The Law of Psychological Reciprocity

Psychological Reciprocity....sounds great! But what on earth does it mean? In a nutshell, anytime you do anyone a courtesy, they are unconsciously psychologically bound to return the courtesy. If I remark that you look nice today, one way or another you will unconsciously find a way to repay the compliment. You’ll often notice people responding to compliments about their appearance by saying things like, “Thank you, so do you.” Psychological Reciprocity at work!

It works in the negative as well. If you say something that someone finds offensive, they’ll unconsciously be compelled to even up the score and they can do that in several ways. They could pay it back in kind, by saying something offensive or insulting back to you or they could tell their friends or colleagues about how awful you are or they could just withhold their business from you. It’s probably best to avoid this minefield altogether by being a bit more sensitive.

Psychological Reciprocity......even though it has a high tech name, it’s not a new idea. The Chinese have believed in Yin and Yang for centuries. Other civilisations have concepts like karma that also bear similarities. Western civilisations may not have particular names for it (apart from the Law of Psychological Reciprocity!) but they’re accustomed to the principle, otherwise no-one would ever say “What goes around, comes around.”


Next time you’re out prospecting, remember the simple logic of the Law of Psychological Reciprocity;

1. Pay people genuine compliments. You can always find something genuinely nice to say about anybody if you look hard enough.
2. Speak warmly towards people and they will reward you with their warmth. Some may take a little longer than others to warm up, but they always get there in the end.
3. Offer them your undivided time and attention and you’ll obtain theirs.

Go out of your way to do them a favour or service. They will be psychologically bound to repay the favour or service in a positive manner. Even if they don’t buy from you, give them every opportunity to fulfil their end of the reciprocal “contract”....ask them for a referral.

Have a great day getting into action