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Dr. Robert Cialdini, author of Yes!: 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive, and Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, was the Affiliate Summit keynote speaker this morning. I wasn’t expecting much, but was pleasantly surprised.
Cialdini covered 6 Universal Principles of Social Influence:
- Reciprocation
- Scarcity
- Authority
- Consistency
- Consensus
- Friendship / Liking
Also, when you have information, get it out quickly. “For every hour of delay, there’s an hour of decay.” “Information is not like wine: it doesn’t get better with age.”
With regards to authority, Cialdini talked a bit about the word “but”. “But” is a powerful word, which can be taken advantage of in your marketing efforts. Mention the weakness, followed by the positive, not the other way around. Consider this example from a former CEO of Ford:
-vs-
We have a long way to go, but, I feel very good about our plan.
The first sentence has a negative feel to it, while the second sentence, saying the same thing, has a positive spin. State the weakness, then the strength.
Unfortunately, this keynote could not be recorded & shared, so you’ll have to check out Dr. Cialdini’s books to get the full message.