Social Engineering - Christopher Hadnagy [108]
Demand and define reciprocity: You can start by planting the seeds of reciprocation and this increases your chances of getting something in return. An easy way to start planting these seeds is through nonverbal communication showing that you are flexible, and also by being a good listener. These little things can make a big difference when building feelings of reciprocation in your target.
Make contingent concessions: You can use “risk-free” concessions when trust is low or when you need to signal that you are ready to make other concessions. What I mean by this is a concession that does not come with a “now you can do something for me” attitude. By giving in to something the target wants or needs with no counter demand, you can build a very strong bond with the target.
Make concessions in installments: The idea of reciprocity is deeply ingrained in our minds. Most people feel that if someone does them a favor then they are socially contracted to eventually return that favor. Similarly, if someone makes a concession, say in a negotiation or bargaining agreement, then one instinctively feels obligated to “budge” a little bit, too. Since this is a fact, you do not have to feel that all your concessions must be at one time. You can make “installments” with your concessions, where you give in a little here and a little there over time to keep your target reciprocating.
Concessions are used daily by salespeople, negotiators, and social engineers. A successful social engineer can use and abuse this instinctual tendency by not only resisting the manipulations being placed on them by others but also by trying to take over the situation completely. Concession and reciprocation skills play well with many of the other social engineering techniques discussed within the pages of this book.
An example of how many people fall for concessions can be illustrated with telemarketers who call for donations. They use a strategy for gaining concessions after someone is first given the opportunity to turn down a large request. The same requester counteroffers with a smaller request that you are more likely to accept than the large request.
Large request: “Can you donate $200 to our charity?”
Response: “No, I cannot.”
Smaller request: “Oh, I’m sorry sir, and I understand. Can you donate only $20?”
People who are not aware of this technique might feel like the burden is taken off of them and realize they can part with a mere $20 rather than the initial asking price of $200.
Another great example appeared in an article (http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Negotiate-the-Salary-Using-the-Power-of-the-Norm-of-Reciprocity&id=2449465) written by David Hill:
The power of this norm can be felt in most bargaining situations. Assume a buyer and a seller are haggling over the price of a car. The seller starts out with a bid at $24,000. The buyer finds this offer unacceptable and makes a counter bid at $15,000. Now, the seller lowers his bid to $20,000, i.e., he makes a concession. In this case, the buyer will most often feel inclined to increase his bid, maybe to $17,000. The reason why the buyer will feel this inclination is because of the presence of the norm of reciprocity. This norm now demands that the buyer responds to the seller’s concession with another concession.
As with most of the principles discussed so far, the concession must be valuable to the receiver. You can’t concede something that is valuable only to you or you lose the power you gain with a good concession.
As a social engineer, not giving a concession that will cause you to lose face, rapport, or your position is also imperative. A delicate balance must exist between the concession and your standing with the target, and finding it is half the work. Find it, though,