Hey friends, in today's email we will be discussing:
Cialdini's principles: I want to introduce you to 6 principles of influence that can help you be more successful at work.
Exposure is at it again: Why focusing on only performance won't get you anywhere in your career.
Marketing Secrets: Cialdini's 6 Principles Explained
10 years ago, I did my research paper on Robert Cialdini’s 6 principles of influence. This week, when creating new experiments, I went back to the 6 principles. The principles are so easy to use yet so powerful, I wanted to share what they are and spark ideas on how to use them yourself.
Robert Cialdini’s book “Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion” was published in 1984. In it, he explores the different factors that affect people’s decision-making process, especially around buying things.
The 6 principles he described are tactics in marketing that are being used everywhere. You’ll probably recognize some of these tactics yourself.
Reciprocity
The first principle is reciprocity. We don’t like the feeling of owing someone. When we do owe someone, we want to settle them as soon as possible. For example, when getting a Christmas card, you’ll have the urge to send the senders a Christmas card back (either this year or the next).
This tactic can be used by people in a sales role as well. Ever walked out of a train station and gotten a “free” rose? The moment that someone gives you the free rose (and they say that there are no strings attached), you will have the feeling of doing something back. The person handing you the rose knows this too. After receiving the rose, the salesperson will tell you about a cause that they are supporting and how you can help. Because you just received a free rose from them, you are more inclined to help (you owe them something).
An even simpler example. When you’re always helping out others at work, it’s easier to ask them back for a favour in return. But don’t overdo it, if you’re doing it for favours, it can have a negative impact on your returns.
Scarcity
You’ve probably seen this one before. The less there is of something, the more we want it. If you have found a pair of shoes that is limited in stock, you want it more than if you’d known there were plenty of pairs.
You’ll see businesses use this principle a lot. Ever browsed online and found out that the dress you’ve been looking for is almost out of stock? The pressure is on! The chance of the dress going out of stock could push you into pulling the trigger and buying right now (even if you didn’t want to buy it in the first place).
Some companies take this to the next level. When looking for concert tickets, you might have seen the early bird tickets. They are using the scarcity principle. Instead of waiting till the last moment to buy a ticket, you can buy a limited amount of tickets for a reduced price. But be fast! This deal is only available for the next 48 hours.
Authority
The third principle is called authority. You’ll recognize this one as well, as it’s a principle that is used a lot. This principle uses individuals or brands who are authorities, credible, and knowledgeable experts in the space. They are more influential and persuasive than people who are not. We trust people with authority and are more likely to follow them.
Ever seen an ad for toothpaste? It’s always a dentist telling you why they think this toothpaste in particular is so good and why you should have it too. And don’t forget, it’s recommended by 8/10 dentists! They are dentists, they should be right, so I should get the toothpaste that they recommend.
The funniest example is the video ads for fragrances. We are not able to smell the fragrance, but for some reason, there is always a celebrity part of the video. A very artsy video with a famous person convincing you to get the fragrance. Is it just me, or are these videos the funniest ones? They make no sense.
Commitment and consistency
The fourth principle is commitment and consistency. People like to be consistent with their identity and/or sense of self-image. In other words, if you think of yourself as a “healthy” person, you’re more likely to undertake actions that consider to be “healthy”.
Signing for a petition, because you believe in helping a cause, will help you stay committed for a longer time. You can’t sign a petition and then say that you don’t care about the cause. The chances are, that you now want to know more about it and see in what other ways you could help.
Loyalty programs are another example. The loyalty programs encourage people to make repeat purchases. Sometimes you get a small discount code because you’re part of a loyalty program. This will make you feel special and even more committed to a company, which makes you go back every time.
Liking
The fifth principle is all about liking. This one is going to be very obvious. But who would have guessed, being nice to someone makes it easier to influence them?
The more you identify and like someone, the higher the chance that they can influence you in your decisions. Marketing teams use this all the time. Say you consider yourself being an outdoorsy person. Seeing ads with people who are happy, wear similar gear, and are outdoors, will have a positive impact on your decision-making.
Building relationships is important. If you want to influence people around you, you’ll need to be liked.
Social proof
And lastly, my favourite, social proof. This principle is all about making decisions based on what other people think and do. This can help you determine if something is legit or not.
Remember the review stars on a product page? That’s social proof. Say you want to buy new headphones. You’ve compared the specifications with other headphones, and the pictures look amazing, but you’re still not convinced. Is this legit the best option? We can turn to the masses. If we see that there aren’t a lot of reviews given on a product, we might reconsider our decision and move to a different model. But If we see that there are a lot of reviews and most of them are positive, there is a higher chance of us pulling the trigger.
Every principle is strong in its own way. Some people are more sensitive to one principle than another. Some principles even have a negative impact on someone’s decision-making process. For example, I can’t stand authority when it comes to ads. When I’m doing my research and I find out the product is just pushed by authority, I might step away from it. But I do have a positive affiliation with social proof. If more people have given a positive review, there is a higher chance that I’ll pull the trigger.
What is your favourite and least favourite principle? And how will you be using these principles in your next marketing strategy?
Get Noticed at Work: Unlocking the Power of Exposure
I found a video on TikTok talking about career progression (source). And I know, tips online could be useless, but I thought this particular video addresses something I have been discussing forever in this newsletter.
You might have seen me talk about PIE (performance, image, and exposure). And how this model will help you be more successful in your career.
A quick reminder:
Performance: 10% of your career success is determined by performance. This is all about the work that you’re doing. You could be a genius and know everything about your subject, but if you don’t focus on the other elements (image and exposure), you’ll have a hard time being successful.
Image: 30% of your career success is determined by image. This element is all about the way that you come across and what others think of you. Your personal brand. Do you have a positive attitude, or are you someone who offers roadblocks when changes are being suggested?
Exposure: 60%(!) of your career success is determined by exposure. This element is all about being visible to others. Who knows about you and what you do? Does your boss and their boss know?
In summary, just doing the work that you’re doing, will not make you successful. You’ll need to make sure that other people know what you’re doing while maintaining a strong personal brand.
Now, back to the video. In the video, Stephanie Brown talks about her own experience. She mentioned that she’s struggling to get promoted and doesn’t know what to do next. When talking to her marketing director, she shared that she wanted to get promoted, but didn’t know how to get there.
In the comments, she mentioned that she was just working in a corner, heads down, getting her job done (she focused on only the performance part of the job).
During the chat with her director, she was told that she wasn’t visible enough (you might have heard that yourself in the past). But most of the time, it’s not clear what that means. Her director gave her the best possible example: ‘walk the floors’. Every morning when you come into the office, grab your coffee/tea and walk the floors. Talk to people who you normally do not talk to. Get to know others and what they are doing. Do make sure to be genuine in your communication, coming across as fake will have a negative impact on your visibility.
Because she started to walk the floors and connect with different people, she was now more visible in the organization. As weird as this might sound, but the more people know who you are and what you’re doing, the more successful you’ll be. People will have positive feelings when hearing your name. She got a promotion 6 months after starting to ‘walk to floors’.
It’s a great example of how you can get more exposure and be more visible in your organization. Remember, being successful in your career is not about just doing the work (performance), it’s about building your personal brand (image) and being seen by multiple people in the organization (exposure).
Podcast episode(s) you'd love
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Think Fast, Talk Smart: Speak Your Truth: Why Authenticity Leads to Better Communication. Direct communication is key in businesses to avoid confusion and wasted time. Create a safe environment, so people can speak their truth and you and the business can move forward.
Found any interesting articles? Please share them with me, as I am always interested in learning something new.
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