SOCIAL INFLUENCE-6

Influence rule number five - Authority.

When E.F. Hutton talks, you better believe it.

This is also a commonly used short-cut to compliance. Think about it, how many commercials have famous actors as spokespersons? TV doctors pitching aspirin? Ex-politicians pitching credit cards? (Bob Dole didn't even win - but he's very likable!)

Can't resist authority. It's dangerous. People get hurt resisting authority.

This principle is so serious it is often used with life as the price to pay.

If you take it to the extreme, look at history. Nazis. Davidians. Heaven's Gate. The Reverend Moon Sum Young the list goes on and on. All the cults rely on authority PLUS social proof to gain the complete trust of members. The leader sets himself up as the absolute authority, and makes his disciples feed off each other's social proof. They are also isolated from the rest of society, thereby restricted to his authority and their own social proof.

We were trained from birth to comply with authority. Parents, teachers, bosses, doctors, police are all to be complied with. Look what happens to people NOT cooperating? Punks, criminals and homeless people. Disaster. You have just got to listen to authority.

So there you have it, now the scene is set for taking advantage of this VERY deep compliance strategy. Pick a target, pick someone that is perceived as an authority to that target and use it. Bingo.... compliance. Can't resist authority. It's also very subtle and can be dangerous in the hands of manipulative persuaders. 

What  constitutes authority? What proof do you need? How about TITLES?

Titles usually produce instant authority without much effort on our part. A doctor is a doctor, so she must know. Are there not bad doctors? We tend to automatically believe what we hear from people with titles.

Sometimes titles are not necessary. Industry experts for instance. I've been in business for over 25 years, and know what I am talking about. Or do I? How would you know? The fact that I have been doing "it" for 25 years is enough to make people believe that I am perhaps an authority on the subject.

The illusion of authority works equally well. Because people very rarely questions authority. It's a given.

To use this concept to your advantage, all you have to do is to at least give the illusion that you are an authority in the field, and just because you say so it must be. Let me tell you, it does work.

For instance, you don't have to be a bank executive to look like one. Just dress and behave like one. Con artists do this all the time, they pretend to be a bank examiner and ask you to deposit some money in a "special account" so they can catch a thief that is constantly defrauding your fellow seniors in your neighborhood. How many influence principles did you catch in this simple statement?

You have to realize that in defrauding people fraud artists lie. They make believe they are someone they are not. Lies or not, the effect is the same as if the real thing had come by with a legitimate request. How would you know? You are conditioned to believe and comply to people with authority. And people you like. And to buy things that might not be here tomorrow. And to do what your best friend just did. And to re-pay favors.

Get the message?

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