There are six universal principals of influence that research has shown to be incredibly powerful and effective in a wide variety of settings.
1. Reciprocation – When you do someone a favor, they feel obligated to return the favor.
- If an organization gives you a small gift, you’re more likely to give them a donation.
- Taking free samples at food courts makes you feel obligated to buy something from a vendor.
2. Consistency – People have a desire to be consistent with their past actions.
- If you tell an associate that you love exercising (whether or not it’s true), you’re more likely to purchase a gym membership when offered one just to be consistent with your previous statement.
3. Social Proof – You’re more likely to follow a specific course of action if you see other people doing the same.
- “Laugh tracks” on comedy shows make us think shows are funnier.
- -Long lines at clubs make us think the club is better.
- -Full tip jars make us more likely to tip.
4. Liking – You’re more likely to say “yes” to the requests of people you know or like.
- Salespeople attempt to point out similarities between themselves and you (background, clothing style, political views, sports teams preferences, personality type) to make you like them more.
5. Authority – You’re more likely to follow the advice of someone you consider an expert.
- You’re more likely to purchase a new drug if it’s advertised by a doctor in a commercial.
- You’re more likely to buy a product or service from someone dressed in high-end clothing.
6. Scarcity – Opportunities seem more valuable to you when their availability is limited.
- You’re more likely to buy something if you believe the offer is only on the table for a certain amount of time (Black Friday, flash sales, 24-hour only discounts).
Zach is the author behind Four Pillar Freedom, a blog that teaches you how to build wealth and gain freedom in life.
He quit his day job as a data scientist in 2019 because he was able to earn enough income from profitable websites to replace his salary. He now teaches people how to start and grow their own profitable websites from scratch in the Income Community.
Zach's favorite free financial tool he's been using since 2015 to manage his net worth is Personal Capital. Each month he uses their free Investment Checkup tool and Retirement Planner to track his investments and ensure that he's on the fast track to financial freedom.
His favorite investment platform is M1 Finance, a site that allows him to build a custom portfolio of stocks for free, has no trading or maintenance fees, and even allows him to set up automated target-allocated investments.
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