European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 06, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                By Kay Bartlett associated press o8ert 6. Cialdini wrote his Book about Sleazy sales techniques to warn american Consumers to be on guard now he s frequently invited to speak to the people in charge of the Selling the 43 yeat old professor of psychology at Arizona state University m Tempo  three years researching his Book. Influence the new psychology of modern persuasion he became a used car Sailsman peddled products door to door sold advertising made cold Call on the Telephone learning All the salts pitches. Now he s on the lecture circuit in the United slates taking his message to marketing and sales executives. Negotiators attorneys fund raisers and the like the people who invited me to come Lor lectures already understood the process in an inarticulate  he says that is they knew what worked but they wanted to know Why it Svor ked they wanted the psychological underpinnings thus Cialdini began speaking More about the ethics of the persuasion process than the process itself. He says to has a natural interest in the subject since to describes himself As a typical Patsy for a  pitch but he.say1 he s not alone he a Kiriu Virv in Raj pc Are socialized in such a Way thai if someone gives us something Lor co. Such As a Hare Krishna  at an Airport we feel we must reciprocate in some Way or. We Are taught not to interrupt so we subject ourselves to a Long Telephone Pilch because to Are too polite to just hang up Cia dim s research shows How the salesmen capitalize on these civilities without the consumer being aware. In his own research he found a fire safety sales Pilch among the sea Miest the Salesman would come in for a free inspection of a Home and the Lucky Homeowner would receive a free fire extinguisher Hirst the Salesman would show pictures of burned children he says it Wasi ust  alter the inspection he would ask the homeowners to fill out a questionnaire while he went out to the car to get something he would always say. Stay sealed i la let Mysell out and come Back in that s very important think of it. Who do you let in and out of your House someone you Trust. So the Salesman has established Himsel As a trusted person by this simple technique " Robert b. Cialdoni s Book influence the new psychology of modern persuasion warns Consumers about Sleazy sales techniques. Sales pitch ethics cashing in on persuasion then came the pitch. It went something like Charles do you think your Wile and Little girl Here Are Worth $2,000?" what other Vay can you answer that if the potential customer was still resistant the Salesman would ask permission to Call his office and report he had failed at another Sale a failure to explains that might Cost him his Job. But then the front office All part of the Central plot would explain that he could offer them the products Lor $500 less since his Job was on the line. Cialdini also took breathing lessons so he could make a Pilch on the Telephone without taking a breath thus not allowing the other party to interject i m not interested to regrets that consumer groups showed a Lack of interest in his Book but he says the interest of corporate America changed his life ism flew me to Monte Carlo Lor a month twice for big educational  he says. That s the kind of Boondoggle i always read about somebody else getting. But i got it and they paid me Money besides " he gets $3,500 per lecture or $5.000 for half a Day. But he s had to Cut his speaking Down to twice a month. He s Back teaching psychology after a sabbatical. Cialdini says he s pleased that the Book did not turn him into a pop psychologist and that he did not lose academic standing because of it. The Book published in 1984 and re issued As an academic text in 1988,outlines the six triggers people respond to in decision making authority reciprocity Scarcity commitment consensus and liking. In discussing the authority technique Cialdini otters an ethical and unethical use. If nine out of 10 doctors really did prefer a certain Brand that s one thing to says. But it s something else to have an actor whom the Public identifies wih the physician he portrays endorsing a decaffeinated Coffee. Cialdini describes the difference As the detective approach and the smuggler approach. The detective approach is to find naturally hidden triggers in the product. The smuggler approach is to create them such As the actor in a White doctor s coat endorsing 8 product. Let s say you have spent about a half hour with a used car Salesman. Do you feel As though you like him if the answer is yes. Watch out. You Are being manipulated. The question is whether the Price on the car is a Good Deal. That technique explains the Success of such products As Tupperware Avon and Mary Kay he says. The seller of those products is Likely to be a Friend o at least an acquaintance. Let s say you Are looking at a House to buy and your real estate agent becomes aware that another family is also interested. To tells you that someone else might get it. That is perfectly legitimate. He s acting in your Best interest. However in an unethical scenario there is no other buyer out there but the agent creates one to get you to put Down a firm bid. How do you know when it s real unfortunately often you Don t. That s Why All salesmen tend to get tarred with the same Brush and end up ranking Down there below undertakers Cialdini says. Eima Bombeck the other night i climbed into bed and just closed my eyes when my husband asked is my Light going to bother you every night of our married life he has asked this question and every night of our married life i have replied not unless i plan on  it s not important that i sleep with no. 30 sunblock on my eyelids. What is important Here is that somewhere Between civility and habit we know the answers to most questions before we ask them. My kids always like to remind me that when they were growing up one of my favorite banalities was Are you going to go through life with a linger up your Page 16 the stars and stripes nose As my daughter Points out not Only was in a stupid question but you stood there insisting on an answer like we had to think about it Why do to do if Why do i stand in the emergency Ward of a Hospital and ask. Would you take a personal Check gel real1 they d take my car in Trade if they thought i could t pay the Bill any other Way. Waiters who stand at your table and ask could i tempt you with dessert this evening know the answer before they ask the question. But first they have to wait until everyone at the table looks at everyone else with just the right amount of hesitation before someone whines Why Don t you bring us a whole cake and four Forks. Just to  you Don t really want to see our Home movies do you is another Given. I Don t know Why people ask it. Nor can i figure out the speaker who asks will you wednesday september 6,1989 forgive me for digressing for a moment especially if he is digressing at an hour when you should be undressing and going to Bedl everyone is guilty at one time or another of throwing out questions that beg to be ignored but mothers seem to have the Market cornered. Do you want a spanking or do you want to go to bed Are you going to let a Little dog like that scare you do you want Mommy to go away and never come Back Don t you want to save some of the pizza for your brother did t anyone see the dog scratching on the door to get out was t there any change it s possible we live in Hope that someone someday will give us the answer we want to hear. It s also possible we just love to hear ourselves talk. You know what i m saying c 1989 Emu Bonuck