The feeling that comes with getting what you want in life is a fulfilling one. But what happens when the people around you make it a little bit difficult to achieve that? Well, a few psychological tricks here and there can help influence people to help you out.
Persuasion is an art that requires skillfulness to master. While some people are good at persuading others easily, others find it quite difficult to do. Most people think in similar ways. So, someone who knows a lot about the human brain and how people think will find it much easier to persuade others.
For instance, salespeople, companies, and the like have been convincing customers that their products are magical and miraculous through the aid of online/print media and other offline marketing media.
A good salesperson, for example, could make you take your shirt off and sell it back to you if he/she wants to. The power of persuasion and psychological influence.
In this blog post, we’ll be sharing with you 5 psychological tricks to influence people to do what you want.
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The Reciprocity Norm
This is a trick that has been in existence for donkey years. The norm of reciprocity is a social convention that compels people to return a favor when someone has helped them.
Research has shown that humans are more likely to do something for you if you’ve already done a favor for them. Basically, people feel a sense of obligation to pay you back if you’ve done something nice in the past for them.
Psychologist Robert Cialdini says when you’re thanked for helping out, you can say something like, “Of course, it’s what partners do for each other,” instead of “no problem,” so they feel like they’re expected to do the same for you.
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Use their official names and titles
People love the very sound of their own names. It makes them feel unique and respected. Most importantly, it sets them in the spotlight for you. It gets better when you use their proper title–such as Mr., Mrs., Dr., Professor, and so on. Again, it really makes them feel respected.
People who are skilled in the arts of persuasion love to use the official names of those they are trying to persuade. You see, we all like to feel like we are in control of things happening around us.
So, using people’s names and titles will make them feel like they are the ones who are in control rather than feeling like they are being forced into doing something they don’t want to do.
However, be careful that you do not overdo this technique in order not to sound mocking and make them feel uncomfortable. This can set them off and push them away.
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Mimic people’s body language
This trick is known as the “chameleon effect.” If you mimic someone’s body language, they’re more likely to be agreeable to you. According to researchers, we tend to like conversation partners that mimic our postures, mannerisms, and facial expressions.
For instance, copying a person’s gestures in a mild way often establishes a comforting relationship with the other person towards you. Repeating his words makes him believe that he is being listened to and he has your attention.
This trick will help you create a bond with the other person, and hence, they are more sensitive to your demands and requests.
This trick works only when people aren’t aware that they’re being mimicked. Hence, ensure that your mimic strategy is very gentle, otherwise, they might think you’re making fun of them.
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Speak faster
According to a 1991 study, when someone disagrees with you, you should speak faster so they have less time to process what you’re saying and in the end, they’ll be much more likely to agree with you.
In other words, speaking quickly actually gets results. Avoid giving too many reasons as to why someone should agree with you. Instead, speak as quickly as possible, getting your main points across in a speedy and efficient manner.
However, if your audience tends to agree with your message, it helps to speak more slowly, so they have time to evaluate the message.
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Contrasting
Contrasting is more like negotiating, a bargaining technique most of us are quite familiar with.
This technique requires you to request something big and then gradually work your way out to your original demand. When you eventually lower your request, it makes the person you are talking to feel like he/she has won, considering what you initially demanded.
However, what they do not realize is that your initial demand was way higher than what you actually need. This trick works always because the human brain sees things in relative terms.
For instance, if you need $50 from a person, you can make an initial request of $150 and later settle for $50. The person who is giving you the money will feel good, thinking he/she has saved $100. What they do not realize is that if you had asked for $50 initially, they probably would have said no.
This persuasive trick basically makes people feel good that they helped you eventually while saving a good sum of money. You, on the other hand, got what you actually wanted them to give you.
Thank you.