5 Scientifically Proven Ways To Be More Persuasive 

“Since 95 percent of the people are imitators and only 5 percent initiators, people are persuaded more by the actions of others than by any proof we can offer.” - Robert Cialdini, bestselling author, and psychologist.

Noah Goldstein’s, Steve Martin’s, and Robert Cialdini’s Yes! 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive argues that persuasion is more of a science than an art. In other words, anybody can master the skill of persuasion with the right approach. Here are our top 5 takeaways.

1. Create an impression of scarcity. 

At the time the book was being written, Colleen Szot was one of the most successful writers in the paid programming industry, despite her programs retaining many of the same catchphrases and elements of her competitors. Szot changed 3 words to a standard infomercial that skyrocketed sales of her product. What were those 3 words?

She changed “Call now, the operators are standing by” to “If the line is busy, call again.” The change created the impression that everybody else is trying to buy the same product. When people are uncertain about a course of action, they tend to look outside themselves to guide their decisions and actions.

2. Introduce herd effect in a highly personalized form.

Herds of people can be easily persuaded because they’re likely to follow other people’s actions. But which herds are individuals most likely to follow?

The answer: herds that have been in their shoes. In one study, the book discusses a hotel sign in a bathroom that informs customers about the many prior guests who chose to be environmentally friendly by recycling their towels. This worked to an extent. However, when the message mentioned that most of the guests who stayed in their specific hotel room chose to recycle their towels, towel recycling jumped 33%, even though the message was largely the same.

Social proof indicates that individuals are more likely to be persuaded when they have something in common with someone else who was already persuaded.

3. Give a little more, and you’ll get a lot more.

In this next study, a restaurant provided mints for its customers on the way out. The study showed that this simple act increased tips by 3.3%. However, when the waiters offered the mints themselves, before signing the check, the tip amount increased by 14.1%. In yet another experiment, the waiter presented customers with 1 mint per guest, then gave them the check and began to leave. Then, as if remembering something sudden, the server turned around and gave them yet another mint per guest. The result? 23% increase in tips.

Contrary to popular belief, doing something nice for someone else often pays dividends. Turns out, the same concept applies to honesty.

4. Admitting you’re wrong makes people trust you more.

In the next study we picked, company A published an investor relations report, blaming a slump in sales on the overall economic climate. Company B blamed the slump in sales on a few bad decisions by top management. Net result? Investors viewed company B more positively.

The study showed an admission of a mistake made investors more confident that the situation was recognized (and under control), while company A’s investors viewed the company as a sinking ship.

5. Face time still beats e-mail time.

In a similar study, two groups were tasked with solving a problem, Group A was given time to get to know one another in person, then resolve the conflict via email. Group B received a similar task, except with no face-to-face communication. 6% of the Group A’s failed to come up with a good resolution, while 29% of Group Bs arrived on one.

Perception can be manipulated in many ways. However, personal communication and genuine authenticity are usually the easiest ways.