In the 1950s, there was a salesman named Joe.
Joe sold coffee beans from door to door in the Omaha suburbia.
Life was tough. Few cared for his coffee. His hustle fared poorly, even with bored Nebraskan housewives.
So, one day, Joe tried something different.
Instead of touting his coffee outright, he said:
“Good afternoon, m’am. I brought you something special today. Here’s a pack of our finest Arabica beans. It’s free! I’ll come back later so let me know if you like it.”
The housewife accepted the gift. When Joe returned the following week, she bought from him.
Why?
When A Cialdinian Trick Works
My friend Bobby explains:
“When she took the coffee beans, she felt she had to repay him, and she did. By buying from him.
“The principle of reciprocity at work! When you’ve done something for someone, she’ll want to return the favor.”
Ah, reciprocity. The oldest trick in the Cialdinian book of persuasion. It is the unassailable, the undisputed heavyweight champion of the persuasion world.
Dubbed the Godzilla by Scott Adams, Robert Cialdini is the foremost guru in the field of persuasion. All his stratagems– commitment, consistency, consensus, likability, authority, scarcity–have been canonized into collective reverence and unquestioned acceptance.
But why?
When A Cialdinian Trick Fails
Are Cialdinian tricks infallible?
To answer this question, let’s do a fun thought experiment.
PICTURE THIS
Imagine Joe stumbling into a time machine that teleports him to 21st century New York. Now, picture him knocking on doors in Manhattan with the same “I brought you a gift today!” pitch he used to tempt Nebraskan broads in 1954.
So, what do you think? Will it work?
Choose your response below. (Click on one of the checkboxes.)
Then, click here to reveal my answer (and why).
If you have chosen No, then most people will agree with you. As I do.
You’re smart and so you already know this, but here are three reasons why Joe failed.
First, wrong place.
Clearly, New York won’t be rolling out the red carpet for a cold-calling salesmen like Joe.
Second, wrong people.
To a bored homemaker in middle America, a visit from a dandy salesman could well be the highlight of her day. To the fidgety Big Apple millennial hipster? A piddling, irksome pest.
Third, wrong time.
In the 50s, a bag of Arabica beans was one hell of a bribe. These days? As enticing as a pack of stale gummy bears.
The Takeaway
What’s the takeaway from this story?
Well, there are two.
One: Nothing works everywhere, on everyone, every time. (Not even mighty Cialdini.)
And more important–
Two: If you’re looking for a tactic to persuade someone, you’re not doing it right.
Because you don’t need a tactic. You need a strategy.
Strategy? Tactic? What’s the difference?
This.