How to use reciprocity to grow your startup

6 principles of persuasion. 5 of them have been used by startups for years. Now it’s an era of reciprocity.

Photo by Marissa&Eric on Unsplash

In 1984 Dr. Robert B. Cialdini published his famous Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion. This book summed up the research made by hundreds of behavioral scientists as well as by Dr Cialdini himself. It also became the textbook for marketers and sales-people of all types and calibers. Why? because Cialdini layed out 6 principles that can be used to convince anyone of anything:

1. Scarcity
2. Social proof
3. Liking
4. Authority
5. Commitment and
6. Reciprocity.

1. Scarcity

Scarcity was probably the first one that became very widely used. Every splashy campaign, every “hot deal” since then has been aimed at creating a FOMO effect. Though logically every customer understands that they might have plenty of chances to buy what they are offered tomorrow or the next month, carefully crafted FOMO/ Scarcity effect nudges them to go for the deal right now and then. “Only 2 day left”, “The last in stock”, “Final clearance”, “End of the season sale”, — all these words are now more of a common place than…