Persuasion Principles II: Authority and Scarcity

The authority principle: drawing on experts to support an idea.

The authority principle is based on the human tendency to trust and be persuaded by people who are perceived as experts or credentialed in a specific area.

Organizations use this principle constantly when hiring outside consultants to support a decision or validate a course of action to their managers.

Authority is not only based on titles, but also on demonstrated experience.

A professional who has successfully led multiple business transformations, for example, will develop a reputation as an expert.

Whereas on his first project he had to work hard to convince others, on subsequent projects his authority is already established, and people will be much more willing to trust his judgment and empower him to make decisions.

The scarcity principle: people value what is limited.

The scarcity principle posits that people assign more value to opportunities, products or information that they perceive as limited or difficult to obtain.

The idea that something is scarce triggers in us a sense of urgency and fear of missing an opportunity, which motivates us to act more quickly.

This principle should not be used indiscriminately, but when applied in the right context, it can be extremely effective in speeding up decision making.

Communicating that an offer is for a limited time, that there are only a few units left, or that you have exclusive information, automatically increases the perceived value of the opportunity.

This incentivizes the partner to make a decision before the opportunity is no longer available.

Examples of how to use scarcity to create a sense of urgency

There are several ways to apply the scarcity principle. One of the most common is to highlight a limited quantity, as in the sentence, "We only have three spots left for this trip."

Another tactic is to present information as exclusive, which increases its value and influence on decision making.

A very clear example is when communicating time-limited availability.

If someone is hesitant to accept a position on a committee with limited openings and wants to postpone their decision, you can respond, "I cannot guarantee that this position will still be available in January.

You run the risk that it will be filled by then."

This response is not