At May’s Innovation Day, we welcomed Helen Mankin, Senior Behavioural Science Consultant at Influence at Work. She uncovered six universal principles of persuasion that can be cultivated and applied in order to establish credibility, guide decision-making, and inspire others to take action.
In a workplace that’s increasingly connected and fast-paced, developing persuasive skills is one of the most valuable investments you can make if you want to bring about change and drive business improvement. Today more than ever, the ability to communicate, motivate and inspire others plays a key role in leading the way for innovation in the face of crisis.
Some think that persuasion is about manipulation and getting your way, and is a matter of charisma: you are either born with it, or not. However, behavioural science reveals that there are successful, intuitive and practical principles of persuasion that can be learnt and used by anyone to change others’ behaviours in systematic and expected ways. Rather than tricking anyone or being inauthentic, persuasion is about making sure your ideas are heard and valued. When applied ethically and responsibly, persuasion can bring unexpected and valuable results.
Behavioural science uncovered six universal principles of persuasion which you can cultivate and apply in order to establish credibility, guide your decision making, and inspire others to take action.
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Principle
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Meaning…
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Reciprocity
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Have you ever noticed that if you give something first, people are more inclined to say “yes” to your requests? The principle of reciprocity shows that if you give first, you are more likely to receive something in exchange. |
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Liking
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People are generally more willing to support those whom they like, and tend to agree with a person who shares the same values. |
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Social proof
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This is the idea that when people are uncertain, they look at the behaviours of others to guide their own. |
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Authority
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People tend to be influenced by those they view as experts and authoritative. |
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Scarcity
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People tend to want more of those things they can have less of. |
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Consistency
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People like to live up to beliefs, promises and commitments they have previously made or done. This is particularly true if people made commitments voluntarily and if they are public. |
So, how can we apply persuasion in an ethical way in our organisations to achieve great results?
While generally research has shown that we are much more persuasive in person rather than over the phone or video, the principles of persuasion can also be applied in a virtual world. The key is to consider what your desired outcome is and which principles can support that positive outcome.
1. Build good relationships and establish trust with peers, colleagues, clients, etc. When co-workers don’t trust one another, teams simply cannot function well. Developing and maintaining trust is challenging enough in the physical workplace, but it is even harder in an increasingly online working world. Building real trust in a virtual environment is indeed possible, but managers need to be proactive and implement the right mechanisms to ensure it will flourish.
Use the principles of Reciprocity and Liking to actively accelerate and maintain trust in virtual teams, but also to deliver the meaningful, personal experiences your customers and clients want.
2. Reduce uncertainty for customers and employees. Uncertainty is likewise a big player in these times, but one we must manage well. Leaders that commit to taking pragmatic actions when faced with the uncertainty will be better prepared to thrive within and navigate ambiguity.
Use the principles of Social Proof and Authority to lead by example and establish your credibility. If you showcase desired behaviours first, people will be more likely to imitate your behaviours when faced with uncertainty.
3. Drive employee motivation and engage new customers. Some of the most successful companies are able to create competitive advantage through their employees. However, it can be challenging to motivate employees during times of crisis, and your title and authority alone aren’t always enough to sway others.
Use the principles of Scarcity and Consistency to motivate colleagues to support and adopt your ideas, and to create a compelling feeling of “fear of missing out” in your customers.
Manage persuasion in the future. In the business world, we might say there are “best practices” when it comes to effective communication. But persuasion is about far more than just argument and counterargument, and key skills vary from communication to reasoning, assertiveness, interaction, design, etc. There is not a one size fits all. Understand which specific skills are essential to your company’s objectives to ensure your company is in good shape to influence and persuade appropriately.
These are just some key highlights taken from May’s Innovation Day. Each month, clients of the Innovation Programmes receive a full ACT report, capturing the guest expert’s research, the implications and next steps for leaders to apply back in their team and organisation.
Sources: Mankin, H. (2020) ‘The Science of Influence and Persuasion’, KnowledgeBrief Innovation Day Presentation, 13 May.