6 Persuasion Secrets Marketers Don’t Tell You
- Pei Yen Hew
- Nov 5
- 5 min read
Key Takeaways
Persuasion isn’t about pressuring customers. It’s about guiding them through emotion, trust, fear of missing out, and the instinct to follow the crowd.
That’s why sales teams use tactics like “selling fast” or “last few units” to trigger quick decisions without much thinking.
Once customers start liking you, when they feel understood or have already benefited from you, it becomes hard for them to stop engaging.
Marketing is all about persuasion. From a catchy ad to a call-to-action that persuades, every part of marketing is about how you communicate. Dr Robert Cialdini’s Six Principles of Persuasion: Commitment, Liking, Consensus (Social Proof), Authority, Scarcity, and Reciprocity explain why people say “yes.”
Each principle plays a powerful role. In this post, we'll walk you through how marketers apply these six principles in real campaigns and how you can use them to grow your own business.
Commitment
People often stick to commitments, especially if the commitments align with their own self-image. Your potential customers are already committed to certain values, and they want to maintain a positive self-image by staying true to their past decisions. And there's a simple way you can utilize that.
Tie your product to a cause
Frame the purchase decision as aligning with your customers’ identity by tying it to a relevant cause. Say you’re someone who cares deeply about marine life. And you come across an apparel brand that feels the same way:
You will probably spend to support that brand. And you’ll also probably keep supporting them once you’ve committed.
The idea is that people who commit to the initial request are more likely to agree to the subsequent request. Most SaaS subscriptions offer a free trial, but they also ask you to commit your credit card information. This is a natural way to secure commitment; once you’ve started, continuing feels automatic.
Liking
People are more easily persuaded by those they like. Factors that increase liking include similarity, compliments, cooperation, and physical attractiveness. Connecting oneself with positive things and working together towards a common goal can create a sense of unity and shared purpose.
Make your customer loyalty public
If your customer enjoys your product or service in private, that’s a good sign. But here’s what’s better: making that enjoyment known to the public. And you can ask them to do so as a favour to you. When people vouch for a brand, they align their identity with it.
For example, in a previous campaign, Dropbox offered an incentive to both grow and retain its user base. In exchange for storage, users performed a favour that made them public advocates and strengthened their own loyalty. How can you not like it after this?
Consensus
Now, if you’ve ever been in a corporate environment, you’ve probably seen this in action.
Let’s say a company wants to launch a product, and several team members have doubts about the timeline… But none of them speaks up during the product meeting. Instead, everyone nods along and says nothing about the potential failure. Psychologist Irving Janis called this Groupthink.
Make the most out of social proof
Whenever possible, try to include the opinions of others about your brand. If you’re just starting, do a test run with early adopters in exchange for reviews. If you already have a decent core of users, then emphasise numbers:
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Individuals look to others to determine how to behave, especially when they are uncertain. Many companies, from SaaS to e-commerce to personal brands, all try to “validate” themselves by telling you what others think about them to make them seem like the smart and safe choice.
Authority
People tend to follow the lead of credible experts. Demonstrating authority or expertise can enhance persuasiveness. If your product caters to a specific audience, work with industry experts who understand their needs and can address their real problems. It’s the same reason why gym equipment brands hire workout content creators, or why an SEO expert will promote the latest AI SEO tool, for instance.
Run collaboration campaigns with thought leaders or micro influencers You don’t have to be a specialist. You just have to borrow a specialist’s credibility. When you partner with niche creators or subject matter experts, you can transfer their perceived expertise to your brand.
Who did it well? The productivity app Notion had a diverse range of brand ambassadors who created content tailored to specific demographics. Marie Poulin, for example, leaned into a female-centric audience and how they could use the app. Folks who followed her productivity videos were naturally drawn to Notion as well.
Scarcity
Items and opportunities become more desirable as they become less available. Time-based scarcity creates urgency by limiting the availability of a product or offer to a specific time frame. Phrases like “limited units” or “a few days left” tap into consumers’ instinct to avoid losing potential benefits, prompting them to make faster decisions.
Make use of the seasonal availability and flash deals
Booking.com uses scarcity marketing effectively. When they show messages like “Only 2 rooms left on our site,” it creates a sense of urgency for users to book quickly. After spending so much time researching, a moment of hesitation could mean losing the room, and that sense of regret often becomes the strongest motivation to act immediately.
Since hotel rooms genuinely have limited availability, this message feels both accurate and persuasive. It’s a smart, transparent way to encourage action with a clear call to book.
Reciprocity
People tend to feel obligated to return favours or kindness. If you do something for someone, they are more likely to do something for you in return.
Leverage reciprocity through post-purchase moments
Everyone loves a good deal. Exclusive discounts for loyal or new customers can act as a gesture of appreciation. Going the extra mile to resolve issues, offering immediate assistance, or even checking in with customers post-purchase to ensure they're satisfied are all acts of reciprocity.
Organising events, workshops, and webinars that offer valuable knowledge or skills to participants can be a powerful form of reciprocity in marketing. WWF initiated exclusive Zoom sessions for donors and their friends as a gesture of appreciation for their long-term support in sustaining the eco-community.
So yes, persuading customers can feel challenging, but these “soft approaches” don’t create resistance. Instead, they help you genuinely capture attention. Ultimately, whether the impact lasts short-term or long-term depends on how strategically you apply them, and choosing the right one to start with can make all the difference!
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