Weapon Of Influence

Perceptual contrast is such a great principle of influence.

In simple words when I’d aspire you to consider buying something expensive I’d show you a watch worth 3000$ and then show you a 1200$ watch. The comparison in those price contrasts would influence someone to compare things between these products rather than a certain benchmark which might end up in a probable purchase. The story below is probably one of my favourites so far. Go ahead and see how influence can be managed, it’s funny too! :)

Dear Mother and Dad:

Since I left college I have been remiss in writing and I am sorry for my thoughtlessness in not having written before. I will bring you up to date now, before you read on, please sit down. You are not to read any further unless you are sitting down, okay?

Well, then, I am getting along pretty well now. The skull fracture and the concussion I got when I jumped out of the window of my dorm when it caught on fire shortly after my arrival here is pretty well healed now. I only spent two weeks in the hospital and now I can see almost normally and only get those sick headaches once a day. Fortunately, the fire in the dorm, and my jump, was witnessed by an attendant at the gas station near the dorm, and he was the one who called the fire department and the ambulance. He also visited me in the hospital and since I had nowhere to live because of the burnout in the dorm, he was kind enough to invite me to share his apartment. It’s really a basement room, but it’s kind of cute. He is a very fine boy and we have fallen in love and are planning to get married. We haven't got the exact date yet, but it will be before my pregnancy begins to show.

Yes, Dad and Mother, I am pregnant. I know how much you are looking forward to being grandparents.

Now that I have brought you up to date, I want to tell you that there was no dorm fire, I didn’t have a skull fracture, I was not in the hospital, I am not pregnant, I am not engaged and there is no boyfriend. However, I am getting a “D” in American History, and an “F” in Chemistry and I want you to see those marks in their proper perspective.

Your loving daughter,

Sharon.

Sharon may be failing chemistry, but she gets an "A" in psychology.

Well, that’s the contrast principle for you. Hope you had fun reading. I had a lot of fun reading it from the book, “Influence by Robert B.Cialdini”.