Psychological Influence - Power of Persuasion (ePub)

Almost everyone can admit that at one time or the other, they have been tricked or pushed into something because of naivety or the power of influence. For whichever motive, we have been an easy target for the pitches of fundraisers, peddlers and operators of one type or the other.

While some of these people have good motives, a few of them may have dishonorable intensions. Whenever you find yourself in possession of unwanted subscriptions of newspapers, magazines or even newsletters, someone must have persuaded you into filling in your details even though you did not have an interest from the start.

This opens up the debate on the issue of compliance and the factors that can cause you to say yes to another person because of the techniques and language that they use to convince you. If you have been keen enough, there is a certain way in which a request is stated if it is to be successful. A slight alteration may see the request rejected. Social psychologists have researched intensely on the psychology of compliance. Some of these studies have included laboratory experiments while others have involved field experiments where real people have been interviewed to shed light on the power of persuasion.

There are principles that influence the tendency to say yes to a request. Knowing these principles and how they work is instrumental if you are to excel in the discipline of persuasion.

Contrary to what many people believe, the psychology of influence is a preserve of the elite and a certain section of the society. The truth is that we all need to learn on how to harness the power of persuasion.

This is because our daily lives revolve around bargains of one sort or the other. In the same way, we fall victim to the persuasions of other people at least to some degree in our interaction with friends, neighbors and family. To be competent in the mastery of compliance, you need more than just an amateurish and vague understanding of how persuasion works.

As you read this book, you will gain a unique insight into the strategies and techniques that are effective in the psychology of influence.