Police officers who have difficulty during interrogations often assume that their more successful colleagues have intuitive powers that are unteachable. However, this is not the case. A successful interview starts when the officer establishes credibility by using professional behavior. The interrogator should next create a feeling of reciprocity by offering the suspect token gifts of coffee, water, and other minor comforts. Asking the suspect about Miranda warnings and complimenting the suspect for knowledge of them shows the use of another component of persuasion: providing compliments. Knowledge of the audience is another essential part of persuasion. The successful interrogator acquires this knowledge by asking for a detailed story. Next, the officer discusses crime and its adverse consequences for the perpetrator, thereby using two more techniques of persuasion: conveying a sence of urgency and casting doubts on current beliefs. Finally, the officer discusses the benefits of admitting a crime, thus helping rearrange the suspect's values and providing acceptable reasons for a confession. All these techniques of persuasion are available to any interrogator. 8 footnotes.