How to use the 6 principles of influence to double your sales
[HOW TO USE THE 6 PRINCIPLES OF INFLUENCE TO DOUBLE YOUR SALES]
Everything we do in business, sales, and conversions boils down to influence. How well can you influence someone who visits your website or online store to make a buying decision and feel like it was their decision the entire time?
You see, influence is about psychology and understanding how the mind operates. Some people are blessed with the gift of natural influence. These are the charmers, the flirts, the courtiers if you will. But what about those who don't have that natural skill set? If you were not blessed with this gift, don't fret my attentive reader, there is a solution for you.
There is nobody better to mention than the father of modern day influence and psychology, Dr. Robert Cialdini.
And so, it's my promise to you that if you read this article and apply this information - your sales will increase. And with increased sales, you'll generate more wealth, more attention, and you'll have abs like me... OK maybe you wont get the abs, but the monetary gains will be worth it.
So it's my goal in this article to tell you who Robert Cialdini is, what are the 6 principles, how to use them in your marketing, and help you get to the result of higher conversions in your business.
WHO IS ROBERT CIALDINI
The man behind the 6 principles of Influence is Dr. Robert Cialdini. He is the father of influence and persuasion - and has sold more than 2 million copies of his books, so he knows what he's talking about.
Written back in 1984, Robert went out and conducted a ton of scientific experiments where he would go undercover and pose as a telemarketing observer, a job applicant, a used car salesperson trainee, and a ton of other roles. While doing so, he went in the trenches and did research, tested theories, came up with observations, and dug deep into other people's psychology.
During this time, he noticed that there were 6 main principles that influenced people's thoughts, behaviors, decisions, and actions.
We'll shift now into covering all 6 of those principles and how to use them.
THE 6 PRINCIPLES OF INFLUENCE
PRINCIPLES #1: RECIPROCITY
This is the first rule of influence, and it stated that "if someone does something for you, you then feel obligated to return the favor." - Cialdini.
Here's a simple way to apply this in your marketing to increase your conversions. Figure out what the #1 biggest pain point that your target audience is suffering from. Could be wanting to lose weight, wanting to make more money, could be wanting to have better relationships.
Once you've figured that out, craft a real solution that people can consume in a short period of time (less than 30 minutes - 1 hour to consume, webinars work well, case study, or a cheatsheet) and then offer it to them for FREE.
If your GIFT is good, and helps them get results - they'll feel internally obligated to work with you, buy from you, or offer you a nice virtual hand shake.
PRINCIPLE #2: COMMITMENT & CONSISTENCY
Each individual has a self image of the way they see themselves, and think about themselves. When a person is presented with a thought, ideal, or something appealing that is aligned with their self image, they are more likely to convert. This is called consistency.
Just as those individuals who make commitments to certain things tend to follow all the way through with their commitments. You see, their belief is that they must remain consistent with their self image. In doing so - they commit to what is in alignment with their self image, and this is what allows them to follow through.
The majority of your target audience sees themselves a certain way, so you must address them based on their self image, and offer them something that will make them want to commit.
For the people who are bodybuilders, offer them a new meal plan - or a new pair of weight lifting gloves - or a new protein powder. These things are in complete alignment with what a bodybuilder would be interested in, so getting them to commit would be simpler than offering them a fishing rod, or a new tire.
Commitment and consistency has everything to do with a person's self image.
PRINCIPLE #3: SOCIAL PROOF
I was at the beach this past weekend and something interesting happened...
So my lady friend and I find a spot in the beach that was close to the water, yet a good distance away on the sand. Twenty feet away from us was a small group of people that had a loud Bluetooth connected speaker and were preparing to play music.
When they turned the music on, they started dancing and made their own little party with their group of 10 people. Within minutes everyone around us starting turning their heads to see what was going on. Shortly after, more groups of people walked over and joined in on the activities. Within 30 minutes there were more than 50 people standing around to see what the commotion was.
This is the concept of social proof in action. It's as simple as "Monkey See, Monkey Do."
How can this be applied to your marketing?
Testimonials, reviews, student success stories! These are so powerful, I advise you to grab as many video testimonials as you can - and put them on the front page of all your marketing efforts. It will be easier for others to want to join in when they see that others before them have had success.
PRINCIPLE #4: AUTHORITY
There are leaders, and then there are followers. The fact remains that there are far more followers, than there are leaders. Those followers in most cases will respect the authority figures that have an important message, authoritative clothing, an effective message delivery style, or a platform to speak from.
