Influence: Richard Cialdini

My dad was a nationally renowned salesman in the karate world. He turned a small martial arts school into the biggest karate school in the United States once he became the enrollment director. (and of all places, the tiny state of Maine too!) He was in charge of bringing in new karate students despite never having any business or sales experience in his life prior to becoming an enrollment director. My dad just kind of winged it and learned that he was good... real good. And the only source he credits for helping him besides on the job experience is a book called "Influence" by Robert Cialdini. Like my dad, I too am trying to enroll students, making this a good time to open up that book that was so influential in his success. And from time to time, I'll share some of the ideas that stir in my head as a result of this book.

Chapter 2, page 27 under the section of "Reciprocal Concessions" the author shares the following story:

"I was walking down the street when I was approached by an eleven or twelve-year-old boy. He introduced himself and said that he was selling tickets to the annual Boy Scouts circus to be held on the upcoming Saturday night. He asked if I wished to buy any at five dollars apiece. Since one of the last places I wanted to spend Saturday evening was with the Boy Scouts, I declined. “Well,” he said, “if you don’t want to buy any tickets, how about buying some of our big chocolate bars? They’re only a dollar each.” I bought a couple and, right away, realized that something noteworthy had happened. I knew that to be the case because: (a) I do not like chocolate bars; (b) I do like dollars; (c) I was standing there with two of his chocolate bars; and (d) he was walking away with two of my dollars."

We're all familiar with how if someone does us a favor, then we feel obligated to reciprocate. The author used the story above to show how making concessions is also a favor. Since the boy scout made a concession by accepting the author's rejection of tickets, when the boy scout asked for something more affordable, the author felt that same obligation to reciprocate by making a concession on his part, and the author parted with some of the money he didn't want to initially spend.

Should Viglo utilize a technique like this when seeking payment from customers. As I stated previously I want the students to receive calls first before paying. I was planning to lay out 3 payment amounts for the students to choose to give to Viglo. Is this already an act of providing concessions when the student can deny the highest amount and choose a lower amount to pay? Or should I ask for the highest amount first, and if the student denies it, then "make a concession" and ask for a smaller amount, like the boy scout above?

While writing this I also got thinking that maybe one of the lower amounts could state something like "would you be at least willing to pay for the Guides who helped you?" At the very least, Viglo could recuperate the money we spend on hiring Guides.