Then almost did it a second time using 7 under-appreciated persuasion principles.
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Today, the Eiffel Tower is one of the most iconic structures in the world. Built as the grand entrance for the Paris World Fair, the tower was never meant to be permanent. But instead of tearing it down as planned, it was turned into a radio and broadcast tower.
After the World Fair was over, Parisians hated it. A group of French artists and architects called it a “giddy, ridiculous tower dominating Paris like a gigantic smokestack… a hateful column of bolted sheet metal.”
38 years after the Paris World Fair closed, the Eiffel Tower fell into disrepair and was little more than a rusting eyesore. Maintaining the tower was increasingly expensive and local newspapers speculated about its long overdue removal. The time had come.
And then Victor Lustig happened along…
Victor was a confidence man. He checked into the upscale Hotel de Crillon and, with the help of the hotel staff, converted a basement room into an office. He hired a forger to create and print official-looking government letterhead which he used for invitations to the owners of several prominent construction companies, asking them to meet with him to discuss a profitable opportunity.
When these business owners arrived for the promised meeting, Lustig, dressed in a suit and tie, introduced himself as the Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Posts and Telegraphs. He let each of his guests know that they had been invited thanks to their reputation as an “honest businessman”.
Lustig then said that the city was considering selling the tower for scrap metal because maintaining it was too expensive. The tower simply didn’t fit in with the city’s other great monuments like Notre Dame and the Arc de Triomphe. He was responsible for finding the right partner to tear it down.
Lustig stressed that secrecy was paramount until an official announcement could be made—the final decision to remove the tower was certain to be controversial after all. If word got out, the deal would be off.
One potential contractor for the job was Andre Poisson. He was new to the city, insecure about his place in his adopted home, and eager to claim a spot among the city’s business elite.
Poisson and Lustig became friends as they discussed the project. They were spotted laughing together in the hotel’s lobby. And when Lustig was “called away on urgent government business to Bordeaux” Poisson went along for the trip.
A few weeks later, as the deal was being signed, Lustig mentioned that he wasn’t paid very well. If Poisson would be willing to add a little extra to the final amount (pay a bribe), it would clear the way for the decision to be finalized. Poisson, who knew that government officials were corrupt, handed over 70,000 francs in cash (roughly $210,000 today), along with a check for 1.2 million francs to secure the project for his company. With the cash in hand, Lustig left for Austria.
It didn’t take long for Poisson to figure out he had been conned. But he was too embarrassed to go to the police. He chalked it up as a lesson learned.
Safely out of the country, Lustig watched the newspapers for any report of the con and his role in it. But after a few weeks, none of the French papers had mentioned it, so he returned to Paris to pull off the scheme again.
Once again, Lustig used the hotel office, the forged stationery, and the promise of a lucrative government contract to lure in another interested contractor.
This time however, his mark suspected something was off and notified the authorities. Lustig fled to America to evade capture.
It’s a great story. But how can you use the same persuasion techniques that Victor Lustig used to sell the Eiffel Tower… ethically of course?
When I used to share this story at marketing conferences, inevitably someone would ask, “So you’re saying marketers are con artists? I have no interest in taking advantage of my customers like that.”
No I am not saying that.
Selling truly helpful solutions at a fair price to customers who have a real problem is not a con. It is a valuable service. And we need more of that. In fact, if you have a solution that would benefit your customer, you owe it to them to make it available.
But as Victor Lustig proves, the persuasion techniques commonly used in marketing can also be used unethically. It’s up to you not to do that.
7 Persuasion Principles that Sold the Eiffel Tower.
Principle #1: Establish Authority.
Humans trust authority figures. We tend to defer to police, military figures, doctors, priests and ministers, as well as others in a position of power.
Lustig took steps to establish himself as a government officer. He wore the kind of suit a mid-level government employee would wear. He had stationery printed with the official seal of a government ministry. And he set up a respectable office. If he could have, he would have put his office in the Hotel de Ville (City Hall). Since he couldn’t do that, he set up in a high-end hotel instead, knowing the hotel’s prestige would transfer to him. Even his unscheduled trip to Bordeaux for government business helped establish his credentials as an authority.
Use this principle yourself: Emphasize your credentials and expertise. Tell the story of how you got to where you are today. Show up as the authority for your audience consistently over time. And if you don’t already have authority, create it by doing the things authorities do.
