Reciprocal Concessions in Offerings

Reciprocity is the notion that if a person does something for you or offers you a gift you owe him something of the same value and you often can’t wait for the first opportunity to return the gift. According to Professor Robert Cialdini, the principle of reciprocity is one of the most effective and powerful principles in influence, persuasion, and negotiation. This notion of reciprocity is also often used in sales, marketing, and employment.

Following the reciprocity principle, human beings are inclined to pay back gifts that they consider to be debt or obligation or in another way to treat others the same way they were treated. Take for example an Optometrist who offers free screening or one day per month free complete comprehensive eye examination. Patients who come and subscribe for this event will feel obliged to return this gift by perhaps buying eyeglasses or even sunglasses when they have no ametropia. In the same way, consider offering a free contact lens trial for one month for new contact lens wearers. Patients are apt to reorder a supply of the same lens they tried. Reciprocity in this way persuades patients and increases sales.

Reciprocity equally applies to the workplace, where you are prone to help your colleagues when they need help because they helped you when you were covered up with work. If you are a practice owner, you may let your employees sometimes leave early if there is nothing left to do, and in the same way, they may reciprocate and offer to stay overtime when they see you are alone and need help. Reciprocity is relevant in blogging and social media too. Following someone’s weblog will push him towards following your weblog in return.

In a nutshell reciprocating pertains to being able to give back to someone the same behavior that has been received by this person. In terms of leadership and wanting to influence people, the first thing a would be leader is ready to offer his help and the gift to addressing people’s problems.

Now given the examples we presented above, can you describe a reciprocating situation you have faced in your optometry practice? How did you solve it?