The Science of Persuasion
I had the pleasure of attending the 2009 Best New Product Awards conference yesterday (managed by Brandspark). The awards were handed out last night; more on this next time.
The conference theme was 'persuasion in CPG marketing.' The conference was really a crash course (or refresher course) on how to win-over consumers, by following six simple principles - the truth is, many of these principles can just as effectively be applied to win-over your boss, colleagues, friends & neighbours. Before getting to the 6 principles....
There were a number of ah-ha moments, a few to share here. First, we learned from Drew Boyd, Director of Marketing Mastery, Johnson & Johnson (the conference leader/instructor), that contrary to the popular mantra that a brand is a promise...."a brand is really an expectation of someone or something delivering a certain feeling by way of an experience." Another is that "more than anything else, people are willing to follow your recommendations if they see that you like them" (at first, this appears a little counter-intuitive - yet useful to understand). Tom Asacker, author of "a little less conversation" and "A Clear Eye for Branding" - brought today's market into perspective: "Individuals quest for control and happiness - a balancing act within self and through others" - a far cry from what marketing and advertising had to contend with just a decade or two ago.
The course Drew led about the Six Principles is based on the research of Robert Cialdini, PhD. Throughout the day, Drew incorporated plenty of studies to back-up the principles - compelling evidence even for cynics.
Six Principles of Persuasion (cliff notes version)
1.Reciprocity: People give back to people who give to them (giving a gift sets the context for a future relationship - the key to making gifting work is giving the gift first)
2.Liking: People tend to say yes to those they know and like (focus on aspects you genuinely like in others, look for similarities, ways to cooperate, give praise)
3.Consensus: Look to what others are doing as evidence (people tend to base their decisions on what is appropriate for them to do by examining what others are doing - provide compelling evidence/proof or testimonials from individuals who are most similar to the prospect you are trying to influence)
4.Authority: Defer to the advice of experts (provide visual cues that trigger an authoritative position - also useful is admitting to a weakness, which then gives confidence about your honesty). Barak Obama does this very successfully as he often and repeatedly has said "I will make some mistakes," but I will learn from them and move on, or something to this effect.
5.Consistency: There is a personal pressure to stay consistent (people like to behave consistently to what they have said or done, so get them to make a commitment; best if the commitment is said in public, that it is voluntary, ie, a personal investment in it, and actively sought out - ask for the commitment)
6.Scarcity: An opportunity is more valuable when it is less available (this not only applies to things, but information too; present the offer as rare or dwindling, by what one stands to lose if they don't take-up the opportunity, provide exclusive information)
