ABSTRACT
Most people do not view themselves as being easily persuaded. Yet, we make decisions daily that rely on cognitive shorthands or techniques that allow us to make quick judgments or decisions. This chapter aims to provide readers with means to understand cognitive shorthands through an overview of Robert Cialdini’s (2009) and Heath and Heath’s (2013) research. Robert Cialdini’s (2009) six "weapons of influence" can help us become more cognizant of the persuasive appeals around us and tune in more critically to our responses to these messages. Heath and Heath’s (2013) techniques for making ideas stick move us from thinking about cognitive shorthands to constructing persuasive messages through utilizing these techniques to persuade our audience. This chapter concludes by offering tools to prepare a persuasive message through a three-step process involving understanding our audience when constructing our message, obstacles we may encounter, resources we have, and ways to test our message to make sure that we have the "right" message for our audience.
