Marketing Strategies and Behavioral Influence

We develop and produce experiential marketing events nationwide. It is amazing how the human mind works and how we are predisposed to long ingrained behaviors, habits and beliefs. Part of marketing is introducing a product, service or brand to an individual to foster top of mind experiences while stimulating a call to action.

Marketing is sometimes looked upon as demonic and manipulative although when utilized by a social entrepreneur who is offering value in a win win scenario it can generate positive life saving outcomes for the buyer or consumer e.g. telephone service, fire extinguishers, organic foods, etc. In the wrong hands it ignites a maelstrom of negative images about what marketing is all about.. that should demonstrate how powerful marketing is if people come to fear it.

I'd like to share with you some techniques, six powerful principles of persuasion, used in marketing that actually work. It has been studied and documented by Dr. Robert Cialdini.

1. Reciprocation
2. Consistency and Commitment
3. Social Proof
4. Authority
5. Liking (the person who is trying to influence us)
6. Scarcity

Descriptions

1. Reciprocation
When someone gives a person something, the other person will feel the need to comply with that person. That is why companies give out free samples or gifts. Picture walking through an airport and a hare krishna comes up hands you a flower as a gift. You hesitate for a moment, and then accept it. Then you are asked for a donation to their cause. You want to leave, you don't want to pay, you don't believe in the cause. Yet, what you do? You make a donation and leave. You have just been trapped in the normal human compulsion to reciprocate one kindness with another.

2. Commitment/Consistency
People will be more prone to move in a particular direction if they see it as being consistent with their previous commitment. When you have to criticise someone, say at work, how often do you say something like 'I think you're great but this is not good enough' This actually causes the person to lose respect for you, because the compliment followed by the word but, is an obvious manipulation and not sincere or believable, but designed to make the other person accept your criticism.

However, if you do not the use the word but at all, and start with the negative and then say... and yet you have all these great qualities such as....the person will actually be more likely to accept the criticism and like you, and respect you.

3. Authority
People are more willing to follow the directions or recommendations of a communicator to whom they attribute relevant authority or expertise. For example, people in business suits and uniforms are seen as more credible than people in causal dress. And people are more willing to comply with an authority figure.

4. Social Validation
People have a tendency to take an action if there is evidence that many others are doing it. For example, more people prefer Brand A than the other leading brand.

5. Scarcity
People find objects and opportunities more attractive to the degree that they are scarce, rare, or dwindling in availability.

6. Liking/Friendship
People prefer to say yes to those they know and like.

Television shows use canned laughter, bar-people "salt" their tip jars at the start of a shift, evangelical preachers have been known to seed their audiences with "ringers" who are programmed to come forward and commit at the right moment, and auctions at fund raisers have %u2018plants' who either start the bidding process or up the ante during the bidding process.

As you see these seem like common sense marketing issues although we fail to recognize people spend all day in auto pilot and don't recognize when there are more subtle marketing techniques of influence being applied. To ensure sustained backend business and loyalty it is important to recognize some of these techniques are antiquated and noticed from miles away.

The techniques used in marketing and persuasion are not ethically bad nor good, that is the domain of the person creating the strategy and how it will be used. The strategies of influence are just what they are. We use these techniques with our kids when we need them to do something, we use them with colleagues when we have something they need to participate in, and they are even used in the dating game. Whatever way you view the use of marketing strategies and techniques it is all about psychology and as long as humans think and have patterns of behavior marketing will be a key mechanism to opening up gateways of communication and influence.


Marketing Strategies and Behavioral Influence - To learn more about this author, visit Carson Tang's Website.

Like this article? Share it with your friends

E-Mail | Print | More

Related Articles
Behavioral Styles and Communication patterns
	Each of us has a different way of communicating to others. It isn’t just your words that deliver your message. In fact the words may be least important. Your tone of voice and body language are a big part of com...
6.0 The African Entrepreneur Behavioral Patterns: Entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship in Africa
	Successful entrepreneurs display a pattern of behavior different than the less successful ones. This is not surprising given that entrepreneurs differ in important demographic and psychological traits.
Social Emotional Intelligence in Leadership
	Leaders and entire organizations have discovered that success in the workplace has significantly less to do with intelligence or core job competencies and more to do with emotional and behavioral intelligence. The ...
The Sales Psychology Influence and Persuasion
	It is amazing how the human mind works and how we are predisposed to long ingrained behaviors, habits and beliefs. Part of marketing is introducing a product, service or brand to an individual to foster top of mind ...
Behavioral Paradigms
	I want to teach you in this module can have the greatest impact on your time control (www.timecontrol.cc). These are behavioral paradigms. Unlike visual and aural paradigms that are triggered by things you see and h...

---

Related Forum Posts
	Re: Should Evan add a "Social Media Marketing" category to the f
	Different Hats
	Re: Best Internet Marketing Strategy
	SES Toronto Next Week
	Re: Should Evan add a "Social Media Marketing" category to the f
	Re: Should Evan add a "Social Media Marketing" category to the f
	Re: Let’s talk about the ways of marketing your products, servic
	Re: Should Evan add a "Social Media Marketing" category to the f

---

Related Businesses - Evan Elite Authors

George Ludwig George Ludwig is a recognized authority on sales strategy and peak performance psychology. An international speaker, trainer, and corporate consultant, he helps clients like Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Northwestern Mutual, CIGNA, and numerous others improve sales force effectiveness and performance. Though it's George's strategies and processes that help corporations increase productivity and performance, it's his tremendous energy and dynamism that spark the transformation. Again and again, clients remark on his amazing ability to unleash human capacity and inspire men and women to break out of their comfort zones. The result is a whole new type of salesperson. His customized presentations teach achievers to make stunning advances in their lives. From helping salespeople realize cherished dreams to helping corporations exponentially accelerate revenue streams, George Ludwig leaves audiences and individuals empowered, emboldened, and clamoring for more. George is the best-selling author of Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code and Wise Moves: 60 Quick Tips to Improve Your Position in Life & Business. - Visit George Ludwig's Website

Dave Kurlan Dave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website

Accessible Business Consultants Dave Turkin, President, of Accessible Business Consultants is a full service business consultant that has over 32 years of experience working with small-medium size businesses. Dave has designed and implemented numerous business and marketing plans, designed internal programs for accounting and operational procedures. He has analyzed businesses and prepared strategic plans setting budgets for growth, expansion and business restructuring. He currently sits on the Board of Directors of various corporations as an advisor. For many years he has been the Business Coach to many executives offering advice and guidance from old and established companies as well as new companies just getting started. Dave has the ability to analyze a business quickly and get a strong indication as to the necessary steps to improve operations, productivity and profitability. - Visit Accessible Business Consultants's Website

Anne Barr Anne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website

The Evan Elite Authors program is currently in beta phase. For details please contact us.