Pull your own Jedi mind trick.
You don’t need to be the CEO to get people to listen to
you.
Psychological research suggests there are plenty of
ways to get people to do what you want — without them
even realizing you’ve persuaded them.
We’ve rounded up 11 science-backed strategies for
getting people to like you, to buy stuff, and to give you
what you’re after.
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
business-related objects may have elicited
competitiveness.
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. 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 “disrupt-then-reframe” technique is a sneaky way to
get people to cooperate.
One study found that when experimenters went door-to-
door 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
scenario, 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.
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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