Understand Your Buyer > How to connect with your buyer > The Law of Reciprocity
What is it?
The Law of Reciprocity relates to how we respond positively to reciprocate behaviour. If someone does something for you, you naturally feel inclined to return the favour.
Why does it work?
It works because this is how human nature works. We naturally feel the need to reciprocate both positive and negative behaviour.
We respond to the environment around us often by mirroring the behaviour and energy we receive.
How can you use it?
In a sales context, The Law of Reciprocity is ideal when sharing information or providing free samples or examples of your offering. By providing something of value for free, your prospect is more likely to want to reciprocate and move towards buying your product. Certainly more so than if you tried to “sell” to them without providing any value for free to begin with.
Example:
A business coach offers a free 20-minute strategy call where they give tailored advice and a downloadable resource during the session.
They don’t pitch – they focus on being genuinely helpful.
After the call, many prospects follow up with:
“That was really useful – how can we work together?”
Why it works:
The coach gave value first, without obligation. This creates a natural feeling in the prospect: “They helped me – I want to do something in return.” That “something” is often becoming a client.
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