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2 interviews · 9 quotes
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Dr. Robert Cialdini has spent his entire career conducting scientific research on what leads people to say “Yes” to requests. The results of his research, his ensuing articles, and New York Times…
Elsewhere in the archive
In this interview, I spoke to Professor Jared Diamond, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Guns, Germs, and Steel, about when individual leaders genuinely change outcomes. We discussed discretion, timing, his Hamlet Test for…
From the archive
You have to step back and focus on the merits of the offer- not the person who brought the offer to you. That's how you defend yourself. You recognise that there's something that goes on first as important as the message itself inclining you towards purchase or agreement.
— Robert CialdiniInfluence & Persuasion Expert; Author of "Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion
I'd been a patsy all my life, an easy mark for the appeals of fundraisers or sales operators who would come to my door. I'd end up with unwanted magazine subscriptions… There must be something other than the features of the offer that got me to say yes, because I don't want those features, it must be the way the offer was presented to me.
— Robert CialdiniInfluence & Persuasion Expert; Author of "Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion
The people who influence the best are the ones who take the advice of the ancient Chinese military expert, Sun Tzu. Every battle is won before it's fought. If you put people in a mindset that is congruent with the major focus of the message you are yet to send them, it opens the door to persuasion.
— Robert CialdiniInfluence & Persuasion Expert; Author of "Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion
We have the tendency to follow those who are comparable to us. It reduces uncertainty and provides us with an extremely effective shortcut into deciding how to best behave in a world that has become overloaded with information and stimulus. We need shortcuts!
— Robert CialdiniInfluence & Persuasion Expert; Author of "Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion
If you go into a new situation where you don't know anybody and you want to be more influential, don't look around the room and say hmmm… who can most help me here?… instead, look around and say hmmm…. Who can I most help here? You will put that person in a position where they will be standing on the balls of their feet to help you!
— Robert CialdiniInfluence & Persuasion Expert; Author of "Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion
We want to be influenced because we want to be right. We want to take the more adaptive strategies in any situations in order to have good outcomes. It's an evolutionary psychological adaptation.
— Robert CialdiniInfluence & Persuasion Expert; Author of "Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion
You have to step back and focus on the merits of the offer- not the person who brought the offer to you. That's how you defend yourself. You recognise that there's something that goes on first as important as the message itself inclining you towards purchase or agreement.
— Robert CialdiniInfluence & Persuasion Expert; Author of "Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion
We have the tendency to follow those who are comparable to us. It reduces uncertainty and provides us with an extremely effective shortcut into deciding how to best behave in a world that has become overloaded with information and stimulus.
— Robert CialdiniInfluence & Persuasion Expert; Author of "Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion
If you go into a new situation where you don't know anybody and you want to be more influential, don't look around the room and say hmmm… who can most help me here?… instead, look around and say hmmm…. Who can I most help here? You will put that person in a position where they will be standing on the balls of their feet to help you!
— Robert CialdiniInfluence & Persuasion Expert; Author of "Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion
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