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Book Review: INFLUENCE, Science And Practice

INFLUENCE, Science And Practice, by Robert B. Cialdini, Ph.D. -- review by Gill E. Wagner

Prologue

I first read INFLUENCE in its original version, "INFLUENCE, The Psychology of Persuasion," in 1996. Simply put, of all the books I've read on marketing, INFLUENCE has made the greatest positive impact on my success. Personally, I think this is because the book was not written for marketers – it is simply a study of why people go on auto-pilot when making certain decisions.

In my opinion, this book is absolutely a "must read" for anyone who is in sales or marketing. In fact, I think anyone who buys or sells anything should read this one.

Enjoy,

Gill

Philosophy

Since INFLUENCE isn't a sales book, there is no sales philosophy to discuss. However, the book does explain key aspects of how to persuade people to do things they might not ordinarily do, so I'd like to make a point about the philosophy of implementing what Cialdini has to say.

According to Cialdini, we all have certain preprogrammed behavioral actions that will activate when properly stimulated. In his book he covers not only the most prominent actions, but what causes them to activate. So, after you read the book, you will be armed with tools you can use to manipulate someone, should you choose to do so.

Opinion: While Cialdini is absolutely correct about the ability to influence behavior with the knowledge in his book, he doesn't discuss the after-the-fact repercussions of having done so. In the sales profession, we know this as "buyer's remorse" – after signing on the dotted line, the buyer regrets the decision without really knowing why. So if you use Cialdini's concepts in a sales call, you can expect more canceled contracts, and, with those who don't cancel, you can expect your relationships to be less than amicable.

Opinion: It's okay to use Cialdini's information in written form – business letters, articles, website copy (yes, book reviews) – because people can easily discard the information. But person-to-person use of much of what he describes can be harmful in the long term.

The Process

INFLUENCE is a study of human behavior during which patterns are detected, analysis is conducted and behavioral theory is developed. Cialdini then tests each of his theories and includes in his book those which he can prove – he names each of his behaviors and collectively calls them "weapons of influence." They are:

• Reciprocation
• Commitment and Consistency
• Social Proof
• Liking
• Authority
• Scarcity

I'm going to give you an example of only one weapon of influence, because I truly believe you should buy the book and read it for yourself. And the weapon I'll explain is social proof, because anyone in sales pretty much already knows about this one.

Social Proof

Simply put, when making a major purchase decision a buyer never has all the facts – he must always make part of the decision on gut instinct and therefore has some fear of making a mistake.

• Is this service really as good as this sales guy says?
• Could I get this same result at a better price if I keep looking?
• Is there something I'm missing that's going to bite me in the butt if I do this?
• How badly will making this switch hurt in the short term?
• If I buy and read this book, will it be a waste of my money and, more importantly, my time?

Fears such as these always exist, and they can never be explained away by a salesperson. And buyers don't like saying "yes" when these fears are present and unanswered.

Enter social proof.

Social proof is really nothing more than a third-party influence perceived as having more knowledge "than I do." If a good client refers you, for instance, your new prospect is already heavily influenced to ignore his fears, because "Joe said you were a great guy."

Speaking of social proof ...

Opinion: I believe every adult on the planet should buy and read "INFLUENCE, Science and Practice." Even if you don't sell, this book will arm you with much of the knowledge you need to avoid "being sold."

On a value scale of one to 10, this is a definite 10.

--
Gill E. Wagner, Sage of Selling
President of Honest Selling
Founder of the Yellow-Tie International Business Development Association

Silver-Bullet Secret

"People buy from people they trust ... period ... end of story."

Or is it?

The concept seems simple enough. Be honest and worthy of trust. Be respectful of the people to whom you sell. Treat them as you would want to be treated. Do all those things, and they'll buy from you.

Just a second. I trust my accountant with my taxes, but would I trust him with my wife? And is he really any more trustworthy than all the other accountants I could hire?

Hmmm. Perhaps it's just not that simple after all.

--

"People buy from people they like ... period ... end of story."

Or is it?

This is another simple concept, right? Would you buy from someone you thought was creepy? I certainly wouldn't. So if I'm the person they like, they'll buy from me. Great! I'm so glad to have found my silver-bullet answer.

But wait. Am I the only likable salesperson they'll meet? What if they like someone else too? What if they like someone else more?

Damn! It's not that simple either.

--

"The most important thing about selling is to be the first person in the door ... period ... end of story."

Or is it?

Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of sales consultants, trainers and coaches advise you to do whatever it takes to be the first person in front of the prospect, because, in their opinion, that gives you the opportunity to eliminate the competition by closing the deal on the spot.

Of course, most buyers are savvy enough to check several options before signing on the dotted line. And in complex sales with multiple sales appointments, how can you be first every time?

Trickier than it appears, I guess.

--

"The most important thing about selling is to be the last person on the prospect's calendar ... period ... end of story."

Or is it?

Fact is, there are as many sales consultants, trainers and coaches advising you to be last as there are advising you to be first. But what if the gal who got in first closes the deal before you have the chance to shake the prospect's hand? And then there's the complex sales issue all over again.

I guess the only simplicity here is don't be the salesperson in the middle. (Or is there some crazy sales consultant advising that too?)

--

"As a professional salesperson, you must have a detailed, intimate knowledge of your products and services in order to sell them ... period ... end of story."

Or is it?

I have personally witnessed prospects cringe as knowledge vomit landed on their shoes. And unfortunately, it was my much younger and greener self who was doing the word puking as I tried desperately to impress them on how well I knew my stuff.

And even after I learned to use my ears more than my mouth, fully understanding the intricacies of my product or service didn't seem to make selling any easier.

So intimate product knowledge must not be the answer either.

--

"Professional salespeople can close deals without having to know every detail of what they sell ... period ... end of story."

Or is it?

Lots of sales consultants say this too. I've said it myself, in fact.

Yet last month I test-drove a Chevy SSR. I'd put the salesman in his mid 50s, and he told me he had been selling cars for 30 years. Yet I watched as he stumbled to find the hood latch and work the radio dials as we were examining the car. And he didn't even know the horsepower of the SSR's Corvette engine.

I actually liked and basically trusted the guy, but was totally unimpressed with his level of product knowledge, and it made me not want to buy from him.

So knowing little is not better than knowing a lot.

--

Clearly being trusted isn't the silver bullet, and neither is being liked. Obviously being first or last won't ensure a deal. And product knowledge, or the lack thereof, isn't the deciding factor either.

So what is the sales silver bullet? What is the difference between rainmakers and everyone else? What are the secrets that make these special salespeople so incredibly successful? What can you do this year, this month, this week or this very moment to be like them, and to generate the same kind of sales volume they produce?

What is the silver-bullet secret to becoming a sales rainmaker?

UPDATE TO POST: When I originally posted this message in May 2006, I asked people to tell me their short answers to the above question. Here is what they said.

--
Gill E. Wagner, Sage of Selling
President of Honest Selling
Founder of the Yellow-Tie International Business Development Association