{"id":809,"date":"2022-04-06T17:28:58","date_gmt":"2022-04-06T17:28:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-oswego-businesscommunicationmgrs2\/?post_type=chapter&p=809"},"modified":"2023-03-22T17:35:26","modified_gmt":"2023-03-22T17:35:26","slug":"5-3-persuasive-messages","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-oswego-businesscommunicationmgrs2\/chapter\/5-3-persuasive-messages\/","title":{"raw":"5.3 Persuasive Psychological Principles: Cialdini and Maslow (Pathos)","rendered":"5.3 Persuasive Psychological Principles: Cialdini and Maslow (Pathos)"},"content":{"raw":"
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LEARNING OBJECTIVES<\/h3>\r\n1. Organize and write persuasive messages\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\nPersuasion involves moving or motivating your audience by presenting arguments that convince them to adopt your view or do as you want. You\u2019ve been doing this ever since you learned to speak. From convincing your parents to give you a treat to persuading them to lend you the car keys, you\u2019ve developed more sophisticated means of persuasion over the years simply because of the rewards that come with their success. Now that you\u2019ve entered (or will soon enter) the professional world, honing persuasive strategies for the workplace is vital to your livelihood when the reward is a sale, a promotion, or merely a regular paycheck\r\n\r\nPersuasion begins with motivation. If persuasion is a process and your audience\u2019s action (e.g., buying a product or service) is the goal, then motivating them to accept an argument or a series of positions leading to the decision that you want them to adopt helps achieve that goal. If your goal is to convince a pet owner to spay or neuter their pet, for instance, you would use a few convincing arguments compelling them to accept that spaying or neutering is the right thing to do.<\/b>\r\n

THE RHETORICAL TRIANGLE<\/h1>\r\n

\"rhetorical<\/h1>\r\nUse the\u00a0rhetorical triangle<\/strong>\u00a0by combining logic, emotional appeal, and authority (a.k.a.\u00a0logos<\/em>,\u00a0pathos<\/em>, and\u00a0ethos<\/em>\u00a0in classical Aristotelian rhetoric) to cater your message to your audience. You could appeal to their sense of reason by explaining the logical consequences of not spaying or neutering their pet: increasing the local cat or dog population, or even producing a litter that you yourself have to deal with, including all the care and expenses related to it. You might appeal to their emotions by saying that the litters resulting from your pet\u2019s mating with strays will suffer starvation and disease in their short lives. You could establish your credibility by explaining that you\u2019ve earned a diploma in the Vet Tech program at Algonquin College and have eight years\u2019 experience seeing the positive results that spaying or neutering has on local dog or cat populations, making you a trustworthy authority on the topic. All of these moves help overcome your audience\u2019s resistance and convince them to follow your advice\u00a0(Business Communication for Success<\/em>, 2015, 14.1).<\/a>\u00a0These three appeals can also complement other effective techniques in persuading an audience as we shall see throughout this section. Researchers Cialdini and Maslow address the emotional appeal of pathos in persuasive techniques. Cialdini and Maslow's concepts can be used to build the persuasive language needed for persuasive work.\r\n

CIALDINI'S PRINCIPLES OF PERSUASION<\/h1>\r\n

What is the best way to succeed in persuading your listeners? There is no one \u201ccorrect\u201d answer, but many experts have studied persuasion and observed what works and what doesn\u2019t. Social psychologist Robert Cialdini offers us six principles of persuasion that are powerful and effective:<\/p>\r\n\r\n

    \r\n \t
  1. Reciprocity<\/li>\r\n \t
  2. Scarcity<\/li>\r\n \t
  3. Authority<\/li>\r\n \t
  4. Commitment and consistency<\/li>\r\n \t
  5. Consensus<\/li>\r\n \t
  6. Liking<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n

    You will find these principles both universal and adaptable to a myriad of contexts and environments. Recognizing when each principle is in operation will allow you to leverage the inherent social norms and expectations to your advantage, and enhance your sales position.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

    <\/a>PRINCIPLE OF RECIPROCITY<\/h2>\r\nI scratch your back; you scratch mine<\/em>. Reciprocity means that when you give something to somebody, they feel obligated to give something back to you in return, even if only by saying \u201cthank you.\u201d If you are in customer service and go out of your way to meet the customer\u2019s need, you are appealing to the principle of reciprocity with the knowledge that all but the most selfish among us perceive the need to reciprocate\u2014in this case, by increasing the likelihood of making a purchase from you because you were especially helpful. Reciprocity builds trust and a relationship develops, reinforcing everything from personal to brand loyalty. By taking the lead and giving, you build in a moment a sense of obligation motivating the receiver to follow social norms and customs by giving back.<\/b>\r\n

