Reciprocity, Commitment, Consensus, And Liking

The art of persuasion is in high demand in an age where advertising supports entire categories of the economy. If you have the skill of persuasion you can use it to grow your business, gain influence and succeed professionally. There are 6 main principals of persuasion: Reciprocity, Scarcity, Authority, Commitment, Consensus, and Liking. I will tell you a little bit about each of these principals in the following paragraphs and give you an example of a situation is which I was tasked with persuading a group of potential investors to invest in my startup. The Principle of Reciprocity is when you use past commitment to gain greater commitment in the future. For instance when if someone agrees to put up a small sign in their shop window if you ask them again, they are more likely to put up a large sign since they have already agreed to the small one. Also, reciprocity is when you give someone something and they feel the need to give you something in return. For instance, I once received a coin-like token in a letter that was sent to draw my attention and make me reciprocate by sending a donation back to the sender. …show more content…
For instance, a store I know has sales all the time that announce: “Last Minute Sale!”, and “Only Ten Hours Left”. These announcements give me the idea that they are scarce events even though they happen almost every week. The Principle of Authority is used to persuade the audience by letting them know that an experienced source is giving them the information. For instance, if a doctor tells you why a new drug might be good for you, you will be more likely to listen because you know they are an expert in their field and have the experience and knowledge to back up what they