Analyse The Science Of Persuasion Summary

Harnessing the Science of Persuasion
A handful of gifted “naturals” simply know how to capture an audience, sway the undecided, and convert the opposition. Watching these masters of persuasion work their magic is at once impressive and frustrating. What’s im- pressive is not just the easy way they use charisma and eloquence to convince others to do as they ask. It’s also how eager those others are to do what’s requested of them, as if the persuasion itself were a favor they couldn’t wait to repay.
That challenge is painfully familiar to corporate ex- ecutives, who every day have to figure out how to motivate and direct a highly individ- ualistic workforce.
Persuasion works by appealing to a limited set of deeply rooted human drives and
The “It’s a Game” Poker School “game” with certain rules. The rules are defined by the law. Conduct within the rules is ethical. Conduct outside the rules is unethical.
People who adhere to the Poker School readily admit that bargaining and poker are not exactly the same. But they point out that deception is essential to effective play in both arenas. Moreover, skilled players in both poker and bargaining exhibit a robust and realistic distrust of the other fellow. Carr argues that good players should ignore the “claims of friendship” and engage in “cunning deception and concealment” in fair, hard-bargaining encounters. When the game is over, members of the Poker School do not think less of a fellow player just because that person successfully deceived them.
Poker School believes in the rule of law. In poker, you are not allowed to hide cards, collude with other players, or renege on your bets. But you are expected to deceive others about your hand. The best plays come when you win the pot with a weak hand or fool the other players into betting heavily when your hand is strong. In bargaining, you must not commit outright, actionable fraud, but negotiators must be on guard for anything short of
The “Do the Right Thing Even If It Hurts” Idealist School
The Idealist School says that bargaining is an aspect of social life, not a special activity with its own unique set of rules. The same ethics that apply in the home should carry over directly into the realm of negotiation. If it is wrong to lie or mislead in normal social encounters, it is wrong to do so in negotiations. If it is OK to lie in special situa- tions (such as to protect another person’s feelings), it is also OK to lie in negotiations when those special conditions apply.
Idealists strongly reject the idea that negotiations should be viewed as “games.” Ne- gotiations, they feel, are serious, consequential communication acts. People negotiate to resolve their differences so social life will work for the benefit of all.
3. The “What Goes Around Comes Around” Pragmatist School
The final school of bargaining ethics, the Pragmatist School, includes some original elements as well as some attributes of the previous two. In common with the Poker School, this approach views deception as a necessary part of the negotiation process. Unlike the Poker School, however, it prefers not to use misleading statements and overt lies if there is a serviceable, practical alternative. Uniquely, the Pragmatist School displays concern for the potential negative effects of deceptive conduct on present and future relationships. Thus lying and other questionable tactics are bad not so much because they are “wrong” as because they