An interview with Robert Cialdini, Regents’ Professor of Psychology and Marketing at Arizona State University, appears in the most recent issue of Marketing Sherpa. The author of Influence: Science and Practice, Cialdini has spent 30 years studying the ways people are influenced. He has reduced them down to six key principles. While the article (written for marketers) is entitled "Six Scientifically Proven Ways to Succeed in Office Politics," it could have as easily been called "Six Scientifically Proven Ways to Succeed in Sales." The principles follow with our sales-related application.

1. Reciprocation. People feel indebted to those who do something for them or give them a gift. That's why it's important you give a high-value gift for each request you make of your customers...every time you call. This way, when you call for an appointment, they will be interested to know what you are bringing. This keeps their interest in your call high. What's a high-value gift? Things like information, ideas, introductions, problem-solving, mentoring, and recommendations.

2. Social proof. When people are uncertain about a course of action, they tend to look to those around them to guide their decisions and actions. They especially want to know what everyone else is doing--especially their peers. This is why your customer success stories are important--they show your customers and prospects that people just like them have had success with your product or service. They’ll be more likely to become customers themselves.

3. Commitment and consistency. People do not like to back out of deals. They're more likely to do something after they've agreed to it verbally or in writing. Getting your customers to publicly commit to something makes them more likely to follow through with an action or a purchase. Getting them to ‘yes’ makes them more powerfully committed to an action.

4. Liking. In general, most people like a background of relatedness for their business activities. They buy from people they know and trust. If trust is there, your customers will create a rationale for doing business.

5. Authority. People respect authority. They want to follow the lead of real experts. When people are uncertain, they look outside themselves for information to guide their decisions. This is why your customer references and testimonials from legitimate, recognized authorities are so important to help persuade your prospects and other customers to respond or buy.

6. Scarcity. The less there is of something, the more valuable it is. The more rare and uncommon a thing, the more people want it. According to Professor Cialdini, "The tendency to be more sensitive to possible losses than to possible gains is one of the best-supported findings in social science." If your product or service is genuinely unique, be sure to emphasize its unique qualities to increase the perception of its scarcity.

These six principles influence your customers' decisions--whether they know it or not. Use them as a guide to best communicate and interact with your customers to get the results you want.