Influence by Robert Cialidini, PhD

Title: Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion

Author: Robert Cialdini, PhD

Format: Book

Source: Amazon

Price: $12.23 new (also available used and on Kindle)

Rating: Good

While hypnotists are by nature fascinated by hypnosis, it's fair to say that most of us are fascinated by the mind in general, and how to get people to do things specifically. For that reason, I've decided to review one of my favorite books even though it theoretically has nothing to do with hypnosis—rather it falls into the realm of applied social psychology, that is, social influence.

Cialdini is an academic, a college professor who describes himself as being very easy to take advantage of; this quality spurs him to dedicate his life to researching how "compliance professionals" get the rest of us to do what they want, whether it's buying cars, donating to causes, conserving water, or going on dates. He and his research assistants have performed countless experiments in addition to field research—that is, they've gone undercover to be trained in sales and other arts that are all about getting people to do things.

Though Cialdini teaches at a university, his presentation belies the stereotype of the dry, boring college professor. (I'd like to point out in passing that my college experience suggests that stereotype is wildly inaccurate.) The author boils hundreds of "compliance techniques" down to a handful of easily grasped principles of influence and then explores each one in a thorough and engaging fashion.

Influence is explicitly written for the benefit of people who want to arm themselves against compliance professionals. Each chapter has a section at the end on how to guard oneself against the principle of influence under discussion. However, those sections tend to be the weakest part of the book; ultimately, simply being familiar enough with the principles and techniques is the best defense a person can have. Indeed, grasping at straws, Cialdini sometimes ventures into the ridiculous, such as suggesting that we should never give tips to anyone who seeds a tip jar.

Ultimately, Cialdini's work is invaluable to anyone in sales and marketing—which, let's face it, all hypnotists are. Even the few who aren't entrepreneurs having to sell themselves are still in the business of influencing their clients to make change. So Cialdini should be a household name in the hyposis community.

In short, pick up Influence. It's a fun read that will spark your imagination about new ways to improve both your effectiveness and your marketing.


If you don't have time to read, check out Cialdini's lecture videos on YouTube. While not as in-depth as the book, the free videos serve as an excellent introduction or review of his ideas.