Humans generally take the advice of people in positions of authority,such as doctors, lawyers, policemen and so on. This is because very often these people are highly trained and/or educated and have extensive knowledge which we do not have. Past experience usually bears out that following their advice is of benefit to us.
A jeweller who has completed professional exams in his or her profession will be sure to use these qualifications in his/her marketing and correspondence. If they have a number of years experience in the industry this will also be prominently advertised and proclaimed. This all helps to build their reputation as an
authority; one who should be listened to and whose advice should be followed.
Cialdini offers two pieces of advice when faced by an authority figure, which are actually questions we must ask ourselves. The first is “Is this authority truly an expert?” To ensure that the jeweller is truly an expert investigate the “impressive” industry qualifications that follow his/her name to make sure that they are legitimate and also ask to see the jeweller’s certificate of completion.
The second question is “How truthful can we expect the expert to be?” Given that the expert jeweller is trying to get us to comply with his/her request to purchase one of their diamonds, the answer is possibly "somewhat”. That is why educating yourself about diamonds and their intricacies is so important, so you can make an objective judgement of the quality and realistic value of the diamonds you view.
