164. Best of: Using "Pre-suasion" to Influence Others

Think Fast Talk Smart: Communication Techniques

The inner workings of social influence and persuasion.

Want to change someone’s mind? First, explains Robert Cialdini, you have to change their framing.

For Cialdini, the Regent's Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Marketing at Arizona State University, persuasion begins before we even deliver our pitch or presentation. Through what he calls “Pre-suasion,” communicators can prime audiences to receive messages in a specific way, simply by drawing their attention in specific directions.

“It involves focusing people on—putting them in mind of—those motivators before they encounter [them] in the communicator’s message,” Cialdini says, “bringing people’s focus of attention onto something that is nested in the message…before that message is delivered, so they have been readied for the concept.”

In this episode, Matt Abrahams and Cialdini talk about the motivating power of FOMO, getting better advice from others, and how your next wine purchase could be influenced by what music is playing in the shop.

Episode Reference Links:

• Robert Cialdini
• Robert's books: Influence / Pre-Suasion
• Ep.11 The Science of Influence: How to Persuade Others And Hold Their Attention
• Ep.142 Power and Persuasion: Live Insights from Stanford Experts
• Original Episode: Ep.76 Change My Mind: Using “Pre-suasion” to Influence Others

Connect:

• Email Questions & Feedback >>> [e-mail]
• Episode Transcripts >>> Think Fast Talk Smart Website
• Newsletter Signup + English Language Learning >>> FasterSmarter.io
• Think Fast Talk Smart >>> LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube
• Matt Abrahams >>> LinkedIn

Chapters:

(00:00:00) Introduction
Matt Abrahams introduces Robert Cialdini, the Regents Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Marketing at Arizona State University
(00:01:56) Persuasion and Pre-suasion
Distinguishing persuasion and pre-suasion, with focus on attention and motivation.
(00:05:17) Priming and Framing in Pre-suasion
The power of pre-suasion and its cognitive effects on decision-making.
(00:07:58) Understanding Scarcity
How scarcity influences behavior and decision-making through fear of loss.
(00:10:48) The Unity Principle
The unity principle and its role in building connection in persuasive efforts.
(00:14:04) Social Proof and Influence
Research on social proof and how others’ actions influence individual choices.
(00:19:24) The Role of Language in Persuasion
The impact of subtle language shifts on collaboration and critique.
(00:22:23) The Final Three Questions
Robert shares communication advice, a communicator he admires, and his recipe for successful communication.
(00:26:49) Conclusion

• (00:00) - Introduction
• (02:54) - Persuasion and Pre-suasion
• (06:15) - Priming and Framing in Pre-suasion
• (08:56) - Understanding Scarcity
• (11:46) - The Unity Principle
• (15:02) - Social Proof and Influence
• (20:22) - The Role of Language in Persuasion
• (23:21) - The Final Three Questions
• (27:47) - Conclusion