It does not matter who you are, what you do, and the kind of impact you have. There is always a scope to improve, and this is one area that is really, really required by all of us. The Art of Persuasion can make a big difference to how well you do in every aspect of your life.

We need to improve on this definitely:)

Here are the key summary points –

• Science of Persuasion: Over 60 years of research into the factors that lead us to agree with others’ requests have identified a science to persuasion, which includes six key shortcuts: Reciprocity, Scarcity, Authority, Consistency, Liking, and Consensus.
• Reciprocity: People feel obligated to return favours or gestures. An example is the increased tipping in restaurants when waiters give mints to customers; this illustrates how the principle of giving first and providing personalised, unexpected gifts can enhance persuasion.
• Scarcity: The desire for scarce resources. The increased demand for British Airways’ Concorde flights following their discontinuation announcement serves as evidence that emphasizing what is special and what might disappear can increase persuasion.
• Authority: People follow credible, knowledgeable experts. For instance, physiotherapists displaying their diplomas, or real estate agents introduced with their credentials, show how signalling expertise before making a request increases compliance.
• Consistency: People want to be consistent with past actions or commitments. Studies show that small initial commitments can lead to larger ones, like homeowners displaying a small sign leading to a willingness to put up a larger one later.
• Liking: People agree with those they like, influenced by similarities, compliments, and cooperative goals. This is shown in studies where negotiators who share personal information before discussing business achieve better outcomes.
• Consensus: People look to others’ actions to guide their own, especially when uncertain. Examples include hotel guests reusing towels more when informed that most others do too, demonstrating the power of pointing to what others are doing to persuade.

Here is a simple exercise for you to do when you are trying to build an engagement with someone—your client, your vendors, or your manager.

Key Point	Your Action Items
Give first, personalize, and surprise. (Reciprocity)
Highlight uniqueness and what can be lost. (Scarcity)
Show credibility before making a request. (Authority)
Seek small initial commitments. (Consistency)
Find commonalities and give genuine compliments. (Liking)
Show what others are doing, especially similar people. (Consensus)

• #Differentiate
• #persuasion