Persuade to Win-Part 6:Social Proof

The last in this series on the Psychology of Persuasion the 6th principle that Robert Cialdini talks in his book is called “Social Proof”. People tend to  copy what others do to make their decision making process simple. According to Robert, Social proof refers to humans correcting / reflecting on their behaviour based on the action of others. We tend to have this psychological belief that if something is good for a majority of the population it would be good for us as well. Marketers use this technique very effectively to sell their products and services by creating an artificial demand.

Let me share a few examples with you where advertisers use this technique to attract consumers and convince them about buying their product.

1. Celebrity Endorsement : When we see our favourite celebrities using a particular product or service we get excited and motivated to buy and test the product at least once. Salman Khan endorsing Thumps up

• Comparative Advertising: When amongst a large audience we see a product is being tested and accepted we feel the product must be good. Vimbar(Dish washing bar) – Sanjeev Kapoor

• Expert Approval: When we see experts of a particular field recommending a particular product we tend to believe that the product would be suitable for us too. Dentist – Sensodyne toothpaste advertisement.

• Recommended by friends/ family: If our family or friends recommend a particular product and service we feel the need to experience and try the product. Our FOMO ( Fear of Missing Out) makes us buy the product for the first time.

• Online Reviews: Nowadays shoppers depend on review of Zomato, Amazon and Tripadviser to help make their purchase decisions. Marketers use the star rating technique to ensure that they lure the right consumers. We too while buying check and buy products online only if they have received more than 4 stars.

Man is a social being and will always ask for advice/ recommendation/ reviews/ reports. Reading and understanding market trends is important but having a guard and not being carried away by the glitter is the essence. By this I am not saying we should not use the principles mentioned by Robert Cialdini for our own progress and improvement. But what is important is knowing where to draw the thin line. In this age of social media, it is critical to make your online presence through LinkedIn recommendations, asking for customer reviews  or even gathering feedback by email. Doing things in a subtle way to indirect influence and have large impact is what I see as the game ahead.

Social proof is one way for us to decide what is correct through reference to what other people think is correct, especially during times of crises when we are looking out for help in decision making. Being consumers it is important that we are  aware of these marketing / advertising techniques used to influence consumer behavior. We must also be conscious while we shop and not get influenced.