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11 psychological tricks to get people to
do what you want
Business Insider | 2 Sep, 2015, 06.30PM IST
You don't need to be the CEO to get people to listen
to you.
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Psychological research suggests there are plenty of
ways to get people to do what you want without
them even realizing you've persuaded them.
You don't need to be the CEO to get We've rounded up 11 sciencebacked strategies for
0 people to listen to you. (Getty Images) getting people to like you, to buy stuff, and to give
Comments
you what you're after.
Also Read: One word successful people never use at work
All of them will leave you feeling more powerful.
1. Use a "decoy" option to get people to buy your product. In his TED Talk,
behavioral economist Dan Ariely explains the "decoy effect" using an old Economist
advertisement as an example.
The ad featured three subscription levels: $59 for online only, $159 for print only, and
$159 for online and print. Ariely figured out that the option to pay $159 for print only
exists so that it makes the option to pay $159 for online and print look more enticing
than it would if it was just paired with the $59 option.
In other words, if you're having trouble selling the more expensive of two products,
consider adding a third option whose only function is to make the "expensive" product
look more enticing.
2. Tweak the environment to get people to act less selfish. "Priming" is a powerful
psychological phenomenon in which one stimulus produces a particular response to
another stimulus, often unconsciously.
One study, cited in the book "You Are Not So Smart," found that participants playing
the ultimatum game opted to keep more money for themselves when they were seated
in a room with a briefcase, a leather portfolio, and a fountain pen than when they sat in
a room with neutral items. Even though none of the participants were aware of what
had happened, the businessrelated objects may have elicited competitiveness.
Also Read: How to become a mind reader to get ahead in your career
This tactic could potentially work when you're bargaining with someone instead of
meeting in a conference room, consider convening in a coffee shop so your partner is
less inclined toward aggression.
3. Help advance someone's goals to get them to do you a favor. Psychologist
Robert Cialdini says one way to influence people is to invoke the reciprocity norm.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/11psychologicaltrickstogetpeopletodowhatyouwant/articleshow/48775869.cms?prtpage=1 1/4
9/11/2015 11 psychological tricks to get people to do what you want The Economic Times
Basically, you help someone with something they need so they feel obliged to return
the favor.
And when you're thanked for helping out, Cialdini advises saying 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.
4. Mimic people's body language to get them to like you. The next time you're
trying to impress a hiring manager or the object of your affection, try subtly mimicking
the way they're sitting and speaking they'll probably like you more.
Scientists call it the "chameleon effect": We tend to like conversation partners that
mimic our postures, mannerisms, and facial expressions.
The strangest part of this phenomenon is that it happens largely unconsciously most
participants in the "chameleon effect" study weren't even aware that they were being
copied.
5. Speak quickly to get an argument opponent to agree with you. How you
communicate your ideas can be just as important as the substance of your argument.
Research suggests that when someone disagrees with you, you should speak faster
so they have less time to process what you're saying.
On the contrary, when you're delivering an argument that your audience agrees with, it
helps to speak more slowly, so they have time to evaluate the message.
6. Confuse people to get them to comply with your request. The "disruptthen
reframe" technique is a sneaky way to get people to cooperate.
One study found that when experimenters went doortodoor selling note cards for
charity, DTR helped them make twice as much money as when they simply told people
they were selling eight cards for $3. In the DTR condition, they told people it was 300
pennies for eight cards, "which is a bargain."
Researchers say that DTR works because it disrupts routine thought processes. While
trying to figure out how many dollars 300 pennies comes out to, people are distracted
and so they just accept the idea that the price is a deal.
7. Ask people for favors when they're tired to get them to cooperate. An alert mind
may express some doubt when approached with a request. Yet someone who's tired or
distracted will likely be less critical, and will simply accept what you say as true.
So if you're planning to ask a coworker to help out with a project that will supposedly
only take an hour, it's best to ask at the end of a workday. That way, they'll be drained
from the day's tasks and won't have the mental energy to realize that the project will
probably take up more of their time.
8. Display an image of eyes to get people to behave ethically. In one study, people
were more likely to clean up after themselves in a cafeteria when they saw an image of
eyes than when they saw an image of flowers. The study authors say that eyes
typically indicate social scrutiny.
Whether you're trying to prevent littering or encourage people to return the books they
borrow from the office library, it helps to give people the impression that they're being
watched.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/11psychologicaltrickstogetpeopletodowhatyouwant/articleshow/48775869.cms?prtpage=1 2/4
9/11/2015 11 psychological tricks to get people to do what you want The Economic Times
9. Use nouns instead of verbs to get people to change their behavior. In one
study, people were asked two versions of the same question: "How important is it to
you to vote in tomorrow's election?" and "How important is it to you to be a voter in
tomorrow's election?" Results showed that participants in the "voter" condition were
more likely to cast their ballots the next day.
That's likely because people are driven by the need to belong, and using a noun
reinforces their identity as a member of a specific group.
10. Scare people to get them to give you what you need. Research suggests that
people who experience anxiety and then a sense of relief usually respond positively to
requests afterward. For example, people who heard an invisible policeman's whistle
while crossing the street were more likely to agree to complete a questionnaire than
people who didn't hear anything.
That's possibly because their cognitive resources were occupied thinking about the
potential danger they encountered, so they had fewer resources left to think about the
request that was just posed.
11. Focus on what your bargaining partner is gaining to get them to agree to
your offer. While negotiating, research suggests you should emphasize to your
partner what they're about to gain as opposed to what they're losing. For example, if
you're trying to sell a car, you should say, "I'll give you my car for $1,000," instead of, "I
want $1,000 for the car."
That way, you'll persuade your partner to see things from a different perspective, and
they'll probably be more likely to concede.
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9/11/2015 11 psychological tricks to get people to do what you want The Economic Times
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