ACUP Goes West

He said that the next time someone thanks you for doing them a favor, don't say "No problem," say "You'd do the same for me." This way they know that you really did help them and they actually owe you a favor.

When requesting capital for equipment, Cialdini said, don't slash your initial estimate down to the bare minimum, because it's likely that your upper management will again reduce it. Instead, start big so that when you get turned down, you can retreat to the next lower level and increase your chances of getting approval there.