    <\/a>PRINCIPLE OF SCARCITY<\/h2>\r\nIt\u2019s universal to want what you can\u2019t have. People are naturally attracted to the rare and exclusive. If they are convinced that they need to act now or it will disappear, they are motivated to act. Scarcity is the perception of dwindling supply of a limited and valuable product. For a sales representative, scarcity may be a key selling point\u2014the particular car, theater tickets, or pair of shoes you are considering may be sold to someone else if you delay making a decision. By reminding customers not only of what they stand to gain but also of what they stand to lose, the sales rep increases their chances of swaying the customer from contemplation to action, which is to close the sale.<\/b>\r\n

    <\/a>PRINCIPLE OF AUTHORITY<\/h2>\r\nNotice how saying \u201cAccording to researchers, . . .\u201d makes whatever you say after these three words sound more true than if you began with \u201cI think that . . . .\u201d This is because you\u2019re drawing on authority to build trust, which is central to any purchase decision. Who does a customer turn to? A salesperson may be part of the process, but an endorsement by an authority holds credibility that no one with a vested interest can ever attain. Knowledge of a product, field, trends in the field, and even research can make a salesperson more effective by the appeal to the principle of authority. It may seem like extra work to educate your customers, but you need to reveal your expertise to gain credibility. We can borrow a measure of credibility by relating what experts have indicated about a product, service, market, or trend, and our awareness of competing viewpoints allows us insight that is valuable to the customer. Reading the manual of a product is not sufficient to gain expertise\u2014you have to do extra homework. The principle of authority involves referencing experts and expertise.<\/b>\r\n

    <\/a>PRINCIPLE OF COMMITMENT AND CONSISTENCY<\/h2>\r\nWhen you commit to something, you feel obligated to follow through on it. For instance, if you announce on social media that you\u2019re going to do yoga every day for a month, you feel greater pressure to actually do so than if you resolved to do it without telling anyone. This is because written words hold a special power over us when it feels as though their mere existence makes what we\u2019re doing \u201cofficial.\u201d If we were on the fence, seeing it now in writing motivates us to act on it and thereby honor our word by going through with the purchase. In sales, this could involve getting a customer to sign up for a store credit card or a rewards program.<\/b>\r\n

    <\/a>PRINCIPLE OF CONSENSUS<\/h2>\r\nIf you make purchase decisions based on what you see in online reviews, you\u2019re proving how effective the principle of consensus can be. People trust first-person testimonials when making purchase decisions, especially if there are many of them and they\u2019re unanimous in their endorsement. The herd mentality is a powerful force across humanity. If \u201ceverybody else\u201d thinks this product is great, then it must be great. Such\u00a0argumentum ad populum<\/em>\u00a0(Latin for \u201cargument to the people\u201d) is a logical fallacy because there\u2019s no guarantee that something is true if the majority believe it. We are genetically programmed to trust our tribe in the absence more credible information, however, because it makes decision-making easier in the fight for survival.<\/b>\r\n

    <\/a>PRINCIPLE OF LIKING<\/h2>\r\nWe are more likely to buy something from someone we like, who likes us, who is attractive, and who we can identify with because we see enough points of similarity between ourselves. These perceptions offer a sense of safe belonging. If a salesperson says they\u2019re going to cut you a deal because they like you, your response is to reciprocate that acceptance by going through with the deal. If you find them easy to look at\u2014no matter which sex\u2014you are predisposed to like them because, from an evolutionary standpoint, attractiveness suggests genetic superiority and hence authority. Furthermore, if the salesperson makes themselves relatable by saying that they had the same problem as you and this is what they did about it, you\u2019re more likely to follow their advice because that bond produces the following argument in your mind: \u201cThis person and I are similar in that we share a common problem, they solved it expertly by doing X, and I can therefore solve the same problem in my life by doing X\u201d\u00a0(Business Communication for Success<\/em>, 2015, 14.2)<\/a>.\r\n

