The Psychology of influence

The ability to engage and influence others is crucial when you want to make a positive change in your professional or personal life. Understanding how experts influence change can increase your understanding of the process involved and provide you with a toolkit to influence others.

In his bestseller, ‘Influence’, psychologist, Robert Cialdini, explains that there are six potent ‘weapons of influence’ that we can all use to influence others. According to Cialdini, the ‘weapons of influence’ are incredibly effective because we are programmed to respond predictably (by complying automatically) when confronted with these triggers. Cialdini is famous for his six principles of influence, they are:

1. Reciprocation
2. Commitment and Consistency
3. Social Proof
4. Liking
5. Authority
6. Scarcity
The sixth weapon of influence we’ll take a look at in the last of this series of blogs on the psychology of influence is the principle of scarcity.

The principle of scarcity

Opportunities are more valued by us when they’re perceived to be limited. Cialdini gives the example of collector’s markets where, when something becomes rare it usually increases in value. This is especially true when an accidental flaw is produced in for example, a stamp or a coin and the item is quickly withdrawn, making it scarce and so highly desirable. Other examples of the principle of scarcity that you may have experienced are a salesperson informing you that the item you’re thinking of buying is:

• the last one in the shop
• or one of only a limited number available
• or that there’s a deadline for the excellent deal being offered and it will expire at the end of today.

More on the power of scarcity

Psychologist Jack Brehm found that there was something else at work within the scarcity principle, a phenomenon that he termed ‘psychological reactance theory.’ When opportunities diminish we lose freedoms and we are loathe to lose the freedoms that we have. Psychological reactance theory explains our response to this diminishing personal control, whenever our freedoms are threatened or restricted we desire them more and this includes goods and services associated with them. This means that when something interferes with our access to an item, for example when scarcity increases, we react against that interference by wanting and attempting to possess the item more than before.

4 tips – how to use the principle of scarcity

1. Provide a deadline that limits access to an opportunity, great deal or a particular service.
2. Create a fear of missing out, you can add social proof here and make the point that lots of people have expressed an interest in what you’re offering.
3. Employ strict requirements for people to be able to access what you have to offer, for example, by using an invitation only approach.
4. Try limiting the quantity or supply of what you are offering, both of these approaches apply the principle of scarcity.

Want to find out more about how to employ scarcity? Take a look at the video below.

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