1. 60% compliance 94% compliance 93% compliance
The copier request study
“Excuse me, may I use the Xerox machine?”
60%
compliance
“Excuse me, may I use the Xerox machine, because I’m late to class?”
94%
compliance
“Excuse me, may I use the Xerox machine, because I have to make some copies?”
93%
compliance

2. Which Group reported liking the task more? Participants complete
Dissonance Tasks
Group 1
Paid only $1
Paid $20
Group 2
Question:
Which Group reported liking the task more?
Participants complete
a boring task

3. Persuasion Strategies:
“Foot-in-the-Door” &
“Door-in-the-Face”
FITD: First request accepted, then target request
Start with small favor
Responder identifies with first condition & more
likely to respond to second
self-oriented appeal and performance incentives
kill FITD
Longer lasting
DITF: First request refused, then target request
Start with large favor to be rejected
Second favor small, likely to compromise & be polite
Delay and self-oriented appeal kills DITF
Easier to do

4. The Persuasion Pitch Attention Getting Ad, promo, announcement
physical, emotional, cognitive attention-getters
Confidence Building (credibility & trust)
expertise (authority figures)
sincerity (smiles, gestures)
benevolence (brand names, associations)
Desire (need for change or product)
praise the product (quality, efficiency, etc.)
promise audience benefits (needs)
Urgency (act quickly)
elicit emotional response to rush without thinking
deadlines, emergencies, sales
Action (desired behavior)
trigger words (“vote,” “buy,” “now!” etc.)
devices: coupons, contests, sweepstakes, 800 #

5. Persuasion Tactics
Reciprocation: Give & Take, gifts & prizes, free, samplers
Commitment & consistency: careful decision & justify, bait & switch, FITD, 30-day trial period
Comparison & contrast: everyone else does it, canned laughter, salting collection plate, audience ringers, presigned contributors, testimonials, my idea is better because…
Likeability: attractiveness, similarity, compliment, nice, Tupperware parties, Mary Kay cosmetics, celebrities
Authority: title, office, uniform, expert, degree, “I’m no doctor but I play one on TV…,” doctors agree…
Card stacking: one-sided information, list, testimonials
Scarcity: limited quantity makes it valuable, limited time only, first come first served
Demonstration: See how easy, you can do it too, look how nice

6. Strongly Hostile Weakly Hostile No Opinion
Audience Tactics
they care about topic
if you fail they will actively work against you
scale back goal (won’t convince them)
approach indirectly; don’t give away reasoning—
make them think along with you
Strongly
Hostile
adversely convinced but not actuated
build appeal on logic
appear objective
Weakly
Hostile
Uninformed: time to inform, scale back goal
Consciously neutral: self-restraint, use logic
Apathetic: arouse feelings, provide support No
Opinion
because they know they may become bored
may become insulted with basics
persuade to follow specific course of action
convince of the practicality of the action
Favorable

7. Providing Argument & Evidence
Reasoning
Avoid generalizing about what everyone knows
have prepared examples, statistics, quotes
sequence argument logically
use sources that are credible to audience
Emotion
use language that arouses emotion
focus emotional appeals on major points
use vivid descriptions & explanations
build credibility
deliver evidence in a confident, convincing manner