    You may have had no problem answering the question, \u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d and simply pulled a couple of lines from yesterday\u2019s Twitter message or reviewed your phone calendar. But if you had to compose an entirely original answer, would it prove to be a challenge? Perhaps at first, this might appear to be a simple task. You have to work and your job required your participation in a meeting, or you care about someone and met him or her for lunch.<\/p>\r\n

    Both scenarios make sense on the surface, but we have to consider the\u00a0why<\/em>\u00a0with more depth. Why that meeting, and why that partner? Why not another job, or a lunch date with someone else? If we consider the question long enough, we\u2019ll come around to the conclusion that we communicate with others in order to meet basic needs, and our meetings, interactions, and relationships help us meet those needs. We may also recognize that not all our needs are met by any one person, job, experience, or context; instead, we diversify our communication interactions in order to meet our needs. At first, you may be skeptical of the idea that we communicate to meet our basic needs, but let\u2019s consider two theories on the subject and see how well they predict, describe, and anticipate our tendency to interact.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

    MASLOW'S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS<\/h1>\r\n

    Abraham Maslow\u2019s hierarchy of needs, represented in\u00a0Figure 5.2 \u201cMaslow\u2019s Hierarchy of Needs\u201d<\/a>, may be familiar to you (Maslow, 1970). Perhaps you saw it in negotiation or international business classes and came to recognize its universal applicability. We need the resources listed in level one (i.e., air, food, and water) to survive. If we have met those basic needs, we move to level two: safety. We want to make sure we are safe and that our access to air, food, and water is secure. A job may represent this level of safety at its most basic level. Regardless of how much satisfaction you may receive from a job well done, a paycheck ultimately represents meeting basic needs for many. Still, for others, sacrifice is part of the job. Can you think of any professions that require individuals to make decisions where the safety of others comes first? \u201cFirst responders\u201d and others who work in public safety often place themselves at risk for the benefit of those they serve.<\/p>\r\n

    If we feel safe and secure, we are more likely to seek the companionship of others. Humans tend to form groups naturally, and if basic needs are met, love and belonging occur in level three. Perhaps you\u2019ve been new at work and didn\u2019t understand the first thing about what was really going on. It\u2019s not that you weren\u2019t well trained and did not receive a solid education, but rather that the business or organization is made up of groups and communities that communicate and interact in distinct and divergent ways. You may have known how to do something, but not how it was done at your new place of work. Colleagues may have viewed you as a stranger or \u201cnewbie\u201d and may have even declined to help you. Conflict may have been part of your experience, but if you were lucky, a mentor or coworker took the first step and helped you find your way.<\/p>\r\n

    As you came to know what was what and who was who, you learned how to negotiate the landscape and avoid landmines. Your self-esteem (level four) improved as you perceived a sense of belonging but still may have lacked the courage to speak up.<\/p>\r\n

    Over time, you may have learned your job tasks and the strategies for succeeding in your organization. Perhaps you even came to be known as a reliable coworker, one who did go the extra mile, one who did assist the \u201cnewbies\u201d around the office. If one of them came to you with a problem, you would know how to handle it. You are now looked up to by others and by yourself within the role, with your ability to make a difference. Maslow calls this \u201cself-actualization\u201d (level five), and discusses how people come to perceive a sense of control or empowerment over their context and environment. When they look back and see that they once felt at the mercy of others, particularly when they were new, they can now influence and direct aspects of the work environment that were once unavailable.<\/p>\r\n

    Beyond self-actualization, Maslow recognizes our innate need to know (level six) that drives us to grow and learn, explore our environment, or engage in new experiences. We come to appreciate a sense of self that extends beyond our immediate experiences, beyond the function, and into the community and the representational. We can take in beauty for its own sake, and value aesthetics (level seven) that we previously ignored or had little time to consider.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

    \r\n
    \r\n
    \r\n

    Figure 5.2<\/span>\u00a0<\/em>Maslow\u2019s Hierarchy of Needs<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\nUser:Factoryjoe, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n

