In an interview I recently conducted with Dr Robert B Cialdini (referred to by some as the “Godfather of Influence”) he made a simple point that due to its simplicity could be easily overlooked.  He said something he found remarkable when he was conducting his systematic field based research, that ultimately led to the discovery of the six universal principles of persuasion, was “there are really two domains that are available to increase the success of an attempt to influence someone in your direction”.  

1.  The content of what you are offering

2. The context or the psychological frame in which the offer or request is placed

Too often we focus on the content alone.  We look at the features of our product or service.  We focus on what we do and create a letter, email, pitch or website based around the content.  Yes the content is important but if you focus just on what you do, making it overwhelmingly detailed and polished, you can lose the target of influence long before you have the chance to get them to say “yes” to your request.

The critical aspect is the context.  It is the psychological frame we have the target of influence considering the content from within.  For example, if you go to see the most marvellous painting but when you arrive it is in a dark corner, housed in an old damaged frame, with larger more commanding pieces surrounding it thereby making it appear small and unimpressive.  The painting will probably fail to live up to your expectations.  However take the same piece of art, properly lit, framed perfectly and in a space that allows for its admiration, then the context in which the painting is viewed changes our perspective of it.  The painting itself is the same; i.e. the content is the same.  It is the context in which it is considered that is different.

Therefore when writing an email or preparing for a meeting, whatever, here are my tips.

Get the content down.  Write it out.  Purge your head of the things you need to say.
Once you have the content out then go back and look at context.  Consider the framing, the phraseology and principles that best apply to presenting your case in its best possible light.

In my upcoming book Influencing Business, Dr Cialdini shares the following example:

“A number of years ago, some of my researchers and I went around to the homes in a suburb in the Phoenix, Arizona area where I’m currently living, asking people if they would be willing to donate to a good charitable cause The United Way.  For half of the homes we approached we asked for a donation in the same way that the typical charity solicitor would.  We described the benefits that will come from supporting the organization, the good work that we did and then asked for a contribution.

For the other half of the homes, we did exactly the same thing and then we added five words. We said “even a penny would help”.

Even a penny would help didn’t change the merits of this organization’s good works and how they went about it. None of that was changed, but we suddenly created a situation that made it difficult for them to say no. Because even a penny would help.

What happened was we increased the percentage of people who gave a contribution from 33% to 55% …by simply changing the psychological frame in which we placed that request.” 

This week, consider the context in which you are presenting your requests and ask yourself, is that best possible way to get the target of influence to consider your request.

Let me know where you have seen content presented in partnership with an ill-fitting context.

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