If you want to become a best selling author then, as “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” author Robert Kiyosaki has said that clue is in the world “selling”!

As an author you have to take responsibility for selling and promoting your book at every available opportunity.  You need to become good at persuading and influencing people.

One of the books I strongly recommend to people who want to become masters of persuasion is Robert Cialdini’s “Influence”.

Cialdini is a Professor at Arizona State University who has conducted extensive research into the factors that trigger people into automatically complying with another person’s request.

Here is the second of these six factors, that will show you how, as an author, you can apply them to sell more of your books.

Key 2: COMMITMENT AND CONSISTENCY

Psychological research has identified a strong desire in most people to be and look consistent with their words, beliefs, attitudes, and deeds.

Once someone has made an initial commitment they are highly likely to behave in accordance with that commitment.

In my sales approach I often secure an initial commitment. After making the initial commitment people are more likely to agree to requests that are in keeping with the prior commitment.

For example let us say I am speaking to a publisher about a book proposal.  I could say, “Mr. Publisher, once I have made this proposal I would like you to say ‘Yes’ you want to go ahead, or ‘No’ you don’t. I want you to make the choice that is right for you.

When I have made my proposal, I ask the publisher for their decision – yes or no! I don’t want to waste time if they are genuinely not interested waiting for months on end while they allegedly “think about it”.  If the answer is ‘no’ I want to know so that I can move on to someone else.

If you have seen me speak live you will also know that I stack the odds of the customer saying ‘Yes’ in my favour by using some subtle body language that is beyond people’s conscious awareness. But more of that another time…

You can also use this when talking to people about your book.  For example as an author on the subject of sales I may be speaking to someone at a conference where I am speaking.

The person may be considering buying my books and I can help them to make that decision by getting them to make a commitment early in our conversation by asking something like, “What are some of the biggest challenges you face with selling?”

I will then use their response in a further question, “So you seem to be getting plenty of appointments, but you are finding the sales presentation and close problematic.  Is that right?  And you are interested in ways to improve this.”

I would then start to discuss the benefits my books have to offer and close the purchase by using the principles of commitment and consistency combined with the information I gleaned from my questions by saying, “So as you have seen these books will take you through the entire sales process, including the areas that you said you found challenging – sales presentations and closing – which you said you wanted to make improvements with. It sounds like they will help you with doing just that. They sound like just what you have been looking for.”  I will then close the sale by asking them how they would like to pay or if they would like the books signing.

Now that you are aware of this principle I am sure you will be able to think of lots of ways to use it to enhance your book sales.

If you want to become a best selling author then, as “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” author Robert Kiyosaki has said that clue is in the world “selling”!

As an author you have to take responsibility for selling and promoting your book at every available opportunity.  You need to become good at persuading and influencing people.

One of the books I strongly recommend to people who want to become masters of persuasion is Robert Cialdini’s “Influence”.

Cialdini is a Professor at Arizona State University who has conducted extensive research into the factors that trigger people into automatically complying with another person’s request.

I am going to give a brief summary of each of these six factors in a series of six articles, that will show you how, as an author, you can apply them to sell more of your books.

Key 1: RECIPROCITY

According to sociologists and anthropologists, one of the most widespread and basic norms of human culture is the rule of reciprocation.

The rule is that if someone does something for you, you will want to do something in return.  This is commonly know as “you scratch my back I’ll scratch your back”.

This sense of future obligation ensures that relationships continue, and that transactions and/or exchanges that are beneficial to society continue.

A favourite and profitable use of reciprocity is to give something before asking for something in return. You can see this being used with direct mail letters from charities when they include the gift of a pen/address labels etc.

Although the “gift” is relatively cheap it plays upon the inbuilt human tendency to reciprocate – in this instance by making a donation!

There are many ways that you can use this concept as an author.  The use of free copies of your book as gifts to people to encourage them to give you positive testimonials, to journalists to encourage them to give you reviews and features are just one example.

Now that you are aware of this principle I am sure you will be able to think of lots of ways to use it to enhance your book sales.