Look at the social media influencers and authority figures that have hundreds, thousands, and even millions of followers. These people have the power to influence the masses with their thoughts, message, and actions.
Increasing your authority can be as simple as changing the way that you speak and position yourself while sharing your message with the world.
*WARNING* This level of influence can be used for good, and for bad. I advise you to use it to help advance your goals, and enrich the lives of others.
PRINCIPLE #5: LIKING
They say that people do business with those that they KNOW, LIKE, and TRUST (K.L.T.). The people that are most likely to buy from you, are the people that like you.
Likeability is a huge form of influence, and it's a big part of the reason why so many brands and companies use beautiful women to share their message, promote their product, and just look so damn sexy next to their brand. This leaves most consumers (male consumers primarily) watering at the mouth for the beautiful woman. When they do, they end up automatically like the woman - and subconsciously like the brand.
As a matter of fact, the same applies for anybody with good looks. People with attractive looks are typically favored over those who lack attractive looks.
If you're not the best looking guy or gal on the planet, then your personality, or your message will have to shine through and touch the deep desire of your target audience to increase conversions.
PRINCIPLE #6: SCARCITY
If people think that something is going to run out, they will rush to buy it first before they miss out. You see, no one wants to miss out on a good deal. That's why there is always pandemonium at the mall for "Black Friday" and Christmas time shopping.
Cialdini said that "scarcity relates to supply and demand". Whenever there is a limited supply, the demand will increase.
You can use scarcity in your marketing by putting "limited time only" on your webpage, or including a countdown timer on that page. I only recommend using real scarcity - fake scarcity decreases people's trust in you and whatever you have to offer.
HOW TO APPLY THE PRINCIPLES IN YOUR MARKETING?
Let's walk through a few brief examples, and concepts you can use to apply the principles of influence into your marketing.
Here are a few examples:
Reciprocity - offer a FREE 1 hour phone consultation to people, some advice, or FREE coaching.
Content - people love content, and it's one of the best ways to establish reciprocity and good will in your market. Webinars work great, video case studies, eBooks, cheat sheets, mindmaps, etc.
Commitment & Consistency - Understand who your target audience is and what is their self image. If you are attracting entrepreneurs, then use wording that speaks directly to them.
"Follow me on social media for more business tips"
"Watch this free video on how to grow your business"
Website survey or quiz, leading to an opt-in form
Social Proof - These days' online people will go out of their way to buy something when they see others taking action. Video testimonials, reviews, success stories... this is how you influence like the big guns.
- Use video testimonials. These are your most powerful weapons for influence in this social media and digital revolution we live in.
- Show your social media following on your webpages, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter
- Create engaging content that produces responses and comments, the more people see it - the more they'll wanna chime in with their 2 cents.
Authority - It's simpler than you think to become an authority. Select your niche, and carve your space in it by producing content, being present, commanding attention, and constantly being in front of the marketplace. As you do, you'll begin to grow your authority in the marketplace.
-Being a guest on different podcasts
- Creating quality articles and syndicate them online through PR websites, social media, and credible authoritative websites
- Constantly promoting your message and market on numerous social media platforms
Liking - Getting people to like you with the power of social media is easy when you have well placed positioning. In fact, getting people to like you online requires you simply creating a likeable online personality for yourself. Do this by putting your best information, your best pictures, your best posts, and other likeable items out there.
- Pictures of yourself smiling and enjoying life
- Use a normal human voice in your writing, not corporate boring jargon
- Create a positive social presence and be active & engaging.
Scarcity - This is one of the easier things to create online. As you make your offer to the market, limit how many people will get access to it - or end the offer at a certain date & time.
- Put a timer on your offer, for example (we can only work with 7 people per month, 2 spots gone. *USE REAL SCARCITY *)
- Cap the number of applicants or clients you'll work with
- End the offer during a certain season or time frame
THE WRAP UP
In conclusion Dr. Cialdini's principles of influence are indeed powerful, and have an effect on every area of our lives - especially in business. From relationships at work, to your website, to your funnel, to your social media profile, branding, and so forth... influence is in everything we do.
With the solid information shared in this article - you should be able to increase your influence and conversions in the market.
Take action with these strategies, and let me know which two principles of influence are your strongest & favorite ones?
Comment on this post, also share it if you can think of someone else who would love to increase their influence & conversions.
Until next time.
Peace,
Michael "Overdeliver" Baptiste
P.S. The 6 principles of influence were written by the great Robert Cialdini in his book "Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion" and it's used in everything we do. If you want to have more influence over your life, and those around you - then these 6 principles will help give you a running start.
