Influence - The Psychology of Persuasion
Reciprocity - The desire to give back to those who have given to us. When someone gives us a gift or does us a favor, we are far more likely to give them back something in return. If a friend comes to your event, you are far more likely to attend one run by them in the future than if they had not come.
Scarcity - The desire to have those things that there are less of. A classic example of exclusivity. If you have something many people want and there is a limited supply, you don’t need to do much persuading. The scarcity does it for you. Supreme clothing drops are a perfect example.
Consistent/Commitment - The desire to be consistent with what we have already said or done. For example, if a telemarketer calls and asks you if you care about the forest fires in Australia, you will most likely say yes. Next, they will ask you to donate to help stop the fires. Since you’ve already said you care about them, you are far more likely to say yes to the donation to stay consistent with your word. If you had picked up the phone and they immediately asked for a donation, willingness to donate would not be as likely.
Social Proof - People follow the lead of those who are similar to them. If you see your friend buy a Canada Goose jacket, and you like the person, then in your eyes that jacket becomes cool and socially acceptable in your circle. If multiple people you know have these jackets, it creates an even stronger social proof effect and becomes more convincing. The more we see similar others using products and services, the more we identify with them and want to use them ourselves. This goes for people too, if someone is well liked in your network, chances are you’ll have an immediate inclination to like them when you meet them for the first time.
Liking - The desire to say yes to people we like. Whether it be friends or a nice salesperson. You are more likely to say yes if you like the person. If someone who works at a store comes to help you and is friendly/personable, you are far more likely to buy the product you’re looking at compared to if you dealt with a rude store attendant.
Authority - The desire to abide by the advice of someone with a higher title than us or a title denoting expertise in a certain area. Often without thinking if it is actually true or a good idea. We are persuaded by authority figures not only because of the supposed validity of their ideas, but also because of their rank or popularity in society. Just because they have authority does not necessarily mean they have your best interests in mind. They have extra persuasion power because of their authority.
The book is filled with anecdotes and scientific studies backing these principles. They can all be used in sales strategies, marketing, making friends, lovers and more. There are many more strategies than just these Cialdini emphasizes, but these six come up time and time again in research.