Introducing “The Influence to Income Advantage” – Discover the Science of Persuasion

I’m thrilled to introduce a brand-new series called “The Influence to Income Advantage.” Over the next 6 weeks, we will delve into the fascinating world of persuasion and explore how understanding and leveraging certain principles can significantly enhance your ability to influence others and make more money in your business.

For over six decades, researchers, like Robert Caildini, author of the book Influence and Pre-suasion,  have dedicated their efforts to studying the factors that drive our inclination to say “yes” to the requests of others. Undoubtedly, there exists a science behind persuasion that often surprises us when we make decisions. While it would be ideal to believe that people carefully consider all available information to guide their thinking, the reality often proves otherwise. Our increasingly overloaded lives demand shortcuts or rules of thumb to aid our decision-making process.

There are six universal shortcuts, or principles, that shape human behavior: reciprocity, scarcity, authority, consistency, liking, and consensus. By understanding and ethically applying these principles, you can significantly increase the likelihood of persuading others to respond positively to your requests. Today, we will take a closer look at the first principle: reciprocity.

Reciprocity, in its simplest form, is the notion that people feel obliged to give back to others the form of behavior, gift, or service they have received first. For instance, if a friend invites you to their party, you feel obligated to invite them to your future party in return. Similarly, when a colleague does you a favor, you naturally owe them a favor in the context of social obligation. People are more likely to say “yes” to those they owe.

One study conducted in restaurants determined that a waiters tip could be increased as much as 14% more if after delivering the check, the server gave them a gift, like a mint. However, if after delivering the check with the mint, he or she began to walk away, and then turned back to say, “For you nice people, here’s an extra mint,” tips soared with a 23% increase. It was not solely about what was given but rather how it was given.

You can do something similar in your business. When the client came in for their consultation, and you automatically gave them a small bottle of water and then paused to retrieve and then hand them one extra saying, “here’s one for the road as well.”

I had a client in Michigan who gave a decorative gift bag filled with a branded coffee cup for adults or a branded water bottle to a child as they checked in for the first visit to the office. The look of surprise from the client was always fun to watch and started each meeting off with them in a state of gratitude.

What simple gesture could you give to enact the law of reciprocity in your business?

The key to effectively employing the principle of reciprocation lies in being the first to give and ensuring that what you offer is personalized and unexpected. By adopting this approach, you can tap into the innate inclination of individuals to reciprocate and significantly influence their response.

In our upcoming emails, we will explore each of these influence principles in detail, equipping you with actionable insights and strategies to leverage them effectively. Prepare to unlock the power of persuasion and learn how to transform influence into income.

Stay tuned for our next email, where we will dive into the principle of scarcity. Until then, remember that being the first to give, personalized, and unexpected, can pave the way for remarkable results.