You may face persuasion every day of your life and most of the time you may not even realize it. An advertisement on television or in an advertising brochure are forms of persuasion, for example. Product manufacturers want us to buy their products and the restaurants that we eat at their premises. Because persuasion is such a pervasive component of our lives, it is often too easy to overlook how we are influenced by outside sources.

Learning to use persuasion techniques is not as easy as it sounds, but having them can help you negotiate better in any area of ​​your life. Whether you want to convince your child to eat his vegetables or you want your boss to give you a raise.

Key techniques

The ultimate goal of persuasion is to convince the target to internalize the persuasive argument and adopt this new attitude as part of their core belief system. Don’t miss out on some of the most effective persuasion techniques.

1. Create a need

One method of persuasion is to create an appealing need out of a previously existing need. This type of persuasion appeals to the fundamental needs of a person such as: shelter, love , self-esteem or self-realization. Sellers often use this strategy to sell their products. Consider, for example, how many ads suggest that people need to buy a particular product in order to be happy, confident, loved or admired … and this is not really true.

2. Social needs

Another very effective persuasive method appeals to the need to be popular, prestigious, or similar to others.  Television commercials give many examples of this type of persuasion, where viewers are encouraged to buy items so that they can be like everyone else or a well-known or respected person. Television commercials are a great source of persuasion exposure.

3. Persuasive words or pictures

Persuasion also often makes use of loaded words and images. Advertisers are well aware of the power of positive words , which is why many advertisers use phrases like “New and improved” or “All natural.”

4. Use the power of reciprocity

When people do you a favor, you probably feel an almost overwhelming obligation to return the favor in kind. This is known as the norm of reciprocity, a social obligation to do something for someone else because they did something for you first. Marketers can use this trend by making it seem like they are doing it nicely, such as including “extras” or discounts, which then force people to accept the offer and make a purchase.

5. Limit your availability

One of the key principles in persuasion is the scarcity or limitation of the availability of something or someone’s services. This follows that things become more attractive when they are scarce or limited. People are more likely to buy something if they find out that it is the last one or that the sale will end soon. If an artist wants to sell their products and does so in limited editions, it is likely that they will sell sooner than if they make constant ‘runs’ of those products.

The same happens with people’s services, if someone has a service that they want to perform and it does not have availability, they will be able to set the most expensive prices because people will think that if it does not have availability it is because it is good and other people already enjoy their services. This will make people also want to enjoy these services even if they have to wait in long lines.

6. Note persuasive messages

The above examples are just a few of the many persuasion techniques described by social psychologists. Look for examples of persuasion in your daily experience and you will be amazed at everything you find. An interesting experiment is to watch a half hour of a random television show and observe each instance of persuasive advertising. You may be surprised by the myriad of persuasive techniques used in such a short period of time.