. The figurative signals or symbolic representations can be conveyed using non-verbal communication or verbal communication.

Understanding the art of persuasions helps us understand the kind of subtle persuaders one is living under and can learn not to become susceptible to such attacks.

Principles of Persuasion

Robert Cialdini (1984) identifies six basic principles of persuasion. He states that these principles are fairly universal and many can occur all at once as well.

1. Principle of Reciprocity

When an act of kindness is displayed, the person feels indebted to that kindest and will pay back. Similar to the meaning of the idiom “return the favour,” almost every person feels a sort of obligation to return the favour by showing kindness or through something else. When someone does something positive for us, we often feel a social pressure to reciprocate.

Example: If a person first presents a gift or offers a favour to someone, that someone (based on the Principle of Reciprocity) would feel the need to return the kindness. So when the same person asks B for a favour, the obligation makes it difficult for A to say no.

2. Principle of Commitment (and Consistency)

Individuals have the tendency to stay consistent and committed to their preceding actions and decisions. Once someone commits to a decision, they are more likely to follow through instead of abandoning it.

Example: An individual might contribute to a charity for a noble cause. Their donation might be small, but it revolved around a sense of commitment to the cause. That sense of commitment is then manipulated and the individual might be roped into making higher-rate donations because of their initial commitment.

3. Principle Social Proof or Consensus

This is similar to the concept of conformity. Individuals might find it easier to agree with the majority than let their opinion or action stand out. It’s akin to looking at what others are doing to guide one’s behaviour.

Example: Advertisements always prefer to broadcast testament and reviews from the general population to convince the viewers to buy the product (eg., used by 98% of mothers for their babies, etc.). The book covers now display reviews from popular authors and readers to convince readers to buy them.

4. Principle of Authority

People tend to agree and listen to those who have some credentials under their name. If an expert tells you something or gives you advice, you’re more likely to be persuaded by them, than by a non-expert.

Example: Advertisements always cite suggestions from experts to increase the credibility of their products and thereby improve sales.

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5. Principle of Scarcity

It is easy to get persuaded to agree to something or bring a change to behaviour if one thinks that they can (by not agreeing) lose access to things or when things are scarce. In other words, people value things more when they are rare.

Example: You are more likely to give thought and consideration when buying an item when a retailer says the sale is for a limited time and the object is the last piece left. You might have given more thought and might have not even bought the product if the object wasn’t on sale or if there was an abundance of it.

6. Principle of Liking

The principle of liking means you’re more likely to be persuaded if the person who is trying to convince you is someone that you like. Factors such as similarity, compliments, and cooperation contribute to likability.

Example: The quality of a relationship with someone which impacts the persuasion levels.

Knowing these six principles will not only help you know how to use persuasions but also teach you how to resist persuasions. Some attempts at persuasion are clear, you do know that a salesperson will try to persuade you to buy their products. But as mentioned before, persuasions can also be subtle. Certain words used during the ad campaign such as (limited-edited, doctors recommended, etc) are common tactics used that unknowingly convinced a lot of people to buy the products. Persuasion can also come in the form of negative influence of peers and friends. It can also be positive such as the “quit smoking” campaigns.

Understanding the art of persuasion becomes crucial in navigating daily encounters, as it allows individuals to recognize and resist subtle influences. Whether in advertising, personal relationships, or societal movements, a nuanced understanding of persuasion empowers individuals to navigate the complexities of human interaction with awareness and discernment.

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