Seven Persuasion Principles

Persuasion is the coin of the realm in marketing and sales. An admixture of art and science, persuasion is an essential tool to guide decision-making.

What exactly is persuasion and how do you create content that persuades your target audience in an ethical manner?

Definition

Simply defined, persuasion is a communication tool designed to influence one or more individuals to alter their opinion or behavior. Aristotle, long considered the architect of sway, describes ethos, pathos, and logos as three core elements of a persuasive argument.

• Ethos considers the trustworthiness and authority of your brand.
• Pathos relates to your ability to emotionally connect with your target audience. Successful companies and individuals connect with others by telling relatable stories that evoke feelings of anger, empathy, envy, fear, or love.
• Logos refers to the process of logically analyzing information. You empower your audience by providing data, facts, and salient research.

Getting to Yes

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to convincing someone to accept your ideas or buy your products. Age, education, income, industry, and urgency are variables that affect how decision-makers act and, by extension, how effective marketers and sales teams interact at every stage of the buyer’s journey.

Dr. Robert Cialdini posits seven principles of persuasion or what he calls decision-making rules of thumb:

• Authority
• Consistency
• Liking
• Reciprocity
• Scarcity
• Social Proof
• Unity

Authority is a straightforward concept. Busy people seek information from those they perceive as credible experts. Strive for quality, not quantity. Be transparent about the basis of your claims. Include data sources on your infographics. When discussing complex topics in an investment commentary, speech, or white paper, explain your premise and how you arrive at your conclusion. Offer interactive in-person or online sessions to answer questions from your prospects and clients. Not only are you demonstrating your expertise, but you garner insights into what topics are important to your buyers. A bonus is using what you learn from these interactions to design or modify your content marketing strategy.

Consistency recognizes an individual’s preference for staying true to prior actions, beliefs, or commitments. This cognitive bias is a comfort blanket for individuals to assure themselves they made correct decisions. If an individual commits to reading your blog, and you regularly publish helpful content, that person is more likely to register for one of your webinars or a special client event. If a company asks a customer to complete a survey after a satisfactory service call, that customer has committed to the brand. Establishing brand loyalty is the proverbial brass ring because it leads to sales.

Liking reflects our tendency to buy from those we enjoy being around. Heartwarming ads or brand stories that highlight how companies help their customers are marketing magnets that attract buyers. Humor is a potent tool to increase the likeability factor. Research validates increased sales when a company uses kind humor to make customers feel good. Apple won awards for its funny videos about a beleaguered product team striving to meet challenging deadlines set by a mean boss.

Reciprocity is the act of being generous in kind. When an industry colleague suggests your services to an important buyer, you feel obliged to return the favor. You leave a large tip to a server who doesn’t charge you for an extra coffee. The Walt Disney Company reinforces brand loyalty by endowing its employees (called cast members) with the latitude to bestow daily magical moments like line-cutting to park guests. Content marketers engage in reciprocity when they offer free webinars or research studies in exchange for a prospective buyer’s email address.

Scarcity drives FOMO or the fear of missing out. When product availability shrinks, people typically react by accelerating their decision to buy, pushing prices upward. Savvy promoters apply the economic law of demand versus supply by creating urgency or limiting quantity. Techniques include holding flash sales, notifying customers when a product is in stock again, announcing time-sensitive discounts, or complimentary consultations for the first fifty responders.

Social Proof is a persuasion principle that captures the tendency to seek approval from others before making a purchase. It’s a psychological bias that explains why product reviews are so popular, including those offered by celebrities and industry experts. Content marketers are wise to publish customer testimonials and case studies that exemplify how their products solve problems. Wealthy influencers like Ryan Kaji, a child toy reviewer with a juggernaut YouTube following in the billions, illustrate the compound power of social proof.

Unity describes the desire to be part of a bigger community. Peer-to-peer business networks and conferences offer companies an opportunity to foster unity among professionals working in the same industry or having the same title such as Chief Financial Officer or Human Resources Manager. Content marketers pay for branded content in specialized publications or industry gatherings to show they understand the needs of their target audience members.

Persuasion Best Practices

Legendary sales coach, Zig Ziglar, ranks integrity as the most important tool of persuasion. He is not alone. Purpose-driven marketing and its companion, value-driven marketing, focus on serving key constituencies such as customers, employees, shareholders, and vendors. The Ad Council describes purpose-driven marketing as an expression of a company’s commitment to a social cause such as youth literacy, poverty reduction, or kindness. Value-driven marketing elevates the benefits of a product or service. You can measure accountability, consistency, honesty, and transparency, hallmarks of integrity, by conducting customer surveys, analyzing complaint rates, tracking compliance with relevant regulations, and conducting brand reputation research.

Persuasion Power

Converting your prospects to buyers requires skill. Understanding the seven principles is a sine qua non to crafting, and then implementing, a muscular content strategy.