During high school, I spent my summers lifeguarding at the city pool. Per our standards of procedure, each lifeguard had 8 “switch days.” This meant that we could ask another employee to fill in for us 8 times throughout the season. However, just because we asked, didn’t mean said employee had to oblige. But whenever I was asked, I did. And now I realize why. The rule of reciprocity is a powerful tool of persuasion utilized in many areas of daily life; from politics and marketing to retail and personal relationships. It plays on our enormous feeling of indebtedness to those that do something for us or give something to us for free – regardless of whether or not we asked for anything. For example, when I filled in for a coworker, he or she became the first person I went to when I needed to use one of my switch days. And 9 times out of 10, that person accepted.
With the rule of reciprocity, a presenter is empowered to amass an army of individuals committed to your cause, idea, product, or service.
Experiment with the rule of reciprocity in your next presentation in these 3 ways:
1. Answer your own question
One of the best ways to implement the rule of reciprocity in your presentation is through a discussion section or Q&A session. To incite the conversation, relay a response to your question first. If you are asking for your audience to give a response, give one to them initially. Your audience will not only feel obligated to provide input after hearing yours, but they will also be more comfortable doing so after you set the direction with your answer.
2. Demonstrate your service or product
For the sake of this rule, skip the section of your old presentation where you list the core values and the mission statement – nobody will remember that anyway – and maximize that time with a product or service demo. By offering a sample or a trial during the presentation, presenters engaged attendees and give a value-add so compelling that it makes people yearn to complete whatever task you set out in your call to action.
3. Rethink the leave-behind one pager
You could stick with the traditional 11”x17” sheet of paper. But you could also distribute your central message in a wholly innovative and creative format. For example, harness the power of reciprocity and find an object to leave attendees with that represents your presentation theme. You’ll trigger the memories of both visual learners and tactile learners – who comprise a combined 70% of the population – with this strategy. For example, let’s say your presentation theme is knowledge. You are presenting to a modest-sized audience about the dynamic power of knowledge in the field of public service. Something as simple as giving your audience a pen with your logo and website URL on it, as well as a small notepad – can reap the benefits of the rule of reciprocity.
The inch you give in your presentation may allow your audiences to take a mile. But, you’ll receive 10 miles from the one taken. Read more about various elements to incorporate into your decks below:
Pitching Hope: An Analysis of Johnathon Tepperman’s TED Talk
How Presentation Training Could Improve Your Sales Pitch
3 Effective Rhetorical Devices You Aren’t Using in Presentations