The Psychology of Consistency: How to Influence the Hardest Person in the Room
Ethical Persuasion Unlocked · Patrick van der Burght
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Show Notes
We all want to be seen as reliable and trustworthy. Because of this, we feel a deep internal pressure to ensure our current actions align with our past statements. This psychological driver is known as the Principle of Consistency.
In this insightful episode, Patrick reveals how to ethically harness this internal pressure to guide your team, your clients, and even your children towards positive outcomes.
Unlock the secret to communicating with highly successful individuals, people who typically resist outside influence, by asking the right questions early on. Patrick also provides a gentle reminder about the "dark side" of consistency: how our desire to avoid losing face can sometimes keep us stuck in unhelpful situations, and how to change our minds when presented with new information gracefully.
In This Episode, You'll Learn
✅ The CEO Secret: Why highly successful people are the hardest to persuade, and why the Principle of Consistency is the key to helping them convince themselves.
✅ The "Common Mistake": Why turning up to work on time or sending a weekly email does not activate the Principle of Consistency in your audience.
✅ The "Small Steps" Strategy: How the insurance industry dramatically increases form completions by only asking 2 or 3 questions at a time (and how you can apply this to your own onboarding).
✅ The Power of Early Questions: How to ethically uncover a client's values early in a conversation so your proposal aligns perfectly with what they care about.
✅ Escaping the "Dark Side": A supportive mental strategy to free yourself from the pressure of past decisions when new, conflicting information comes to light.
❗️Your Ethical Persuasion Challenge❗️
1. Ask Value-Based Questions Early: Before you present a proposal this week, ask your client or team member a question that reveals what they value most (e.g., "Is efficiency or thoroughness more important to your team right now?").
2. Break Down the Ask: If you need a big favour or a lot of data from someone, don't ask for it all at once. Ask for the first, smallest step to build their commitment to the process.
3. Audit Your "Consistency": Remember that the principle is not about you being consistent; it is about them. Review your sales process: Are you allowing your prospects to make small, public commitments to their goals?
Resources Mentioned:
Previous Episodes to Revisit:
Episode 2 – https://ethicalpersuasion.com.au/podcast/0002-the-science-of-human-decision-making-stop-talking-to-the-wrong-brain/
Episode 4 – https://ethicalpersuasion.com.au/podcast/0004-what-are-the-7-universal-principles-of-persuasion/
Episode 8 – https://ethicalpersuasion.com.au/podcast/0008-how-one-question-increased-sales-by-33-pre-suasion-with-dr-chris-phelps/
Next Steps:
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