What's reciprocity have to do with my sales process?

More than you think, actually.

Dr. Robert Cialdini refers to six natural laws of influence in his best-selling book (Influence) that summarizes decades of research on the topic of persuasion and decision-making. The big takeaway: human beings are not logical.

Most of us could easily get overwhelmed with the volume of available data and analytics to help us make an informed decision – so we find shortcuts. One of these shortcuts is the law of reciprocity which basically says if you do something for me, I will feel an obligation to do something for you in the future.

We’ve all seen reciprocity in action at some point in our lives. Whether it’s a co-worker who does us a favour or a neighbour who invites us over for dinner. At some level, perhaps even subtly, as human beings, we feel that we owe them something and feel a need to return the favour.

What’s this have to do with my sales process? Well, think about how much work goes on behind the scenes to prepare for that customer demo or to create that big proposal or to organize that meeting with multiple people in multiple time zones. Most customers do not have any appreciation of that. Often, a sales rep needs to coordinate with many other roles in the company to confirm information, generate documentation and even customize options, if a demo is involved…all of which can be a lot of work. Perhaps, if a customer knew how much prep was required, they might feel a little indebted to you. At the very least, with this knowledge, they may be less likely to no show or cancel.

So, next time you're setting up a meeting with your prospect, don’t just ask for available dates and set up a meeting. Share with them the steps that you will take to prepare so your time together will be most effective. This will go a long way to creating an opportunity where the law of reciprocity will kick in, and through that, they just might feel a small sense of obligation to you.

Let’s be clear: obligation does not necessarily equate to a closed deal – but it does help ensure they are at the meeting…the rest is up to you!

Happy selling!

If you like this blog post, please feel free to like it and repost it. And you can catch more of my blog posts on my website, www.jenniferrikely.com.