Reciprocity, the first principle of Robert Cialdini

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“There is an obligation to give, an obligation to receive, and an obligation to return.” – Robert B. Cialdini

Human relationships tend towards reciprocity. If you do someone a favor, that person will feel indebted to you.

If a friend invites you for a beer or a coffee, you will feel obliged to invite him next time. If a colleague does you a favour, you should help him when he needs it.

Psychology explains this by emphasizing that humans simply hate feeling indebted to others.

In the business world, if you offer something to your customer, without asking for anything in return, the tendency is for them to respond in the form of gratitude.

A good example of this persuasion principle comes from a series of studies conducted in restaurants. Leaving a mint with the bill generally increased tips by 3%. Interestingly, giving two mint candies increased tips by 14%.

But the most interesting thing is that if the waiter gave out a candy, and starts walking away from the table, and turns around and says “Another extra candy for you nice people,” tips increased by 23%.

Therefore, the key to using this psychological trigger is to be the first to give and make sure what you give is unexpected and personalized.

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→ How you can apply this principle of persuasion on your website
On your website, offer a free resource such as an ebook, webinar or masterclass.

You can also offer interesting content on your blog or send relevant weekly emails to create that reciprocity.

→ Examples of how other companies have used reciprocity successfully
Dropbox: Dropbox offered additional free storage to both the spain whatsapp number database current user and the referred user when the latter signed up for the platform. This created a win-win situation, fostering a sense of reciprocity and helping Dropbox expand rapidly.
Mailrelay: Mailrelay offers a free plan that allows small businesses and entrepreneurs to try and use the email marketing service at no cost. As their needs grow, they are more likely to become paying customers due to the gratitude and positive experience they have gained with the free plan.
Cosmetics and personal care: Brands like L'Occitane and The Body Shop offer free samples of their products in their physical stores. Customers can try and experience the products before buying, which can create a sense of reciprocity and increase the likelihood that they will make a purchase.
→ Possible contraindications or situations in which reciprocity might not be effective
Perception of low quality: If the sample or free gift offered is of low quality or does not adequately represent the company's products or services, customers may associate this poor experience with the brand and not feel the need to reciprocate.
Offer saturation: If there are too many companies in an industry offering similar promotions based on reciprocity, consumers may become desensitized to these tactics and not feel the need to reciprocate the offer received.
Unrealistic expectations: If unrealistic expectations are created with the free offer, consumers may feel disappointed when faced with the reality of paid products or services. This can damage the relationship and diminish the effect of reciprocity.
Benefit perceived as insignificant: If the benefit offered to customers is not perceived as valuable or significant, they may not feel the need to reciprocate the favor, which decreases the effectiveness of the reciprocity tactic.