Persuasive Power Brain Science

We respond to persuasive attempts either analytically or automatically.

Those who respond analytically use a reasoned evaluative approach to come to a decision, but  this requires enormous energy. The brain uses up reserves of glucose and calories whenever it evaluates.

And because it’s human nature to conserve energy, most of us won’t respond with the extra effort required to be analytical.  In fact, most people slip into automatic-response mode whenever possible.

This doesn’t mean you can skip logical arguments, but it does place less emphasis on reason and more on emotion.  When you understand that people want to make rapid, automatic and accelerated decisions, you can make it easier on those you’re trying to influence.

How do we generate automatic influence?

With triggers.  Everybody has them.  A trigger is any stimulus that will help us make a non-thinking decision or action.  A trigger activates a person’s immediate compliance with an attempt to influence. It’s simply a shortcut to avoid the pain and effort of mental activity.

Let’s examine the seven triggers that automatically influence others.

1. The Friendship Trigger

We are more easily influenced by people we like, and liking is a prerequisite for the other triggers.  Friendship generates trust, and trust activates a strong internal trigger. Find connections and common interests, and listen to the people you wish to influence.

2. The Authority Trigger

We respond with unthinking, automatic compliance to those we believe have authority, credibility and power. Managers and leaders may think they have authority by virtue of their position, but without the likeability factor, this trigger is weakened. The authority trigger works because we assume the person in position of authority has done the evaluation work for us.

3. The Consistency Trigger

Our internal guidance system compels us to be consistent in the way we see ourselves and the peers we admire. We are slaves to consistency and conformity; in fact, these drives are hard-wired into our brain. When it’s time to make a decision, we call up an emotional memory that’s similar to the situation at hand, and we’re guided in the same direction.

4. The Reciprocity Trigger

Reciprocity is the well-documented psychological desire to give back to someone who has given us a gift.  It’s another automatic response hard-wired into our brains.  Marketers have been using bonus gifts and free samples for years.

5. The Contrast Trigger

Framing a proposition so it appears more desirable than an alternative is a proven automatic compliance technique. Always present the most onerous approach first, followed by what you really want.

6. The Reason Why Trigger

When you present a valid reason to accept a proposition, you achieve compliance.

7. The Hope Trigger

We are easily persuaded by those who understand our hopes, wishes and dreams.  Once we perceive an opportunity to satisfy them, we seldom rely on cognitive thought or logic before we act.