# Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/books/influence-the-psychology-of-persuasion/
- Published: 2021-08-17T08:28:00+01:00
- Author: Howard Lake

**In this _New York Times_ bestseller, Dr. Robert B. Cialdini, the expert in the
field of influence and persuasion, explains the psychology of why people say yes
and how to apply these principles ethically in business and everyday situations.**

Ethical persuasion is a key skill for all fundraisers, and this book is recommended
by many fundraisers and in many fundraising training courses.

In it you’ll learn the six universal principles of influence and how to use them
to become a skilled persuader—and, just as importantly, how to defend yourself against
dishonest influence attempts:

 1. **Reciprocation**: The internal pull to repay what another person has provided 
    us.
 2. **Commitment and Consistency:** Once we make a choice or take a stand, we work 
    to behave consistently with that commitment in order to justify our decisions.
 3. **Social Proof: **When we are unsure, we look to similar others to provide us with
    the correct actions to take. And the more, people undertaking that action, the 
    more we consider that action correct.
 4. **Liking:** The propensity to agree with people we like and, just as important,
    the propensity for others to agree with us, if we like them.
 5. **Authority:** We are more likely to say “yes” to others who are authorities, who
    carry greater knowledge, experience or expertise.
 6. **Scarcity:** We want more of what is less available or dwindling in availability.

Understanding and applying the six principles ethically is cost-free and deceptively
easy. Backed by Dr. Cialdini’s 35 years of evidence-based, peer-reviewed scientific
research—as well as by a three-year field study on what moves people to change behaviour—
_Influence_ is a comprehensive guide to using these principles effectively to amplify
your ability to change the behaviour of others.