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A Revolutionary Way to Influence and Persuade — Part #2
Pre-Suasion
What you do before you ask for something will matter more than how you ask for it.
Cialdini wanted to know what methods of persuading people “to say yes” consistently succeed across various fields of endeavor
Weighty and Hot
Cialdini explains the persuasive function that metaphors fulfill in daily language. “That’s a heavy load” might refer to lifting a heavy object or to performing a difficult emotional task. But metaphors can also persuade “nonverbally.” If an interviewer reads a job application presented on a heavy — versus a lightweight — clipboard, the interviewer will regard the applicant as a more serious contender. The same is true of reports, Cialdini explains. When people read reports presented in a heavier notebook, the information seems more important. This is pre-suasion in action: The physical presentation of the application or the report sways the reader in its favor before he or she reads a single word.
Cialdini worries that the very lightness of e-readers – a trait that so defines their appeal might make users value their content less. The weightiness of a print book, he…
