Lisa Pfister Product Launch Consultant

Posts Tagged ‘Reciprocity’

Hmmm. That’s a tough one. What do I think is the most important power of persuasion?

Obviously they’re all important.

Reciprocity is so easy to understand and relate to. The example people often point to when proving the power of this principle is the hari krishnas. They’d hand out flowers and the recipients couldn’t help but reach into their wallets to reciprocate – regardless of the value of the “gift” or the feelings the “donator” had about the religion. For those of you who are too young to remember these guys, think of the homeless people who hand out “free” newspapers or squeegee kids who “clean” your windshield. They’re all using this principle and all getting some kind of result because they make you feel indebted. (No, I’m not recommending any of these fields, but maybe in a pinch… J)

Commitment and Consistency clearly has its merits, especially with certain personality types that would rather commit hari-kari than change their minds or appear foolish.

Authority is awesome. Just think of the power of a simple white lab coat, a badge, a judge’s robe or a priest’s collar. We have strong associations with authority and their symbols. When we come from a place of authority people let their defenses down and can be led much more easily. (This is the place where I’m supposed to remind you to only use your powers for good.)

Liking just makes sense. We want to spend time with, and do business with, people we like. If they have similar goals, values and interest as us, it’s simple and pleasant. It’s not always easy to like and be liked by all (it’s also a ridiculous goal) but there’s certainly something to be said for creating a relationship and putting yourself out there and see who you attract.

Now we’re getting to my two very favorites and it’s neck and neck which one wins out.

Social proof or scarcity. Which is my ultimately favorite? They’ve both been sooooooo good to me.

Here’s the thing I love about social proof. It’s just so unbelievably effective. If you can demonstrate that that many others are taking a particular action to get the results you want, then it makes sense for us to take the same action. So when your mother asked you “If Johnny jumped off the bridge, would you?” maybe your answer would be “no.” But if Johnny and every other one of your friends we’re jumping off the bridge, tell me you wouldn’t be right up there with them. Now as seasoned marketers, we’re obviously not looking to get people jumping off bridges. What we’re looking to do is prove one set of input results in one set of output. This is where stats rock, before & afters shine and case studies and testimonials make decisions no-brainers. Try to think of an ad that doesn’t use some element of social proof. C’mon, I dare you!

Even after singing all the praises of social proof, my absolute favorite power of persuasion has to be scarcity. This is for one simple reason. Scarcity is the one trigger that MAKES you get off your backside and take ACTION. If your prospect doesn’t take action nothing else matters. Of course you need to do the other things right to prep your prospect so everything else matters, but the one thing that a successful product launch really rests on is that it pushes people to take action – knowing that if they don’t act now the doors will shut – and their dreams won’t come true. Avoiding that pain is key. If the prospect has all the time in the world to make a decision, their decision will ultimately be “That looks good, I’ll decide later.”

That’s just human nature.

That’s why my ultimate favorite power is scarcity.

I’d love to hear what you love and why you love it. If you have a story of when you rocked one of these principles please share it below.