Ca$hvertising

4. Reciprocation: What goes around comes around...profitably! 5. Commitment/consistency: The “Four Walls” technique. 6. Scarcity: Get ’em while they last!

Principle #10: The 6 Weapons of Influence—Shortcuts to Persuasion

The Elaboration Likelihood Model, or ELM, suggests there are two routes to attitude change: the central route and the peripheral route. Here’s the difference: The central route: Persuading using logic, reasoning, and deep thinking. The peripheral route: Persuading using the association of pleasant thoughts and positive images, or “cues.”

That’s the object of the commitment/consistency cue, also known as the “Four Walls” technique—not to scare buyers away, but to box them in, cause them to take a stand, and make a request that would demonstrate their commitment to their stand.

Principle #14: Repetition and Redundancy—The Familiarity Factor

Fear sells. It motivates. It urges. It moves people to action. It drives them to spend money.

Principle #4: The Bandwagon Effect—Give Them Something to Jump On

Just remember, for most products, it’s not the product itself that people want, it’s the bottom-line benefit they’re buying.

Principle #13: Message Sideness—Dual-Role Persuasion