Here is a recorded interview with Robert Cialdini - applying his theories of social influence to online marketing and running businesses online. You my listen to the interview now by clicking here. This thorough interview was completed by Rich Shefren earlier this year.
Here are some lessons which I have taken away from this interview and how influence and persuasion can be applied to business, sales and online marketing.
- Curiousity and mystery hooks people - unexplained event or pattern. People have a NEED for closure. If they see a question, they want an answer. If a process is started and the person becomes engaged they will want closure on that process. Cialidni recommends offering a puzzle or mental maze of some type which engages the user to complete the process and complete the loop. For example Cialdini would say if you listen closely you will be able to solve a mysterly at the end of this lecture - and everyone watches intently for the whole lecture - do this with every event or speech. This is a hook - it helps form a connection.
- There are ways to structure requests which educates individuals as to why it would be in their interests to make a decision. Nobody looses while these types of engagements are created.
- Many people are generating great content and positioning themselves as a thought leader within an industry. While many pieces of literature is downloaded or purchased - what strategies could be used to get consumers to consume your resources. Cialdini recommends using lists and rankings. It is useful to use titles on articles, books and blogs Top 10 Quotes, Top 5 Ideas, Top 3 Mistakes to Avoid. These read well and are engaging - they are popular. Give people something they can hang their hats on - specific discrete ratings - the most popular, etc.
- Testimonials are best from individuals like yourself. While a very authoritative source is the best testimonial, having something from someone within your own position is very powerful. Their circumstances should be identical to the prospect and someone has testified to the value of the program for him or her. In times of uncertainty individuals look to people just like them. Show how others have moved just like them in a way that was profitable or successful. Make the situation as specific as possible by geographical region, education, employment situation, etc. When you say everyone is doing something it legitimizes it. If you say everyone is cheating on their taxes and it needs to stop, more individuals are going to begin cheating on their taxes. By saying many people are doing something wrong you are normalizing it, instead you should marginalize individuals "just one person" doing this it hurts our system, etc.
- Car wash story - 8 car washes and the next is free vs. 10 car washes and next is free with 2 car washes marked off the card already. Individuals want to complete the card more quickly and would do it more often when they felt like they had momentum towards completion. People don't want to loose the advantage they start with while using the card with two Xs on it already. Individuals want to close the loop, they started a process by having those two check boxes, they also were given something. They were given something for free in this way there was a sense of reciprocity embedded within the process. The real question is how can you make someone feel as if they have already taken 2 steps in your direction - this says something about the person. They must like this direction, they must be interested in this type of content.
- Cialdini on how a blogger could get more individuals to comment on your blog if your company is looking to increase this type of activity. Cialdini discusses how you are better starting off low within Ebay auctions - this allows a lot of people into the system. This suggests there is a lot of value there and this begins a snowball effect. If you have 20-25 short comments right after a post is complete than it allows individuals a quick way to scan what is going on and contribute to the conversation. For example possibly one paragraph or less within the first 20 comments and then deeper commentary is allowed possibly later on. It would also be good to ask a yes or no question and have people answer within the comments section of the posts.
- Cialdini recommends not just providing incentives but also removing barriers to getting people in. Shefren refers to this as "removing the friction" and how you want to remove as much friction as possible. How can we elleviate friction to get to the goal?
- Social Proof - What is the mob doing? This reduces uncertainty - if 10,000 people are doing it, how bad could it be? Cialdini recommends providing people with two sources of proof, first tell people what people like them are doing right now and what people like them have done in the past. Next look at expert endorsements - what do hedge fund experts say about the service?
- If you tell someone "this is our most popular item" it will quickly become even more popular.
- Cialdini stresses that when people are unsure they are adverse to losses, they don't want to lose money, they are afraid. Recently I watched a training video from Jeff Walker which stressed that he always works on a no questions ask money back gauruntee basis. What I think this does is remove that fear. He takes away that chance that you will have a fast one pulled on you. A somewhat related advertising tag line by Bose was "hear what you have been missing." Tell people what they have been missing in terms of this new product or launch. For example if you run a certification program you might want to stress what you might miss you if you do not complete the program. For example, you could say something such as learn what those who lead the industry already know.
Tags: Robert Cialdini, Robert B Cialdini, Robert B. Cialdini, Dr. Robert Cialdini, Dr Robert Cialdini, Robert Cialdini Influence, Robert Cialdini Persuasion, Robert Cialdini Yes Book Interview
