Important Book Reviews: YES! – Robert Cialdini

If you want to get the lowdown on being a master of persuasion, this book is a must read.  Delving into this easily digestible book, you’ll feel like you’ve been given inside advice on the stock market. YES! offers tips for persuasion of every kind, and they are all perfectly above board. In fact, the insights are so compelling that you’ll literally have an unfair advantage to the rest of the world when it comes to persuasion—promise you’ll use them for good, okay?

Are You Offering Too Many Options?

How many products or service packages do you offer? Probably too many. Cialdin’s crux is that too many options cause people to walk away. With the choices the average consumer is bombarded with everyday, it’s key to not overwhelm. Delving deeper into this hypothesis, Cialdini goes beyond just limiting the options. Rather, he scientifically dissects the decision-making process in a fashion where the decision for the consumer is already made for them—whether they realize it or not.  Do you ever wonder why it seems so difficult to make a large lunch order at Taco Bell as opposed to Chipotle, where the options are considerably narrowed? Or, for example, think about selecting the perfect ice cream selection at Baskin Robin’s 31 flavors?

The Art Of Convincing

While many still subscribe to the hard-nosed, clobber-you-over-the-head method of relentless convincing, it’s not always the most effective. Consumers have become more cautious then ever about getting scammed—especially in the internet retail world. So while the hard sell still works for some, Cialdini suggested a more subtle, back door approach: Put up the velvet rope around whatever you’re selling and tell your consumers they may not be able to join your club or buy your product.  Suddenly the scarcity of the product or service instantly becomes more attractive. Why? Why do the words “out of stock” or “gone by midnight” push the panic button inside your head?

Applied Persuasion Science

While YES! offers gems that will undoubtedly heighten your awareness and retool your marketing mojo, keep in mind—the art of persuasion isn’t just for business. On a social level, YES!  gives impeccable insight on human relations that can be applied to your spouse, kids, friends and difficult co-workers.  From leveraging social proof, keeping your commitments, winning over difficult people and creating better and stronger relationships—YES! will certainly provide you with an arsenal of tools you can draw from your back pocket. 

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