This is a thorough examination of different tactics and techniques involved in influence and persuasion -- lots of great information from research and great examples.
The book is very nicely structured and includes summaries at the end of each chapter, along with questions for discussion. He even offers sections titled "Defense" to help understand how to diffuse or deflect the different types of influence. He delves into reciprocation, liking, social proof, compliance to authority, scarcity, and consistency/conformity.
The premise of the book is that humans are all wired in certain ways -- we look for cognitive shortcuts to save time and energy in making decisions. Sometimes this is useful and sometimes, not so much. We're wired to accept things that are familiar, and to reciprocate and like people and to want to get along in certain ways.
Cialdini talks a lot about "compliance professionals" -- folks in marketing and sales who understand the concepts he describes in the book, and at the end of the book -- advises us to rebel against those unscrupulous types who seek to manipulate us with false information.
Since the book was written in 2009 - I was curious to see what Cialdini has written more recently, especially on the recent presidential elections in the US. It turns out that "Team Cialdini" has written quite a bit and it's interesting reading (start here: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-presidential-election-was-donald-trumps-to-lose-2016-12-13).
REVIEW: Influence: Science and Practice by Robert B. Cialdini
RATING: 5-stars
© Jennifer R Clark. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. You may share and adapt this content with proper attribution.
No comments:
Post a Comment