When Reciprocity Becomes Persuasive

It is a universal fact: reciprocity is a norm that obligates people to repay one’s kindness with another act of kindness. This is a very important factor to consider when creating your marketing campaign such as your poster printing. In order for you to be persuasive, you need to apply reciprocity in the message in your color posters.

People normally are compelled to return a favor that was given them. A very strong example of this is when Iceland grant citizenship to former world chess champion, Bobby Fischer. He was considered as an outlaw in the U.S. because of his high profile speeches on the 9-11 incidents where he spoke highly of the hijackers. Nevertheless, despite that, Iceland, a loyal ally of the U.S., welcomed Fischer with open arms and granted him citizenship.

Why is that? One reporter in Iceland said it all- Fischer put Iceland on the map when he beat another chess master, Boris Spassky during the 1972 World Chess Championship match. The match was considered as a high profile one considering that it was played during the height of the Cold War. Hence, it was dubbed as the Chess Match of the Century.

For more than 30 years, the Icelanders cannot forget the significance of what Fischer gave to the once unknown nation. Because of the match, people in Iceland remembered it and were keen on repaying the favor by providing Fischer with refuge when he needed it. This is despite the fact that many people were not too keen on his rather eccentric personality.

The event just proved that reciprocity is indeed an important and potent tool to have when you need to persuade people to do what we asked of them.

Reciprocity drives each individual to apply fairness and equality in our everyday interactions and dealings with other people. When we receive an act of kindness or unsolicited gifts especially from a stranger, we are obligated to return the favor. This allows us to build relationships founded on trust.

And that trust encompasses even those whom we do not like. It is like an indiscriminate norm that allows people to pass on the benefits of reciprocity even to those people who are unlikable.

The norm of reciprocity then is a powerful and useful insight to have when mounting your poster printing campaign. It transcends likeability and has the influence to make your marketing campaign such as your color posters noticed and remembered. Instead of asking yourself who can help you get more profits; it is far more productive to ask whom can you help. Whom can I do a favor? Who can benefit from my business? Our target clients will have more positive response to our offers when we first provide for their needs and concerns.

The bottom line is that reciprocity goes a long way in making your poster printing more persuasive and convincing. A little favor on your end can do many wonders to your customers, and eventually, a lot of good to your color posters when your message conveys even the toughest requests.