Whether we
like it or not, as business owners we are in the business of persuasion.
Persuasion covers many different facets
of our business. We need to use persuasion to elevate prospects to customers.
Customers need to be persuaded to buy more frequently from us. The team around
us need to be persuaded to do the things we want them to do things they like
and don’t like doing.
Even suppliers from time to time need
persuasion to deliver the things we want from them, whether that’s in terms of
products or services or service (with a capital ‘S’). The point is, if we can
get good with ‘ethical’ persuasion, then the effect on our business will be
significant.
Subconsciously, many of us use persuasion without even realising it.
Our children master persuasion at an early age too! But what’s more interesting
is that there is a science to persuasion that can be measured.
Perhaps the leader in the ‘field of
persuasion’ is Robert B. Cialdini. His bestselling book ‘Influence—The
Psychology Of Persuasion’ is an interesting read and covers the 6 major areas
of persuasion…
1. Reciprocity
2.
Scarcity
3. Authority
4. Liking
5. Consistency
6. Consensus
As a firm, we
regularly (and not always consciously!) use reciprocity, authority, liking and
consistency but I’d like to just talk about the real impact reciprocity can
have on your business. This is the science of giving before receiving. Simply
put, people are obliged to give
back to others the form of behaviour, gift or service that they have received
first.
For example, a recent study carried out
at a number of restaurants demonstrated the result of giving each diner a
simple mint with their bill at the end of the meal and the effect it had on the
size of the tip. The results are quite frankly staggering and revealing (if you
run a restaurant, you should implement this immediately!)…
They found that
giving one mint with the bill increased the size of the tip by 3%. Not bad. Giving two mints quadrupled (yes,
quadrupled) the tip to an increase of 14%. But when the waiter gave one mint
per diner, walked away, paused and then turned back saying ‘for you nice
people, here’s an extra mint’, tips increase an incredible 23%.
That’s the power of reciprocity.
How can you use it in your business to increase sales and profits?
PJ
☎ 020 89310165
☏ 07900537459
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