Influence

Summary of Robert B. Cialdini

Weapons of Influence

I.                   Click/Whirr

A.    Jewelry shop – Arizona – raise price/sold out

                                                              i.      Expensive=Good

B.    Turkey and the “cheep-cheep” noise

                                                              i.      Cares for it/Ignores

                                                           ii.      Cares for any object making noise

C.    Fixed-Action Patterns

                                                              i.      Behavior occurs in same order/fashion each time

                                                           ii.      Trigger feature – Sets off reaction

                                                         iii.      Too much going on in mind/world

                                                         iv.      Gamble that one criteria you fixate on will be true

D.    Asking favors

                                                              i.      94% do favors if given a reason

                                                           ii.      93% if they just use word because “Do this for me because I need you to do it.”

                                                         iii.      Copy machine

E.    Readers Report 1.1 – Inexpensive=Bad

F.    Learned behavior “You get what you pay for.”

G.    Use stereotypes to classify

H.   Judgmental Heuristics – mental shortcuts in everyday judgments

                                                              i.      Expert advice assume is correct

                                                           ii.      If issue is important we can override this issue

1.      College experiment – pass examinations - them vs. others

I.      Click, whirr – if expert says so, it must be true

                                                              i.      Singing captain on airplane – lift wheels too soon – propeller back

 

II.               The Profiteers

A.    People make money by mimicking these trigger shortcuts

B.    Drubek Brothers

                                                              i.      Feign hard of hearing - $42/ oh he said $22

 

III.            Contrast Principle

A.     Second item is different, we see it as more different

                                                              i.      Two weighted items

                                                           ii.      Talking to attractive person at party

                                                         iii.      Hot, cold, room temperature

 

IV.             Profiteers

A.    Selling clothes

                                                              i.      Suit first – sweaters later

                                                           ii.      Real estate – show run-down house with inflated price first

1.      People think they are getting huge bang for their buck

                                                         iii.      Car salesman – finalize price then add on options second

1.      Difference seems insignificant