POWER OF GIFTS

The Power of Gifts

The nature of social reciprocity may also underpin some of the stranger behaviour of people - the mere receipt of a gift, however pathetic and pointless can trigger reciprocal tendencies. This is partly why the rising internet concept of giving things away for “free” can create viable business models: as Daniel Caldini relates in Influence, the Hari Krishna have long used such techniques to elicit donations from people who’d really rather not give them anything other than a wide berth.

Personally, I find training myself to say “No, go away before I hit you with this handy piece of street art” a lot easier than engaging in the kind of elaborate avoidance strategies erstwhile victims of “free” are inclined to use. Someone selling you something is not your friend. Unless, of course, they are your friend in which case refusing them is almost impossible – hence the wild success of Tupperware parties. Nothing, but nothing, sells like friendship.

In the meantime, however, the lesson for sales people is easy: give stuff away for free and make sure it’s personal. Sod economics, social psychology will do the rest.

 

Source: http://www.psyfitec.com/