Persuasion Techniques - Exchange

Persuasion Techniques - Exchange

Exchange influence techniques include all the ways to get people to do things by
engaging in some sort of trade. Putting an incentive on a certain goal and offering a
bonus for a particular assignment are examples of exchange techniques. Ingratiation
is a more subtle and potentially manipulative way to use an exchange to influence
others. Ingratiation is giving gifts or performing favours to foster a sense of
indebtedness in another party. Later, when that party is wanted to do something again,
that sense of indebtedness can either consciously or unconsciously influence their
decision.

Exchange works even when the party individuals  are trying to influence does not have
the same values and priorities that they do. Exchange techniques answer the “What’s
in it for me?” question. Of course, the problem is that individuals have to give something
to the other party, such as some form of reward or incentive. Furthermore, once they
start using incentives to get compliance, people will expect them to offer them
inducements when they try to influence them in the future. A drawback specific to the
ingratiation strategy is that it can actually cause the opposite of the intended effect if
the plan becomes obvious, because people resent being manipulated.

• Using Exchange

• Favors or incentives - To overtly influence others with exchange, individuals
must clearly explain exactly what they have to offer and what they want to
receive in return. Any ambiguity in the offer or request could cause the other
party to feel cheated later. It can also help to emphasize “it’s a one time
offer” so that the party they are trying to influence will not always expect them
to dangle a carrot in front of them when they want their help.
Ingratiation - To influence others using ingratiation, individuals have to be subtle. Overt
attempts at ingratiating themselves with others often backfire because people resent
being manipulated. They can ingratiate themselves with others by spontaneously doing
favours for them or giving them gifts. Even friendship and compliments can be offered
for the purpose of ingratiation. Colloquial terms for this are “brown nosing” and “sucking
up.”

• Resisting Exchange

• Scrutinize gifts and favors.individuals should consider the motives of
people who give them gifts and do favours for them. Not that gifts and favors
are always manipulative, but they should decline gifts from people who may
be using them to bias their decision-making.

• Reject manipulative bargaining tactics. When individuals notice that a
party they are bargaining with is using manipulative tactics such as rushing
them into an agreement or trying to change terms they have already agreed
upon, they should call attention to the manipulation, explain why they do not
want to bargain that way, and suggest a different approach to bargaining.

• Stop bargaining. If individuals  do not approve of someone’s bargaining
style, they can refuse to bargain with him or her. Unless they are willing to walk away from negotiations, the other party has no leverage over them.