Strategies of Influence
Nov 13, 2018
In·flu·ence [in-floo-uhns] – noun
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The capacity or power of persons or things to act as a compelling force on, or to produce effects on, the actions, behavior, opinions, etc., of others: He used family influence to get the contract.
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The action or process of producing effects on the actions, behavior, opinions, etc., of another or others: Her mother’s influence made her stay.
There are at least three broad categories of behavior associated with influencing others:
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Retribution
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Reciprocity
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Reason
It is beyond the scope of this article to make value judgments about the techniques presented—I leave that up to you. My intent is simply to help you become more aware of them, so you can respond accordingly when someone tries to use them on you.
Retribution
This is the most primitive and straightforward method of influence: simply threaten someone. Although the “civilized” world of large institutions—both public and private—would not openly condone overt threats, we have devised more subtle ways to get what we want.
We may not threaten others directly, but we imply similar meanings when we use these techniques:
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Social Pressure – “Everyone else in your group wants to do it. What about you?”
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Positional Pressure – “I’m sure you and I can resolve this without having to get the boss involved,” or “Because I’m the boss, that’s why!”
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Exhaustion – “I’ll stop (the action) if you’ll give in.”
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Scarcity & Time Pressure – “If you don’t act now, they’ll be gone!”
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Martyr – “If you don’t give in, the others will suffer.”
Think about your own work experience: When has the retribution tactic been used on you—or on someone you know? Was it effective? Why or why not?
Reciprocity
This involves an exchange of items of value, or creating a sense of obligation on one side in the hope that the other will feel shamed into taking the desired action:
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Promise – “If you’ll do what I want, I’ll reward you.”
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Vanity – “People you value will think more (or less) of you if you do (or don’t do) this.”
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Exchanging – “If I do this for you, will you do that for me?”
(This differs slightly from “Promise” in that I am offering to make the first move, rather than waiting for you to act.)
Note: It’s best not to ask someone to “concede” something as part of exchanging. For many, “concede” means giving something up to the other side—a win-lose outcome. Instead, say, “Let’s trade this for that,” because trading implies an exchange of value that maintains the social standing of both parties—a mutually satisfactory result. -
Debt – “You owe me this because of things I’ve done for you in the past.”
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Reciprocal compromise – “Since I changed my initial price or offer, I expect you to act favorably.”
(It doesn’t matter whether the initial price or offer was reasonable or not.)
Think about your own work experience: When has the reciprocity tactic been used on you—or on someone you know? Was it effective? Why or why not?
Reason
Here, we share similar personal values or viewpoints—or at least, I want you to think we do.
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Outside Proof – “These expert opinions, which you respect, should convince you that I’m right.”
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Basic Needs – “This is what I need. Will you help me?”
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Your Goal – “Doing this will help you achieve your goal of X.” -
Consistent Values – “Doing this fits right in with your belief about X.”
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Vanity – “You are the only one we know with this skill. Will you help us?”
(Note that this is a slightly different variation of the “vanity” shown under Reciprocity.) -
Loyalty – “As a friend (or fraternity, sorority, or specialized group member), will you do this for me?”
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Altruism – “Will you do it for the good of the group?”
If you know that others are trying to manipulate you through any of these strategies, you stand a much better chance of withstanding them—or even turning the tables. Wouldn’t that be fun?