The Contrast Principle

Started reading Influence by Robert B. Cialdini PH.D, and will be applying those principles in my job as a sales rep for a real estate company in Dubai.

The lesson I learnt is that we as humans have automatic anchors that pushes us to buy or which influences our buying behavior.

The first is that expensive = good. This means buying services or products we are not experts in, our natural tendency will be to buy the most expensive ones as they indicate quality and value for money. Mr. Cialdini exemplifies this with an example of a friend with an Indian jewelry shop who has some turquoise jewelries that will not sell even when discounted. However, when she doubled the price this principle worked like magic as tourist bought the whole set believing because it is expensive, it was definitely valuable.

Another principle is the contrast principle. If you were to buy an expensive suit and then later offered accessories cheaper than the suit, you will buy the less expensive accessories (like shirts) without hesitation as they are cheaper than the price of the suit already bought.

This can also be seen with realtors who show ugly houses to their clients before showing them their actual inventory. Since the first offerings for the same price were ugly, most buyers ended up buying when they are showed the actual inventory as it is more beautiful than the ugly ones, hence, providing them more value for money.

That said, compliance and sales relies on psychology and some intrinsic buying patterns innate within us that facilitates influence.

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