The 6 Principles Of Persuasion
Today I want to dive in and talk about the six principles of influence, which are also principles of persuasion based on Cialdini’s book called Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion. I love these principles so much because for me, the way that I've adopted them into my business is all about increasing my magnetism, and because of that they have transformed my business. Dr. Cialdini.talks about the six principles of influence or persuasion and even though the book has been written decades ago, it has now been adopted into online marketing, into the online world in general. I know for me, the way that I've adopted these principles has really helped to increase my magnetism and the work that I do as a coach. Today I want to dive in and chat about these principles and the ways in which you can incorporate them into your business as well.
Reciprocity
The very first principle of influence is reciprocity. As human beings, we are wired to actually give back what we feel like we've been given reciprocity. We are actually wired to treat people the way that we've been treated. This is why opt-ins and freebie offers are so powerful, because when you give something to someone for free, they automatically one get to learn what it is that you offer. But to feel this desire in this tug, to potentially reciprocate if it feels aligned with them. Let's say, for example, you're running a free webinar where you talk about the three things that coaches need to know to be successful, and then at the end, you offer an amazing opportunity to work in a one on one container with you. The people that join the webinar are going to feel more inclined to reciprocate and join that one on one container because of the value that you've given them for free. When you give amazing value, it makes it a no brainer to be able to take that next step.
Commitment and Consistency
The second principle is the principle of commitment and consistency. As individuals, we are hardwired to be seen as consistent. This is why when you announce a goal or you share a goal, you're more likely to be determined to actually reach that goal because of that idea and that desire to be viewed as consistent and committed.
This is why, again, freebies are so powerful. So let's say, for example, you have a free eBook that people opt into when they come to your website. Once people opt in, you now realize that they see you as somebody they can trust. They see you as consistent or someone they want to share their email with. And now you are more likely to be committed to following up with them with an email sequence or series that allows them to take that next step.
There's so much power in that consistency and commitment. In addition, that's why there's so much power when people log online and they share a big goal (i.e. hitting 10K by the end of this month). People love to announce that, but more importantly, it holds you accountable to seeing it through.
Social Proof
The third principle is social proof. There is nothing like feeling validated based on what you see other people doing. And let's be honest, there's safety in numbers. So when you think about this principle, you can look at it kind of like if you're at work and you see that everyone in your workplace leaves work to go grab lunch, that's a cultural norm. So then you tell yourself it's okay for you to leave and grab work. Versus if you work in another building where people pack lunch, you may notice yourself packing lunch more regularly. But if we look at it in a business, from a business standpoint, from a business lens, this is the same principle that makes testimonials so powerful. The truth is, you can rave about what it is that you have to offer your course, your program, your one on one container, and you should hype it up. You should talk about it, but people expect that.
Where the real value comes is when you showcase the outcome of what people have gotten from working with you. When you showcase what people are feeling or saying about working with you because it validates what it is that you have to offer for those that are riding the fence and they start to look at it from a different perspective and say, okay, if that's available for them, that could potentially be available for me as well.
Authority
The fourth principle of persuasion or influence is authority. We are programmed to obey authority. Think about it if we see police officers or if we're in school and we have teachers, or if we're in a workplace and we have a boss. These are typically people we respect and may even look up to. This is why people who write books and add author next to their name on bio are seen as experts. To write a book about a specific topic means you know a lot about it.
This is why it's so powerful when you have credentials next to your name, or if you have a special certification, because now people see you in an authority light. Now I would love to add a caveat here. You don't have to have a doctorate degree or some fancy degree or certification to be seen as authority. The way that you can leverage this in the business is to showcase your expertise to show what it is that you're passionate about, and expertise is gained through experience. So maybe you are a coach that helps people heal their hurt after divorce because you personally have worked through healing your hurt after divorce.
When you show up from that authority standpoint, people are going to also respect you from that place. So if you have credentials, showcase it. If you just have experience, showcase that as well. Ultimately you want people to see that genius that lives deep inside of you, because when they do, they can't help to be magnetized to you.
Liking
The fifth principle is all about liking. The more you like someone, the more you can actually be persuaded by them. The way that this shows up in business is you have to show who you are behind the brand. The truth is, there's a million coaches online.There's coaches that are probably doing the same thing that you're doing. But what are you doing to stand out? How can you show more of who you are behind the scenes so that people can actually relate and resonate with you? How can you find creative ways to build rapport based on that? There is a couple of different ways that you can do this.
You can have an About Me page that is so powerful that people can't help but be magnetized to you, or you can take different parts of your life and weave them into your business model. So I myself, as a mom, I talk about my daughters. I showcase their sporting events and their award ceremonies and all of these different things because I want people to see that I am still human behind my brand. Also sustainability is a pillar of my brand so when I talk about my life and my business I am living what I preach. You would be so surprised to know that so many people come to me and resonate with me. Not just because I'm a coach that helps coaches, but because I also am a single mom and I'm balancing a lot so I understand the balancing act that goes into building a profitable and impactful brand.
This liking factor helps people to feel understood, heard and supported. So in what ways can you share more of yourself to help people feel and rapport with you to help people feel connected with you?
Scarcity
Finally, the last principle of persuasion and influence is scarcity. When we ask people believe something is in limited supply, we are more likely to win it.
Have you ever been scrolling your favorite fashion blog or your favorite fashion website and there's a shirt that is categorized as a best seller or just restocked? I almost always go to those sections because I'm like, wow, that must be something that other people actually like as well. And while I don't always pick from that section, for some reason my brain is drawn to go there. It's the same thing in business when you create a sense of scarcity and not from being out of integrity or trying to force people to buy people are more likely to be drawn to what it is that you have to offer.
When you create this sense of scarcity, people are more likely to take that next step. So the way that this may look is let's say, for example, you're opening up your mastermind and you know that you're only going to call in five soul mate clients and they're going to be the dream clients and you talk about who this is for. The scarcity would be that I'm only calling in five people to keep this container intimate but yet still expansive and so when people see it from that perspective they may feel that FOMO right. They may be thinking “I don't want to miss out I want to be in this intimate container”.
You could also create scarcity around pricing. So let's say, for example, you're opening up your group coaching program but the doors are only going to be open for seven days but the first three days you're going to get $1,000 off create that scarcity yet built in with excitement so that people are ready to take that next step and don't miss out on a no brainer offer.
The key here is to note that you can create scarcity in a way that is still in integrity which is so important.
All in all, these six principles of influence and persuasion are so life changing you can use them when you're launching different offers. You can use them when you're building your website. You can use them when you're working on building rapport on a discovery or a sales call. There are so many ways that you can adopt them and weave them into your business. In fact, millions of companies are actually leveraging these as well so it's important that you know how to use them for yourself. Pay close attention to these principles because they will literally transform your business and when you learn and leverage them, they're going to light you up and you're going to notice that you get to call in the soulmate clients. So what I'd love to know from you is what principles are you committed to implementing today?
Because change and transformation does not take place without intentional and aligned action
If you are looking for the tools to increase both your magnetism and in turn impact join us inside of The ELEVATE Method. Here I will teach you to build the business you desire and deserve.
