There are a number ways to generate an income. You can
1. Sell your skill. Eg. Plumber, carpenter.
2. Sell a material product, eg. Food, armchairs, dogs.
3. Sell information. Eg. Books, ideas, articles.
Which ever of these ways of earning a living is your choice or misfortune, you can amplify your profits considerably the using the persuasion button called RECIPROCATION.
So if you are promoting cheese, give your likely customers a free sample of the item for consumption. Even better allow them slice a portion for themselves. Whenever you hand someone a present, something free and apparently with no strings, you place a subtle psychological pressure on them to reciprocate. Having eaten the cheese or tasted the wine the recipient is more likely to place an definite order.
If you give a customer a free tasting you will TRIPLE your sales.
Have you noticed how, if you go for a drink that having paid for a round of drinks, there is an expectation that those who have not paid for a round are expected at some point to do so. Indeed so persuasive is the Rule of Reciprocation, that even if those who have not paid for a round are unable to do so because of time restraints, that the next time the company of friends go for a drink that those who have not paid their whack should ensure they do next time.
If you are selling your skill; let us say you are a professional speaker, there is nothing more successful than offering your skill without charge as a taster. You are almost guaranteed to be given additional after dinner events, unless you proved to be unsuitable. The rule of reciprocation will only work, of course, if the merchandise on offer is at least satisfactory. You should only use this persuasive method if you have confidence in your product or what you do.
If you are selling information, give prospective clients a taste of what you have to offer by giving them a free article specifically for enquiring about the product. Again, having given the customer a free sample, there is that subtle pressure to go the all the wayand purchase what is on offer. But you still have to whet their appetite.
Charities are very much tuned in to the Rule of Reciprocation. In fact there has been a tendency to overdo the strategy, yet they still do it. Why? For the reason that it works.
In the end if it is abused, then people get wise to it and just take the free sample on offer and completely ignore any request. For example, many charities will send you a free low-priced pen and invite you to fill in some sort of questionnaire using the free pen, then return the questionnaire along with a donation to the fund. Many approached do just that, but more and more, recipients are just sticking the pen in a drawer and ignoring the appeal for a donation.
There is still the chance that as people become more sophisticated, they will simply take the free sample and feel no pressure to purchase, but experience has shown that the rule of reciprocation still works sufficiently to use effectively- but the skill, product or information have got to be good.
Article Directory : http://www.articlecube.com
For more information read e-booklet called "The Master Persuader’s Toolkit" found at:
www.vicbotterilltalks.co.uk/page2.html
Vic Botterill is a professional speaker with a background in law enforcement.
www.afterdinnerspeaker.co.uk
