A lot is said about the art of persuading others to take action in sales and marketing. Recently, I found myself in situations where I was skillfully persuaded to do something, and I decided to write a series of articles exploring the fascinating skill of persuasion. In each article, I will introduce and analyze one of the persuasion techniques.
The Principle of Contrast: We perceive differences between things, not their absolute nature.
Put one hand in a bowl of hot water and the other hand in a bowl of cold water for a few minutes. Then, place both hands into lukewarm water. The hand that was in the hot water will feel cold, while the hand that was in the cold water will feel warm—even though the temperature of the lukewarm water is the same for both hands.
During my teenage years, I worked as a salesman at my uncle’s clothing store. When a mother came to buy clothes for her child, I had learned that I should first introduce and sell the more expensive party clothes, and then the housewear or socks. This way, the customer would perceive the other items as cheaper after purchasing the more expensive party clothes, which increased the likelihood of making the sale. If I did the opposite, I would have to work harder to prove that the prices were reasonable.
This principle subconsciously influences us in many situations. For example, if you are interviewing several candidates for a job, and you interview the weaker candidates first and then immediately interview a moderate candidate, that person will seem stronger than they actually are.
It’s important to leverage this principle to your advantage in business decisions and planning, while also being cautious not to fall into its trap. One of the most common scenarios where this principle is used is in business negotiations, where an unconventional initial offer is made to create a mental hook, with subsequent offers being compared to it. In such cases, if I am the negotiator, my tactic is to stop the negotiation and explicitly reject the initial mental hook with a simple statement: “I believe your initial offer is unconventional and is meant to create a mental hook, so I am not continuing the negotiation today.” In many cases, returning to the negotiation table and adjusting the other party’s proposal has led us to a win-win balance. However, sometimes, because the mental hook has also created an expectation for the offeror, the negotiation ends up being fruitless.
The principle of contrast is deeply rooted in human cognitive and psychological evolution. One must practice and stay alert to use it to one’s advantage.
Regarding persuasion and persuasion techniques, Robert Cialdini’s book Influence has taught me a lot, and perhaps you will find it useful as well.