 The art of persuasion is a subtle, complex discipline which requires skill. But lucky for all our viewers out there, we are going to let you in on 15 useful tricks hidden in the enormous wealth of psychological knowledge. Millions of people all over the world have been swindling, manipulating, and persuading people with great success, but how do they do it? Well, if you understand how the human brain works and what makes people tick, you too can learn how to make people do pretty much whatever you want. The only question is whether you'll use this power for good or for evil. 1. The reciprocity norm. The reciprocity norm is a pretty simple concept and one of the most powerful ways to convince others to do something for you. What it all boils down to is, you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours. Once you do a favor for someone else, they'll be more likely to help you in return, with whatever you ask them. 2. The chameleon effect. Research has also shown that mimicking someone will make them more agreeable towards you. It's called the chameleon effect. Try copying their posture or body language, and they might be more likely to help you out. 3. Don't get caught rambling. When it comes to the art of persuasion, less is more. Instead of listing all the various reasons why you're right and they're wrong, focus on one or two main points at the most. One good reason is ideal. 4. Start small. This is known as the foot-in-the-door technique. Basically what this means is that if you ask someone for a small favor, such as borrowing a quarter, they're more likely to continue doing favors for you. Even big ones. But if you just start off with asking to borrow their car, you might have less success. 5. Status. Status is important when asking people for favors. Use their official titles, such as doctor, mister, professor, and don't forget to use their name. People love to hear their own name and they like to feel respected. 6. Speak faster. Are you a fast talker? Well, if you want to convince people that you're right, quickly getting your point across can be an advantage, according to research. Speaking quickly overwhelms their brains and doesn't give them a chance to form a rebuttal. 7. Contrasting. Every salesman knows this technique. Start big and back down. But the key here is to ask for more than what you actually want. Eventually, you can scale back your demands and you'll be left with what you originally wanted in the first place. 8. Repetition bias. This is also known as the gobbles effect. Repeating the same lie often enough will eventually convince people. If you continue to repeat your opinion, even if it's wrong, people will be more likely to accept it. 9. Wait till they're tired. If you're trying to convince someone, wait till they're tired. Research has shown that critical thinking goes out of the window when people are tired and they're more likely to agree with whatever you're saying. 10. Remind them of the benefits. When trying to convince someone to do something or to take a particular opinion, always phrase your argument in terms of how they benefit. Always mention what you're offering them before you talk about what you want from them. 11. Priming. A very interesting method is priming. There are many ways to do this and you can really get creative. What it really boils down to is subconsciously reminding people or encouraging people to do something or take a particular opinion. The classic example is if you want someone to write you a check, make sure there's a checkbook nearby when you ask. But that's just scratching the surface when it comes to priming and there are plenty more examples of how this can work. 12. Sensationalism. Get excited about whatever you're selling, even if that's an opinion. Make sure the person thinks that the time is running out. There's a limited supply. If they don't act now, the opportunity will go away. You've probably seen this a lot in commercials. 13. Make sure people are watching. This one only works if you're trying to convince someone to do the right thing. And why wouldn't you be doing that? Anyway, when people are watching, individuals feel like they're being judged by society at large, so they're more likely to do the right thing. 14. Choose your words carefully. Words have incredible power over people. Say please and thank you. Don't use big, complicated words. It insults their intelligence. Nouns have more convincing power than verbs. Helper instead of help. There are countless examples of beneficial words and ones to stay away from. 15. Get your friends to agree with you. This is also known as the bandwagon effect. Make sure that people who you're trying to convince know that a lot of other people agree with you. Social media can be a huge help in this case. If everyone agrees with your opinion online, more tend to jump on the bandwagon. So there you have it. 15 tried and true methods to persuade others. What did you think of this video? Did you like it? Were the points too generic? Do you want us to cover another list with a different tone? Leave your comments below. Also, Psych2Go's mission is to make psychology accessible for everyone. That's our number one goal. We know the power of psychology and we want to help everyone else harness that. However, doing this comes at a huge expense. We're hoping you could check out our Patreon below and consider being a supporter.