Weapons Of Influence: 3 Powerful Tools To Persuade And Influence Anyone

Weapons of influence are amazing tactics of persuasion. These are not just random strategies to a person's mind. The human psyche is a very interesting thing. If you study it well enough, you'll be able to easily predict and control a person's behavior or way of thinking.

Bestselling author and psychologist Robert Cialdini enumerates six weapons of influence, three of which are the basis of this article. Below, you will learn about effective influence and persuasion techniques you can use on a daily basis to get people to do what you want.

Weapon Of Influence # 1: Reciprocity (also known as Favor Banks)

Favor banks operate in a fairly simple manner. I do this for you, you do this for me. Of course, they are much more sophisticated than that; although people on occasion deal in such crude terms.

Before you can withdraw from the favor bank, you must first invest in people. Do them favors, big or small. These favors don't have to be real presents. They can be in the form of a service or information. They can be as simple as helping them carry their things or informing them of an ongoing contest.

In turn, these people will be compelled to do things for you. When you ask for help, you can expect these same people to give you a hand.

Weapon Of Influence # 2: Consistency

This persuasion technique rests on a person's need to remain consistent with what he has said or promised. People who say one thing and then do another are generally unapproved of.

In order to be accepted in society, people do their best to stick to their words. It's a matter of honor and integrity. The more a person values these concepts, the more he will stick to his word. You can easily use this to your advantage.

For example, if Senator A has recently announced his commitment to the environment, it would be a good time to solicit help for your eco-friendly organization. After all, he has just said it himself. Backing out now would diminish his name.

Weapon Of Influence # 3: Liking Through Similarities

People are more likely to agree with - or help out - someone whom they feel holds the same values and priorities. In essence, birds of the same feather fly together.

In fact, many people choose to invest in global managed funds that have the same values as they do. A person who dislikes smoking would probably not invest in stocks of cigarette companies or in managed funds that support tobacco industries.

There's a very good reason why weapons of influence are called as such. These tactics do have a lot of leverage over the human psyche. And the sooner you make use of this information, the better you'll be able to control your life.