Perhaps I Can Persuade You to Read This Book?

I just finished "Yes!: 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive," by Noah J. Goldstein, Steve J. Martin and Robert B. Cialdini.  Over 250,000 copies of the book have been sold and put to use by people from all walks of life.  Cialdini, in particular, is famous for his work studying the science of influence. His book "Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion" is a staple for negotiation classes, and was one of my favorites from Kellogg.

"Yes!" is a slightly less science-intense discussion of the various ways people are predisposed to persuasion.  I found its lessons useful because they offer new tools for creating links between people and my point of view.  They will also allowing me to recognize when those tools are used to exploit the heuristic flaws I share with all humans.  To that end, the epilogue admonishes readers not to use its lessons to unethical ends.  Having read it - and taken about 20 pages of notes - I can imagine some people being tempted to drift toward the persuasion dark side.  Not I, of course...

Read it if you're curious about how we're all subject to the following persuasion tools (or how they might be used against you):

• Social proof
• Consistency and similarity bias
• High and low value framing
• Reciprocity
• Behavior mirroring
• Emotional valuation discounting

You will be amused, or possibly dismayed, to recognize situations in which they may have clouded your judgement.