    Now that you have reached a sense of contentment in your job and can take in a museum tour, the news of a possible corporate merger is suddenly announced in the mainstream media. It may have been just gossip before, but now it is real. You may feel a sense of uncertainty and be concerned about your status as a valued employee. Do you have reason to worry about losing your job? How will you handle the responsibilities that you\u2019ve acquired and what about the company and its obligations to those who have sacrificed over time for common success? Conflict may be more frequent in the workplace, and you may feel compelled to go over your personal budget and reprioritize your spending. You may eliminate museum visits and donations, and you may decide to start saving money as the future is less certain. You may dust off your r\u00e9sum\u00e9 and start communicating with colleagues in related fields as you network, reaching out to regain that sense of stability, of control, that is lost as you feel your security threatened. You will move through Maslow\u2019s hierarchy as you reevaluate what you need to survive.<\/p>\r\n

    This theory of interpersonal needs is individualistic, and many cultures are not centered on the individual, but it does serve to start our discussion about interpersonal needs. What do we need? Why do we communicate? The answers to both questions are often related.<\/p>\r\n

    William Schutz offers an alternate version of interpersonal needs. Like Maslow, he considers the universal aspects of our needs, but he outlines how they operate within a range or continuum for each person (Schutz, W., 1966). According to Schutz, the need for\u00a0affection, or appreciation, is basic to all humans. We all need to be recognized and feel like we belong but may have differing levels of expectations to meet that need. When part of the merger process is announced and the news of layoffs comes, those coworkers who have never been particularly outgoing and have largely kept to themselves may become even more withdrawn. Schutz describes\u00a0underpersonals\u00a0as people who seek limited interaction. On the opposite end of the spectrum, you may know people where you work that are often seeking attention and affirmation. Schutz describes\u00a0overpersonals\u00a0as people who have a strong need to be liked and constantly seek attention from others. The person who strikes a healthy balance is called apersonal individual.<\/p>\r\n

    Humans also have a need for\u00a0control, or the ability to influence people and events. But that need may vary by the context, environment, and sense of security. You may have already researched similar mergers, as well as the forecasts for the new organization, and come to realize that your position and your department are central to the current business model. You may have also of taken steps to prioritize your budget, assess your transferable skills, and look for opportunities beyond your current context. Schutz would describe your efforts to control your situation as\u00a0autocratic, or self-directed. At the same time, there may be several employees who have not taken similar steps who look to you and others for leadership, in effect abdicating their responsibility.\u00a0Abdicrats\u00a0shift the burn of responsibility from themselves to others, looking to others for a sense of control.\u00a0Democrats\u00a0share the need between the individual and the group and may try to hold a departmental meeting to gather information and share.<\/p>\r\n

    Finally, Schutz echoes Maslow in his assertion that belonging is a basic interpersonal need, but notes that it exists within a range or continuum, where some need more and others less.\u00a0Undersocials\u00a0may be less likely to seek interaction, may prefer smaller groups, and will generally not be found on center stage.\u00a0Oversocials, however, crave the spotlight of attention and are highly motivated to seek belonging. A\u00a0social person\u00a0is one who strikes a healthy balance between being withdrawn and being the constant center of attention.<\/p>\r\n

    Schutz describes these three interpersonal needs of affection, control, and belonging as interdependent and variable. In one context, an individual may have a high need for control, while in others he or she may not perceive the same level of motivation or compulsion to meet that need. Both Maslow and Schutz offer us two related versions of interpersonal needs that begin to address the central question: why communicate?<\/p>\r\n

    We communicate with each other to meet our needs, regardless of how we define those needs. From the time you are a newborn infant crying for food or the time you are a toddler learning to say \u201cplease\u201d when requesting a cup of milk, to the time you are an adult learning the rituals of the job interview and the conference room, you learn to communicate in order to gain a sense of self within the group or community, meeting your basic needs as you grow and learn.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

    INDIRECT AIDA PATTERN OF PERSUASION<\/h1>\r\nWhen you consider the tens or hundreds of thousands of TV commercials you\u2019ve seen in your life, you understand how they all take the indirect approach \u00a0because they assume you will resist parting with your money. Instead of taking a direct approach by simply saying in seven seconds \u201cCome to our store, give us $100, and we\u2019ll give you these awesome sunglasses,\u201d commercials use a variety of techniques to motivate you to ease your grip on your money. They will dramatize a problem-solution scenario, use celebrity endorsements, humor, special effects, jingles, intrigue, and so on. You\u2019re well familiar with the pattern from having seen and absorbed it many times each day of your life, but when you must make a persuasive pitch yourself as part of your professional duties, you may need a little guidance with the typical four-part indirect pattern known as \u201cAIDA\u201d:\r\n