Authority As a Persuasion Tool - And How To Build it

Photo: tango in black by Zabara Alexander

It’s no news that people are influenced by the opinions of an authority. It’s like in the picture. When you want to learn tango, you listen to your tango teacher right?

If she asks you do a particular type of exercise, you do it. If she asks you to put up your leg in a certain way, you follow. If she recommends a certain shoes… you go buy them. Same logic applies to any kind of authority.

But you already know that. The point of this post is to help you realize just how much we obey authority. It’s definitely more than you think.

Would you murder if an authority commands you to do it?

A study conducted in 1962 by a psychologist named Stanley Milgram showed that about 65% of the subjects agreed to administer 450v of electric shocks (potentially fatal) for up to 3 times, just because an authority figure ordered them to do so.

A study conducted in 1962 by a psychologist named Stanley Milgram showed that about 65% of the subjects agreed to administer potentially fatal shocks for up to 3 times

But why does an authority have so much influence over us, mere mortals?

For one, we tend to conform to group norms. Second, it’s something called an Agentic State. When an authority figure says something to someone, they go into the agentic state.

That’s where people shift responsibility for their action to the authority and considers themselves as instruments. That’s why you hear people complaining about the government. Kids blaming teachers for failing their exams. Patients accusing doctors of poisoning them instead of curing them.

So how can I be an authority?

Now that you know being an authority drastically helps you make some moola, here’s how to build it.

The easiest way to do it is to simply educate. When you educate, you demonstrate your expertise and you become an authority figure. Simple.

There are many ways in which you can educate. There’s

1. Blog posts.
2. Ezine articles.
3. Newsletters.
4. Free e-books.
5. Making online videos.
6. Podcasts.

And the list doesn’t end there.

I already know that. Why aren’t I an authority yet?

The problem with newbies is that they tend to hold back their best information.

Here’s an example. Let’s say I’m a new weight loss guru. I decided to write an article to establish my authority. What do I write about? Well, the same thing every other weight loss guru is writing about.

“How to lead a healthy lifestyle”. In it, I write about how you should eat more vegetables, drink more water, exercise at least 3 times a week and stay away from fatty food. Technically, those advice DO help my readers lead a healthier lifestyle.

They should be happy right? Heck no!

Because any Tom, Dick and Harry already knows that. It’s just like one of those “How to write compelling headline” articles you find in article directory. It’s junk.

What you want to do when you educate is you want to SHOW your expertise. Tell them what they don’t already know.

Let’s continue with the weight loss example. Instead of talking about “How to lead a healthy lifestyle”, I talk about “How vegetables clean your blood”. See how it delivers more punch now?

It’s because I talk about an extremely niche subject but I drilled deep into it.

It’s not something everyone knows and it shows I know what I’m talking about. It shows I’ve done my research and it immediately establishes me as an expert.

Bottomline: Write one inch wide, one mile deep articles.

Bottomline: Write one inch wide, one mile deep articles.

I’m still not convinced. Any alternatives to education?

Sure there are.

1. Get a qualification from a popular institution.
2. Acquire glowing testimonials and proudly display them.
3. Do a case study of someone you’ve helped (a fancy testimonial).
4. Get someone else to say how good you are.
5. Appear like you are professional (and you will get treated as a professional).

But here’s a fair warning. Without education, these alternatives don’t work as well as they could have because education don’t just establish you as an authority. It also builds trust like nothing you’ve ever seen.