Warren Buffett said it years ago

Meet Dr. Robert Cialdini

Dr. Cialdini spent his entire career conducting scientific research on what leads people to say YES to requests. 

A small selection of his accomplishments:

• His seven Principles of Persuasion have become a cornerstone for any organization serious about effectively increasing their influence.
• His books, including ‘Influence’ and ‘Pre-Suasion,’ have sold more than 10 million copies in 48 languages.
• He is known globally as the foundational expert in the science of persuasion and how to ethically apply it in business.

Dr. Cialdini is referred to as the ‘Godfather of Influence’ because all others stand on his shoulders. They use his research. They embrace his Small BIGs. He is the originator.

Four Pillars of Persuasive Success

1. Science
All of our work is grounded in science.

2. Ethics
Ethics are crucial not only because they help you do the right thing, but also because an unethical approach will eventually backfire, as Dr. Cialdini’s research clearly shows.

3. Application
Once you grasp the science and embrace the ethics, you can unlock the power of successful application by adopting our approach.

4. Efficiency
In this fast-paced, result-driven world, efficiency is what you need. That’s why we don’t just put you to work. Based on your business challenges, we equip you with our Small BIGs: small changes delivering BIG results.

The 7 Principles of Persuasion

Science shows we make 95% of our decisions irrationally, based on universal rules of thumb, especially in our increasingly overloaded lives. Dr. Cialdini’s research has identified 7 of these rules: the Principles of Persuasion. 

   Reciprocity
People say YES to you if they owe you.

  Liking
People say YES to you – and want to do business with you – if they like you.

  Social proof
People say YES to your request if you show them that many others like them have been or are saying yes to it.

   Authority
People say YES to you if you show them that you’re an authority on the topic, or that established authorities agree with you.

   Scarcity
People say YES to you if you can show them that what you’re offering is scarce, rare, or dwindling in availability.

   Consistency
People say YES to your request if you show them how it’s consistent with what they’ve already said or done, especially in public.

  Unity
People say YES to you if you can arrange for them to see you as sharing goals, values, or identities.

The Cialdini Code of Ethics

The Principles of Persuasion are very powerful. Since their unethical use harms all involved, it’s extremely important to use them ethically. Therefore, as an educational institute, we have established the following Code of Ethics.

• Be truthful
  
  
• Forgo manipulation of others
  
  
• Forgo manipulation of facts
  
  
• Use the principle(s) that already exist naturally in your situation.
  
  
• Use the principle that demonstrates what is wise for all concerned
  
  
• Refrain from using any Principle in a way that could injure your relationship.
  
  
• Inform (that is, educate) people into agreement
  
  
• Ensure any “contrast” used is relevant to the situation
  
  
• Own up to any mistake ASAP. And remember the “but”.