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Video Summaries of Pre-Suasion

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1-Page Summary of Pre-Suasion

Overview

Robert Cialdini’s Pre-suasion is a detailed analysis of how to frame a persuasive argument. His research finds that certain ways of framing an argument can be more effective than just having the best arguments on their own.

There are certain situations when people are much more likely to be persuaded. The best time to persuade someone is when they’re already thinking about a particular object or trait. When you present your argument, it will seem much more important if the audience has been primed with that idea. Attention can be gained through sexual and threatening cues, which appeal to the viewers’ desire for uniqueness and safety respectively. Once attention has been gained, it must either be kept by appealing to self-interests or leaving questions unanswered in order to keep their interest piqued.

The associations that we have with words can affect our behavior. Therefore, it’s important to pay attention to the connotations of those words and how they’re presented. Environmental cues can also impact our behaviors based on similar connotations.

The mind is very susceptible to influence. It can be influenced by the authority of others, a desire to be well-liked, an action that is usually reciprocated, proof of a social norm, fear of missing something scarce or the reminder to be consistent. In addition to these influences, there are also other factors that affect our decision making such as unity with one’s kin and locality or region.

Although it can be used unethically, pre-suasion is a powerful tool for companies that want to get their employees on board with new ideas. However, if companies use this technique to mislead their employees or put undue pressure on them to commit to something they don’t really want, the company could face losses from toxic work environments and employee disengagement. To sustain the effects of pre-suasion over time, recipients need to take action in some way—for example by writing down what they’ve learned or making a donation.

Key Takeaways

The most effective persuaders spend much of their time crafting what they will say to set up their persuasive arguments. Persuasive arguments depend on focusing the viewer’s attention on a specific trait or object.

When people focus on something, they tend to view it as more important than usual.

Sex and violence can grab people’s attention, but they work differently depending on the message that follows. Once someone is attracted to a message, he or she will stay focused if it focuses on them personally or if there’s an unresolved mystery for them to consider. Word connotations, non-verbal associations with heat or weight, metaphors and rhyming all influence people unconsciously.

Environmental factors, such as the people and setting in which we work, can influence our behavior. Managers must ensure that employees are working with the right focus by manipulating those environmental factors.

The mind makes unconscious associations automatically. However, those associations can be manipulated to a certain degree.

There are six cues that influence decision-making. They can be used to frame persuasive efforts.

A recent observation of pre-suasion is that we feel a sense of unity with people who are like us. For example, if you’re in a group and wearing the same color shirt as everyone else, then you’ll probably start to bond with other people in the group because you share something in common (the same shirt).

Companies should ethically use pre-suasion because unethical behavior can hurt their reputation. Once pre-suasion has its desired effect, the audience will commit to that mindset if they make a pledge or donation.