Principle #2: Create Affinity.
What Lustig did to elevate his authority also helped create affinity between him and his marks. He dressed like they did. He created an office similar to the offices they had. And in the case of Poisson, he joked and laughed with him to establish a friendship.
Use this principle yourself: Individuals tend to like and trust other people like them. Act like your customers act. If appropriate, dress like they do. Tell stories about yourself that they relate to. Show yourself in situations like the ones they find themselves in. Be human.
Principle #3: Practice Reciprocity.
When someone offers a gift or does a favor for you, it creates an obligation to return the favor at some point in the future. This is reciprocity.
When selling the tower, both parties had the opportunity to engage in favor-giving. Lustig does Poisson a favor by giving him the contract that will establish him as a player in the Paris business world. And Poisson returns the favor by paying a bribe. Even before that, when Lustig took Poisson on the trip to Bordeaux, he was providing favors that increased the perceived need to return them—again by paying the bribe.
Use this principle yourself: Before you ask someone to take an action, what can you do for them? What can you give them, teach them, or help them with before you need them to take action? It helps if you don’t expect anything in return. But be happy if your customer reciprocates.
Principle #4: Use Flattery.
This is also connected to a person’s belief bias. We are more inclined to believe things we hear that are congruent with what we already believe. And most of us believe we are good, honest, handsome, smart, or whatever positive trait the flatterer is commenting on.
Use this principle yourself: Find out something nice about your prospect and tell it to them. Show them you like them. But do it sincerely, even though insincere flattery works too. By the way, this principle works a bit better on men, than women.
Principle #5: Solve a Real Problem.
One of the best ways to persuade someone to take action is to provide them with a solution to a problem. When you make it possible for someone to fix a problem, remove a pain, or experience some kind of gain, people will act. If you don’t do one of those three things, they won’t.
Each of the businessmen Lustig approached had their own problem. They needed to make money. And in the case of Andre Poisson, he had the additional problem of earning his place among the respectable businessmen of Paris. So when Lustig presented the solution to both of those problems, he accepted without hesitation.
Use this principle yourself: Find the real problem your customer needs to solve. What keeps them up at night? What do they struggle with? If they had a magic wand, what problems would they wish away and why? If you can help them get that, persuasion is a lot easier.
Principle #6: Adopt Your Customer’s Worldview.
One of the most important tenets of persuasion is: you can’t create desire, you can only channel the desires your customer’s already have toward your solution. And the best way to understand what you customers want is to stand in their shoes.
Lustig took the time to understand his “customers.” He met with them individually to get to know them. He knew how important this contract would be to his marks. He understood the public’s feelings about the tower and its potential removal. Without this prevailing public feeling, the whole con would have been impossible to pull off. But even more importantly, when he spoke with Mr. Poisson, Lustig discovered how badly Poisson wanted to fit in with the more established businessmen of Paris. He knew exactly what Poisson wanted and by providing a way to get it, he was able to convince Poisson to give him more than 1.5 million francs.
Use this principle yourself: Get to know your customers—really know them. Find out what is going on in their lives right now. What needs to change? What do they believe and what beliefs will they fight for? Make sure you reflect this worldview back to your customers when you write or talk to them.
Principle #7: Convey Status.
People want to matter. We all want to be important, if only to the people immediately around us. It’s genetic. Historically, ancient humans with higher status had more opportunities for food and sex, both of which improved the chances of passing on those “status seeking” genes to future generations. And here we are.
Lustig let each of his marks know that the information he shared with them was secret. Hidden information conveys status, as you must be privileged in some way to have access to information no one else has.
What’s more, Mr. Poisson was relatively new to the Paris business community. He didn’t have the social networks his competitors had. So when Lustig acted as his friend, he was improving Poisson’s status, if only a little. Lustig was friendly, engaging and likable. So it was easy to go along with him (remember affinity). And when Lustig invited Poisson along for his trip to Bordeaux, the friendship between the two men was strengthened even further.
Use this principle yourself: Find a way to add to your customer’s status. You can do this by including them in exclusive opportunities, sharing ideas and knowledge that isn’t widely known, facilitating relationships they wouldn’t otherwise be able to establish themselves. Make them part of something special.
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