Compliance Techniques

Compliance Techniques: Named persuasion tactics that get people to say yes to a request without force or authority, mapped by social psychologists since the 1960s and popularized by Robert Cialdini's principles of reciprocity, commitment, social proof, liking, authority and scarcity.

Foot-in-the-Door Technique: In Jonathan Freedman and Scott Fraser's 1966 study, homeowners who first agreed to display a tiny safe driving sign were far more likely to later accept a huge, ugly 'Drive Carefully' billboard on their lawn, about 76 percent versus roughly 17 percent.

Door-in-the-Face Technique: In a 1975 study, students asked to mentor juvenile delinquents for two years all refused, but about half then agreed to chaperone a zoo trip, compared with 17 percent asked about the zoo trip alone.

Lowball Technique: When students agreed to join a study before learning it started at 7 a.m., 56 percent signed up versus 31 percent told the time upfront, and nearly all of the lowballed group actually showed up.

That's-Not-All Technique: In Jerry Burger's 1986 bake sale study, 73 percent bought a cupcake when two free cookies were added after the price was named, versus 40 percent when the cookies were included from the start.

Robert Cialdini: To write Influence in 1984, the psychologist went undercover in sales training programs, car dealerships, fundraising groups and advertising firms to learn tricks professionals use on the public.

Ellen Langer: In her 1978 photocopier study, saying 'because I have to make copies,' a reason with no real content, raised the rate of people letting someone cut the line from 60 percent to 93 percent.

Disrupt-Then-Reframe Technique: Door to door sellers who priced cards as '300 pennies, that's 3 dollars, it's a bargain' roughly doubled sales, because the odd phrase briefly scrambled resistance.

Pique Technique: Panhandlers in a 1994 study got far more donations asking for an oddly specific 17 or 37 cents than for a quarter, and people often stopped to ask why.

But You Are Free Technique: A 2013 meta-analysis by Christopher Carpenter of 42 studies found that simply adding 'but you are free to refuse' to a request roughly doubled the odds of a yes.

Even-A-Penny Technique: When American Cancer Society canvassers added 'even a penny will help,' about 50 percent of residents donated versus 29 percent without it, and the average gift did not shrink.

Foot-in-the-Mouth Technique: In Daniel Howard's 1990 study, callers who first asked 'How are you feeling tonight?' and waited for an answer got nearly twice as many people to agree to a charity visit.

Dennis Regan: In his 1971 study, participants who received an unexpected free Coke from an assistant named Joe later bought about twice as many raffle tickets from him, even if they didn't like him.

Hare Krishna Society: Cialdini described how members transformed their fundraising in airports by first pressing a 'gift' flower on travelers, triggering an obligation to give back before asking for a donation.

Tupperware Party: The format stacks compliance triggers, a free gift from the host, public commitments in front of friends, social proof from other buyers, and the pressure of buying from someone you like.

Midas Touch Effect: In a 1984 study by April Crusco and Christopher Wetzel, restaurant diners who were briefly touched on the hand or shoulder by their waitress left noticeably larger tips.

Laff Box: Engineer Charley Douglass's secret laugh machine gave TV shows canned laughter from the 1950s onward, exploiting social proof because audiences laugh more when they hear others laughing.

Stephen Worchel: In his 1975 cookie jar study, the same cookie was rated more desirable from a jar holding two than from a jar holding ten, and even better when the jar had just been reduced from ten to two.

Labeling Technique: In a 1973 study by Robert Kraut, people told they were 'charitable' after giving once gave more on the next request, because the label reshaped how they saw themselves.

Ben Franklin Effect: Franklin won over a hostile rival legislator by asking to borrow a rare book, and a 1969 study by Jon Jecker and David Landy found people like someone more after doing them a favor.

Edgar Schein: The MIT psychologist studied how Chinese captors in the Korean War got American prisoners to collaborate through tiny commitments, like writing mildly pro communist statements for small prizes like rice or cigarettes.

Joe Girard: Guinness named him the world's greatest car salesman for selling 13,001 cars in 15 years, and he mailed every customer a card each month that simply said 'I like you.'

Petrified Forest National Park: Cialdini found a sign warning that many past visitors had stolen petrified wood actually increased theft, while a sign simply asking people not to take wood cut it dramatically.

FTC Guides Against Bait Advertising: Since 1959 US regulators have treated bait and switch, advertising a bargain you never intend to sell to lure buyers toward a pricier item, as a deceptive practice.

Pre-Suasion: Cialdini's 2016 book highlights a study where an online furniture store with fluffy cloud wallpaper nudged shoppers toward comfortable sofas, while a coin background pushed them toward cheaper ones.