You’ve probably already heard about Dr. Robert Caldini’s six principles of persuasion, but it’s important that we discuss it early, I think. This article on the 6 principles of persuasion at Psychology Today explains Caldini’s history, and how he came up with these ideas.
The shortcuts are:
- Reciprocity
- Scarcity
- Authority
- Consistency
- Liking
- Consensus
Check out the video to learn from Caldini and Steve Martin (no not that one), how to use the principles ethically, and then come back for my argument on why you need to know these things.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFdCzN7RYbw&w=640&h=360]
So, my argument for learning how these principles work is two-fold. The first is that you can use them ethically in many situations, and the science shows your efforts to persuade will be that much more effective.
The second, more important argument, is that if you know how people use these shortcuts, they are likely to be less effective on you. (And not only in personal circumstances — these principles are used by the media and people using social media all the time.)