If you need any help on increasing your influence, comment below.
Everything we do in business, sales, and conversions boils down to influence. How well can you influence someone who visits your website or online store to make a buying decision and feel like it was their decision the entire time?
You see, influence is about psychology and understanding how the mind operates. Some people are blessed with the gift of natural influence. These are the charmers, the flirts, the courtiers if you will. But what about those who don't have that natural skill set? If you were not blessed with this gift, don't fret my attentive reader, there is a solution for you.
There is nobody better to mention than the father of modern day influence and psychology, Dr. Robert Cialdini.
And so, it's my promise to you that if you read this article and apply this information - your sales will increase. And with increased sales, you'll generate more wealth, more attention, and you'll have abs like me... OK maybe you wont get the abs, but the monetary gains will be worth it.
So it's my goal in this article to tell you who Robert Cialdini is, what are the 6 principles, how to use them in your marketing, and help you get to the result of higher conversions in your business.
WHO IS ROBERT CIALDINI
The man behind the 6 principles of Influence is Dr. Robert Cialdini. He is the father of influence and persuasion - and has sold more than 2 million copies of his books, so he knows what he's talking about.
Written back in 1984, Robert went out and conducted a ton of scientific experiments where he would go undercover and pose as a telemarketing observer, a job applicant, a used car salesperson trainee, and a ton of other roles. While doing so, he went in the trenches and did research, tested theories, came up with observations, and dug deep into other people's psychology.
During this time, he noticed that there were 6 main principles that influenced people's thoughts, behaviors, decisions, and actions.
We'll shift now into covering all 6 of those principles and how to use them.
THE 6 PRINCIPLES OF INFLUENCE
PRINCIPLES #1: RECIPROCITY
This is the first rule of influence, and it stated that "if someone does something for you, you then feel obligated to return the favor." - Cialdini.
Here's a simple way to apply this in your marketing to increase your conversions. Figure out what the #1 biggest pain point that your target audience is suffering from. Could be wanting to lose weight, wanting to make more money, could be wanting to have better relationships.
Once you've figured that out, craft a real solution that people can consume in a short period of time (less than 30 minutes - 1 hour to consume, webinars work well, case study, or a cheatsheet) and then offer it to them for FREE.
If your GIFT is good, and helps them get results - they'll feel internally obligated to work with you, buy from you, or offer you a nice virtual hand shake.
PRINCIPLE #2: COMMITMENT & CONSISTENCY
Each individual has a self image of the way they see themselves, and think about themselves. When a person is presented with a thought, ideal, or something appealing that is aligned with their self image, they are more likely to convert. This is called consistency.
Just as those individuals who make commitments to certain things tend to follow all the way through with their commitments. You see, their belief is that they must remain consistent with their self image. In doing so - they commit to what is in alignment with their self image, and this is what allows them to follow through.
The majority of your target audience sees themselves a certain way, so you must address them based on their self image, and offer them something that will make them want to commit.
For the people who are bodybuilders, offer them a new meal plan - or a new pair of weight lifting gloves - or a new protein powder. These things are in complete alignment with what a bodybuilder would be interested in, so getting them to commit would be simpler than offering them a fishing rod, or a new tire.
Commitment and consistency has everything to do with a person's self image.
PRINCIPLE #3: SOCIAL PROOF
I was at the beach this past weekend and something interesting happened...
So my lady friend and I find a spot in the beach that was close to the water, yet a good distance away on the sand. Twenty feet away from us was a small group of people that had a loud Bluetooth connected speaker and were preparing to play music.
When they turned the music on, they started dancing and made their own little party with their group of 10 people. Within minutes everyone around us starting turning their heads to see what was going on. Shortly after, more groups of people walked over and joined in on the activities. Within 30 minutes there were more than 50 people standing around to see what the commotion was.
This is the concept of social proof in action. It's as simple as "Monkey See, Monkey Do."
How can this be applied to your marketing?
Testimonials, reviews, student success stories! These are so powerful, I advise you to grab as many video testimonials as you can - and put them on the front page of all your marketing efforts. It will be easier for others to want to join in when they see that others before them have had success.
PRINCIPLE #4: AUTHORITY
There are leaders, and then there are followers. The fact remains that there are far more followers, than there are leaders. Those followers in most cases will respect the authority figures that have an important message, authoritative clothing, an effective message delivery style, or a platform to speak from.
Look at the social media influencers and authority figures that have hundreds, thousands, and even millions of followers. These people have the power to influence the masses with their thoughts, message, and actions.
