12 Powers of Influence

By Keith Young

You have a built in super power! The ability to bend anyone to your will without them even knowing it. This is truly a super power. The power of influence can open up many doors in life. It doesn't matter if you're selling homes, closing business deals or taking advantage of life. These 12 powers of Influence will change the way you interact with people for the rest of your life!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Sep 3, 2019
• ISBN: 9780359895410

Keith Young

A lifelong rugby fan, Keith Young was born in south Wales but has lived in Dublin for most of his life. He is a graduate Mathematician and a Fellow of the Royal Statistical Society. His dual interest in rugby and statistics stimulated him to write this unique compendium.

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12 Powers of Influence

12 Powers of Influence

12 Powers of Influence

Copyright © 2019 by: Keith Young

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review or schol-arly journal.

First Printing: 2019 ISBN 978-0-359-89541-0

12 Powers of Influence

INTRODUCTION

"I think the power of persuasion would be the greatest

superpower of all time."

-Jenny Mollen

Humans can be easily influenced because our minds - which determine everything we do and why we do it - in a way, have sets of strings attached to them, like a marionette. Pull a certain string, and you get a conditioned, unconscious response. It doesn't need a lot of brainpower and rational thinking to evoke a certain reaction by pulling a particular string. By knowing what you will get by pulling which string, you can persuade anyone to do anything you want. But, is this important? Well, the truth is that persuasion is everything. There are times in our lives when we need to change things that are not in our control, and at such times we need to persuade other people to do them. It's not easy. There are biases, strong opinions, changing moods, and strange beliefs to deal with. This book will teach you ways to control those strings and get what you want.

SOCIAL PROOF

Never give advice in a crowd.

-Pope Paul VI

According to Robert Cialdini, who studied the principle of social proof in-depth in his book, Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, 'we view a behavior as more correct in a given situation to the degree that we see others performing it'. So often in situations where we are uncertain about what to do, we would assume that the people around us (experts, celebrities, friends, etc.) have more knowledge about what's going on and what should be done. On top of that, we often make judgments based on our overall impression of someone A.K.A. the halo effect (named by psychologist Edward Thorndike). For example:

-We think anything that experts use is great because they are probably more knowledgeable than us in their area of specialization.

-We buy products endorsed by celebrities because we want to look like them.

-We trust user reviews because they have experienced the product or service, unlike ourselves.

In general, there are six types of social proof:

-Expert: Expert social proof is when an expert in your industry recommends your products or services or is associated with your brand. Examples: a Twitter shoutout by an expert or having an expert on your Twitter chat.

-Celebrity: Celebrity social proof is when a celebrity endorses your products. Examples: an Instagram post or tweet about your product by a celebrity or influencer.

-User: User social proof is when your current users recommend your products and services based on their experiences with your brand. Examples: praises on social media or positive ratings on review sites.

-The wisdom of the crowd: This type of social proof is when a large group of people is seen to be endorsing your brand. Examples: having thousands of customers or millions of followers on your social media profiles.

-The wisdom of your friends: This type of social proof is when people see their friends approve your product. Examples: seeing their friends use your product or follow you on social media.

-Certification: This type of social proof is when you are given a stamp of approval by an authoritative figure in your industry. Examples: the blue checkmark on Twitter or Facebook.

Social proof is the influence that the actions and attitudes of the people around us (either in real life or online) have on our own behavior. The proof element is the idea that if other people are doing it (or saying it), it must be correct. The degree to which social proof affects us can be a result of the numbers of people seeming to promote something or the particular individuals involved. The actions and opinions of social influencers carry more weight with their colleagues, social network and the general public than is the case with most other individuals. Social media influence is most often associated with online marketing but can also refer to the way social networks and influencers affect the behavior of users in other areas, such as politics.

Social proof can influence people to take actions and make decisions differently than they would if they had relied solely upon their own judgment. The undue influence of others can result in conformity and errors. Social proof is demonstrated in mob behavior and the lack of individual opinion sometimes referred to as herd mentality.

According to theories around social proof, the question, If all your friends jumped off the bridge, would you? is generally answered in the affirmative. It's basic human nature to be liked and accepted by others, so we spend most of our time guessing what others think about us and how we can change to be accepted in their minds. This is true to everyone you know, and that's why social proof is so effective.

So, the next time you want to get someone to do something, give them an example or a statistic of how other people would do the same thing.

ANCHORING

Once you mentally answer these next questions, think of your exact estimate for each question:

-Is the average temperature in San Francisco greater or less than