/SUMMITS50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be PersuasiveBUSINESS & ECONOMICS “This easy-to-read summary of the social-psychological research on persuasion really does tell people how to get to ‘yes.’ Since we are all selling something, including ourselves, all the time, everyone can, and will be, reading this amazing book.” e ess “Yes! is the single best introduction to and distillation of research and wisdom on how to change people's minds, including your own.” “Yes! is the Freakonomics of social psychology. This book changed my way of looking at the world. This thinking is the real deal. Don't miss out!” “If you had a team of bright guys looking for research that you can actually use to improve your effectiveness, and they wrote it up for you with wit and style, putting it in nifty little reports of three to five pages, would that be useful? YES! This book is the trifecta: first-rate research, lively writing, and practical advice. Read it, enjoy it, use it.” ISBN-13: 978-1-416570967 $25.00 U.S. ISBN. 10: 1416570969 $28.99 Can. | II ii N78 570967 ObosUS. $25.00 Can. $28.99 SMALL CHANGES CAN MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE IN YOUR POWERS OF PERSUASION. ed EN earned increase people's responses to your requests? eee Une Cl ae ce 4 inconveniencing them? Why does Knowing that so many dentists a jamed Dennis improv Fi jasive prowess? E very day we face the challenge of persuading others to do what we want. But what makes people say yes to our requests? Persuasion is not only an art, it is also a science, and researchers who study it have uncovered a series of hidden rules for moving people in your direction. Based on more than sixty years of research into the psychology of persuasion, Yes! reveals fifty simple but remarkably effective strategies that will make you much more persuasive at work and in your personal life, too. Cowritten by the world’s most quoted expert on influence, Professor Robert Cialdini, Yes! presents dozens of surprising discoveries from the science of persuasion in short, enjoyable, and insightful chapters that you can apply immediately to become a more ef- fective persuader. Why did a sign pointing out the problem of vandalism in the Petrified Forest National Park actually increase the theft of pieces of petrified wood? Why did sales of jam multiply tenfold when consumers were offered many fewer flavors? Why did people prefer a Mercedes immediately after giving reasons why they prefer a BMW? What simple mes- sage on cards left in hotel rooms greatly increased the number of people who behaved in environmentally friendly ways? (continued on back flap)(continued from front flap) Often counterintuitive, the findings presented in Yes! will steer you away from common pitfalls while em- powering you with little-known but proven wisdom. Whether you are in advertising, marketing, man- agement, or sales, or just curious about how to be more influential in everyday life, Yes! shows how making small, scientifically proven changes to your approach can have a dramatic effect on your persuasive powers. Noah J. Goldstein is a faculty member at The University of Chicago Graduate School of Business. His scholarly research has been published in many of the premier psychology and business journals. He has also consulted for a number of corporate and govern- ment organizations. He lives in Chicago. Steve J. Martin is the Managing Director of In- fluence at Work (UK). Before joining Robert Cial- dini’s consulting group, he held positions in sales, marketing, and management at several blue-chip companies. He lives in London. Robert B. Cialdini is the author of the bestseller Influence. He is President of Influence at Work (www -influenceatwork.com) and Regents’ Professor of Psy- chology and Marketing at Arizona State University. In the field of influence and persuasion, he is the most cited social psychologist in the world today. He lives in Tempe, Arizona. ‘This tide is also available as an eBook. Register online at www.simonsays.com for more information on this and other great books. Visit BookClubReader.com, your source for reading group guides and other book club materials Jacket design by Eric Fuentecilla Printed in the U.S.A. Copytight © 2008 Simon & Schuster, Inc. Distributed by Simon & Schuster, Inc.Tes. 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive Noah J. Goldstein, PhD, Steve J. Martin, and Robert B. Cialdini, PhD Free Press New York London Toronto SydneyJP FREE PRESS A Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc. 1230 Avenue of the Americas New York, NY 10020 Copyright © 2008 by Noah J. Goldstein, Steve J. Martin, and Robert B. Cialdini All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information address Free Press Subsidiary Rights Department, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020 First Free Press hardcover edition June 2008 FREE PRESS and colophon are trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc. For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact Simon & Schuster Special Sales at 1-800-456-6798 or business@simonandschuster.com. Book design by Ellen R. Sasahara Manufactured in the United States of America 13579108642 Library of Congress Cataloging-in- Publication Data Goldstein, Noah J. Yes!: 50 scientifically proven ways to be persuasive / Noah J. Goldstein, Steve J. Martin, and Robert B. Cialdini. p-cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. 1. Business communication. 2. Persuasion (Psychology). 3, Marketing, 4. Interpersonal communication. I. Martin, Steve J. IL Cialdini, Robert B. III. Title. HF5718.G65 2008 658. 4'5—de22 2007041917 ISBN-13: 978-1-4165-7096-7 ISBN-10: 1-4165-7096-910. Contents Preface Introduction . How can inconveniencing your audience increase your persuasiveness? . What shifts the bandwagon effect into another gear? . What common mistake causes messages to self-destruct? . When persuasion might backfire, how do you avoid the magnetic middle? . When does offering people more make them want less? . When does a bonus become an onus? How can a new superior product mean more sales of an inferior one? . Does fear persuade or does it paralyze? . What can chess teach us about making persuasive moves? Which office item can make your influence stick? vii at 15 19 26 30 35 38 42 45 50Contents ll. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. Why should restaurants ditch their baskets of mints? What’s the pull of having no strings attached? Do favors behave like bread or like wine? How can one small step help your influence take a giant leap? How can you become a Jedi master of persuasion? How can a simple question drastically increase support for you and your ideas? What is the active ingredient in lasting commitments? How can you fight consistency with consistency? What persuasion tip can you borrow from Benjamin Franklin? When can asking for a little go a long way? Start low or start high? Which will make people buy? How can we show off what we know without being labeled a show-off? What’s the hidden danger of being the brightest person in the room? Who is the better persuader? Devil’s advocate or true dissenter? viii 53 56 60 64 69 72 76 80 83 86 89 93 98 102Contents 25. When can the right way be the wrong way? 26. What’s the best way to turn a weakness into a strength? 27. Which faults unlock people’s vaults? 28. When is it right to admit that you were wrong? 29. How can similarities make a difference? 30. When is your name your game? 31. What tips should we take from those who get them? 32. What kind of smile can make the world smile back? 33. When is a loser a winner? 34, What can you gain from loss? 35. Which single word will strengthen your persuasion attempts? 36. When might asking for all the reasons be a mistake? 37. How can the simplicity of a name make it appear more valuable? 38. How can rhyme make your influence climb? 39. What can batting practice tell us about persuasion? 40. How can you get a head start in the quest for loyalty? 107 710 715 719 124 727 133 137 141 144 7150 155 159 164 167 170