Increasing your authority can be as simple as changing the way that you speak and position yourself while sharing your message with the world.
*WARNING* This level of influence can be used for good, and for bad. I advise you to use it to help advance your goals, and enrich the lives of others.
PRINCIPLE #5: LIKING
They say that people do business with those that they KNOW, LIKE, and TRUST (K.L.T.). The people that are most likely to buy from you, are the people that like you.
Likeability is a huge form of influence, and it's a big part of the reason why so many brands and companies use beautiful women to share their message, promote their product, and just look so damn sexy next to their brand. This leaves most consumers (male consumers primarily) watering at the mouth for the beautiful woman. When they do, they end up automatically like the woman - and subconsciously like the brand.
As a matter of fact, the same applies for anybody with good looks. People with attractive looks are typically favored over those who lack attractive looks.
If you're not the best looking guy or gal on the planet, then your personality, or your message will have to shine through and touch the deep desire of your target audience to increase conversions.
PRINCIPLE #6: SCARCITY
If people think that something is going to run out, they will rush to buy it first before they miss out. You see, no one wants to miss out on a good deal. That's why there is always pandemonium at the mall for "Black Friday" and Christmas time shopping.
Cialdini said that "scarcity relates to supply and demand". Whenever there is a limited supply, the demand will increase.
You can use scarcity in your marketing by putting "limited time only" on your webpage, or including a countdown timer on that page. I only recommend using real scarcity - fake scarcity decreases people's trust in you and whatever you have to offer.
HOW TO APPLY THE PRINCIPLES IN YOUR MARKETING?
Let's walk through a few brief examples, and concepts you can use to apply the principles of influence into your marketing.
Here are a few examples:
Reciprocity - offer a FREE 1 hour phone consultation to people, some advice, or FREE coaching.
Content - people love content, and it's one of the best ways to establish reciprocity and good will in your market. Webinars work great, video case studies, eBooks, cheat sheets, mindmaps, etc.
Commitment & Consistency - Understand who your target audience is and what is their self image. If you are attracting entrepreneurs, then use wording that speaks directly to them.
"Follow me on social media for more business tips"
"Watch this free video on how to grow your business"
Website survey or quiz, leading to an opt-in form
Social Proof - These days' online people will go out of their way to buy something when they see others taking action. Video testimonials, reviews, success stories... this is how you influence like the big guns.
- Use video testimonials. These are your most powerful weapons for influence in this social media and digital revolution we live in.
- Show your social media following on your webpages, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter
- Create engaging content that produces responses and comments, the more people see it - the more they'll wanna chime in with their 2 cents.
Authority - It's simpler than you think to become an authority. Select your niche, and carve your space in it by producing content, being present, commanding attention, and constantly being in front of the marketplace. As you do, you'll begin to grow your authority in the marketplace.
-Being a guest on different podcasts
- Creating quality articles and syndicate them online through PR websites, social media, and credible authoritative websites
- Constantly promoting your message and market on numerous social media platforms
Liking - Getting people to like you with the power of social media is easy when you have well placed positioning. In fact, getting people to like you online requires you simply creating a likeable online personality for yourself. Do this by putting your best information, your best pictures, your best posts, and other likeable items out there.
- Pictures of yourself smiling and enjoying life
- Use a normal human voice in your writing, not corporate boring jargon
- Create a positive social presence and be active & engaging.
Scarcity - This is one of the easier things to create online. As you make your offer to the market, limit how many people will get access to it - or end the offer at a certain date & time.
- Put a timer on your offer, for example (we can only work with 7 people per month, 2 spots gone. *USE REAL SCARCITY *)
- Cap the number of applicants or clients you'll work with
- End the offer during a certain season or time frame
THE WRAP UP
In conclusion Dr. Cialdini's principles of influence are indeed powerful, and have an effect on every area of our lives - especially in business. From relationships at work, to your website, to your funnel, to your social media profile, branding, and so forth... influence is in everything we do.
With the solid information shared in this article - you should be able to increase your influence and conversions in the market.
Take action with these strategies, and let me know which two principles of influence are your strongest & favorite ones?
Comment on this post, also share it if you can think of someone else who would love to increase their influence & conversions.
Until next time.
Peace,
Michael "Overdeliver" Baptiste
P.S. The 6 principles of influence were written by the great Robert Cialdini in his book "Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion" and it's used in everything we do. If you want to have more influence over your life, and those around you - then these 6 principles will help give you a running start.
If you need any help on increasing your influence, comment below.