When we hear the word persuasion, we think of advertising, TV commercials, product ads on Instagram, more advertising and more advertising. We have all, at some time or another, been persuaded by a brand, either by reading or asking others about their opinion of a product or service. People's opinions about something we are interested in can have a huge influence on our decision to buy something or not.
Here another element comes into play: attitude. We all show different attitudes when it comes to doing something or other. Persuasion is the study of these attitudes and how to change them. For example, activists use it to change attitudes about gender roles, among others. Haven't you ever bought a certain product because you were well served, or because the person who served you seemed very nice and you decided to buy from him or her? The more attractive or persuasive a product or service is, the more likely it is to be consumed.
Persuasion is the action of persuading someone to do or say something without violence or coercion. Persuasion has to do with the use of communication in order to change, form or reinforce people's attitudes and is entirely linked to credibility and trust. These last two must be reflected in our arguments before persuading. It is necessary to make the person believe and trust in our product or service in order to persuade them. To persuade, we need to do what we preach, preach what we do, value competition, be strong, but without being arrogant, be close in communication, have national and international alliances to project greater confidence, among others.
But what leads us to say yes? There are certain factors, six to be exact, that guide our decision-making process. Although this process exists, each person approaches it in different ways. Some follow them one by one and others skip some steps. Scientific studies have been carried out to detect which are these shortcuts that people take and six fundamental ones that guide our behaviour have been discovered. If these shortcuts are known and understood, the chances of applying the power of persuasion increase.
6principles of persuasion
If you are interested in applying the six principles of persuasion to your marketing strategy, it is important to know them in depth.
1. Reciprocity:
Often, we feel an obligation to give back what others have done or given for us. This is one of the principles of persuasion that consists of giving before receiving. It means that if we want to persuade we must determine the tone of the interaction by doing it first, that is, the power of persuasion is in our hands. For example, if we seek to persuade the user through a positive attitude, we will give them this first. Here the tone with which you address that person is important. If you are kind, you will receive kindness and you will have gained their attention. It is important to offer something good, but the key is in how you offer it. It is not the same to be received at home with a smile than to be received without saying anything, as your attitude towards these stimuli changes.
2. Scarcity:
Cuando menos, más deseado. Con frecuencia las personas desean más aquellas cosas que escasean. Este es otro de los principios de la persuasión que sirve para resaltar lo hace único a tu producto o servicio y de qué se van a perder si no lo adquieren. No basta con contarle los beneficios de algo a las personas. Este principio es muy aplicado por los famosos influencers. Por ejemplo, cuando un influencer dice que los jueves en un determinado horario estará conectado respondiendo preguntas de sus seguidores, está aplicando el principio de escasez. ¿Cómo? Indicando que solo tiene ese tiempo y ese espacio para dedicarles por semana, si lo aprovechan, bien. De lo contrario, tendrán que esperar a la siguiente semana. Ponerles plazos a las personas, los llama a actuar con rapidez, por ejemplo, limitando la duración de una oferta. Sin embargo, este principio no puede ser aplicado a la atención al cliente, ya que la idea que se quiere dar aquí es que uno está disponible 24/7 para lo que el cliente necesit
3. Authority:
People often follow the opinion of experts with reliable knowledge or real authorities. How to apply it: You should highlight what makes you an expert in the field. Before influencing them, it is important that you emphasise authoritative and weighty data that makes you look like a reliable brand. For example, you can indicate your years of experience in a certain sector, important clients you have worked with, if you have made publications or others, don't keep them to yourself. Highlight your achievements, as these will make people see you as an authority figure in your field.
4. Consistency and commitment:
This is achieved by asking for small commitments that people can make.These commitments should be voluntary, active and public.Nowadays you can take advantage of social networks to ask your followers for small commitments.For example, you can ask them to share certain content, or to follow the advice in your post.We all want to be coherent and consistent, to be consistent in what we do, say and in the way we behave towards others.There is always some pressure, when making any decision, for behaviour to be consistent and appropriate.Take advantage of this principle to make your clients consistent with their actions by committing to do small things.
5. Likeability:
do you remember that nice, charismatic salesperson who served you wonderfully the last time you went shopping? Well, you should know that people prefer to say yes to those we like. But how do they get us to like them? We like them more if they are similar to us, if they give us compliments and those who help us achieve common goals. To use this principle it is important that you look for topics of interest that you can share with others. Do not forget to be warm and pleasant, give them what they are looking for, be polite and do not forget to be funny, do not forget that we all love to laugh.
6. Social approval:
Often, we think that, if we act like the majority, we will reduce the risk of making mistakes. This is one of the principles of persuasion that is activated when we observe the behaviour of people who are similar to us. The behaviour of these people gives us a better view of what should be correct behaviour. This principle can be applied, for example, through social networks by posting testimonials from satisfied customers so that new customers see that your product or service is good and the best thing, that it is recommended by others. Reviews are very important here because if you see that a product has an average of four stars, you are going to buy it without hesitation.
Have you been persuaded to buy a product or service?
