An authority is someone who holds a place of distinction and respect within a community because of rank, knowledge, or wisdom. In Cialdini’s book, authority refers to a lever of influence by which an individual is deemed to be an expert or have special insight that the individual imparts, allowing others to make decisions based upon that individual’s authority rather than their own knowledge.

These two qualities refer to the propensity of most individuals to make a decision—commitment—then faithfully maintain that decision—consistency. These principles emerge from the desired human trait of being “as good as one’s word.” As a lever of influence, compliance professionals know that when a person writes down a particular commitment or expresses it verbally, that person seldom abandons the commitment that has been made.

Compliance refers to the act of an individual, Person A, influencing another person, Person B, who has a variety of options to make a specific decision that complies with the intentions of Person A. Whenever any person tries to influence another, they become Person A, whether they are a parent trying to elicit certain behavior from a child, a salesman trying to persuade a shopper to buy a car, or a politician trying to win the vote of a listener.