Self-help · ThoughtfulRobert Cialdini identifies six principles of influence after three years of undercover work in sales and fundraising
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion
Six principles of persuasion, drawn from undercover fieldwork
William Morrow published the book in 1984, and Harper Business issued a new and expanded edition in 2021. Cialdini based it on three years of undercover work, applying for and training at used car dealerships, fundraising organizations and telemarketing firms to observe persuasion in practice. From these observations he identified six key principles of influence: reciprocity, commitment and consistency, social proof, authority, liking and scarcity.
More about this book
Who
Robert B. Cialdini, who gathered the examples himself.
World
Car dealerships, fundraising groups and telemarketing firms.
What makes it different
Wikipedia reports over 5 million copies sold in 41 languages, citing Brady Josephson in the Huffington Post on April 22, 2015. Fortune listed it among its 75 Smartest Business Books.
Feel
Curious and analytical.
Page count and cover shown for: Selected edition