Recommendation: MUST READ (No if's or but's. You must read the book now! And when you are finished, read it many times more).

Key points:

• Our brains are conditioned to respond in a certain way when met with specific triggers. As intelligent as we think we are, our brains operate like machinery "click, then whir". This is because there is just so much stimuli in the world, it is the only way our brain can operate effectively (e.g. stereotyping people).
• However, if we recognize the six triggers (click) when they are being applied to us, then we have the opportunity to stop the automatic response (whir). A simple example; how many of you feel the urge to return a favor when someone gives you a favor (or gift). And if you don't return the favor, you have this unpleasant feeling of guilt? 
• The six foundation triggers are: Reciprocation, Commitment and Consistency, Social Proof, Liking, Authority, and Scarcity. Sound scary, but once you've read through the book, you'll recall so many examples where they have been used to try to influence you, either by design or by accident (and vice versa).
• Remember the famous quote from Dale Carnegie "A person convinced against their will, is of the same opinion still". You can't convince someone to change their mind by flooding them with facts and figures. But the six triggers will help the other person to be open to your viewpoint and increase the likelihood of them coming around to your opinion willingly. 

This is one of the classics and it's not hard to see why just a few pages into the first chapter. It is one of the most useful and easy to read management books that is supported by academic research. Unlike other books from the world of academia, it's not written to show how much effort the professor had put into his/her research but it is structured specifically so that the reader understands the context and can quickly extract the actions to apply. I finished the book within a week, completing about a chapter an hour. It doesn't take long before I could see why this book, first published in 1984 is today still one of the most highly recommended management texts. My mentor strongly pushed me to read this book a few years ago. But it wasn't until I realized all the podcasts I had been listening to kept referring to the contents of the book did I finally pick it up from the bookstore and began reading. Each time you read a trigger, you will be amazed by how many times you can recollect when it has been applied on you (either by accident or through design), from events in the office to the donation collectors on the street. You will also very quickly start to think of past events where had you factored in the six triggers, it might have had a very different outcome. 

The most important point is, you simply can't convince someone through presenting facts and figures, no matter how right you are. Your audience must first have a mindset that is receptive to your opinions. Otherwise, all you're doing is throwing numbers, facts, and logic at a wall. Before you doubt me, just go back through all the presentations you've sat through and think about what the difference is between the ones that inspire you and the ones that put you to sleep. Why was Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth" so compelling? Because Al Gore didn't start the movie with facts and figures. He started with his passion on the subject and why it matters before introducing some high level facts. Another famous example is Simon Sinek's TED Talk, "Start with Why".

So to make most use of the book, get familiar with the six triggers and before you walk into a meeting or do a presentation, think about how to get your audience into a receptive mind and how the six triggers can be used in achieving this. A quick summary of the six triggers that you can use to influence people are:

• Reciprocation - One of the oldest tricks in the book. If you do someone a favor (or give them a gift), it will instill in them a desire to return the favor or at least be nicer to you. Even if they don't give you anything, they will have a heavy sense of guilt and discomfort.
• Commitment and Consistency - This is one of the most counter intuitive triggers but one of the most effective. We all think that doing something for someone will make them like us more. In fact, the reverse is true. If you ask someone to do something for you, they've invested effort on your behalf and instinctively, want to see a return on that investment. Start by asking a small favor (e.g. what's time) before moving onto bigger requests. And once someone has committed to a position, they want to remain consistent with that commitment. 
• Social Proof - As much as we want to be leaders, the reality is, we are all influenced by the sway of the masses. Either we tend to follow the masses or assume that someone else in the crowd will take action. 
• Liking - Be nice, be nice, be nice. It's probably one of the most obvious of triggers but people tend to overlook it when the pressure is on and a deadline is approaching. It's strange isn't it? The more we need from somebody, the less nice we become, lowering any likelihood of getting their cooperation. 
• Authority - "Dress to impress" or more accurately "Dress for the part". Uniforms and being well dressed do serve a purpose. It conveys to people a sense of authority and leadership. It is for this reason the military (and private schools) enforce dress codes. It is also why we perceive people who are well dressed to have more influence and power. Now I understand why when I first started in consulting, I noticed everyone was so well dressed and one of the partners actually said to me that I had to be better dressed and look the part (even if my knowledge of the subject matter was nowhere near that required of the part).
• Scarcity - Whatever is rare is perceived as higher value, especially something that has just become newly scarce. How does this apply to you in the office (or in life)? Think about your availability or your schedule. Don't be a prick about it but try to limit how flexible you are in accommodating people's demands on you. Remember, you have to prioritize yourself first.