The art of persuasion

Behavioural psychology is becoming increasingly popular with leaders looking to increase their influence. Does it work?

For the Conservative leader's campaign, Cameron visited a west London brewery, a branch of B&Q and a Bestway Cash and Carry. It was a schedule designed to evoke the more prosaic qualities of life. Beer, white bread, DIY—the message was delivered straight to our subconscious: I'm more like you than you think.

We tend to be influenced by people who are similar to us, says Stuart Duff, partner at Pearn Kandola, a business psychology consultancy.

"Most training programmes say that the first thing you need to do is get your customer to like you. That's not true. The first thing you should do is learn to like your customer" says Steve Martin, co-author of Yes! 50 Secrets from the Science of Persuasion.

If you want to read the whole article, check it out : http://director.co.uk/MAGAZINE/2010/11_December/behavioural-psychology_64_04.html