Get before give

Sometimes it’s not WHAT you say, but the order in which you say it.

Here’s an example: “Join our newsletter to get 10% off”.

The problem with this customer offer is the sequence is wrong.

• The effort for them is the first thing they read: “Join our newsletter”.
• The benefit, “get 10% off”, is all the way at the end of the sentence.

Now, rationally it shouldn’t matter. It’s a short sentence, after all. But humans are generally wired to love reward and dislike effort.

So to give ourselves the best chance of attracting them to our offer, we are better to reverse it. Instead of “Join our newsletter to get 10% off”, we are better to say “Get 10% off by joining our newsletter”.

This way, the “What’s In It For Me” is the first thing they read.

I call this my “Get before Give” rule.

Tell them what they GET before what they have to GIVE you.

And it’s not just customer offers.

Let’s say you are asking a colleague to submit some paperwork.

Instead of “Please send your paperwork so I can process your expense claim”, we can say “So I can pay you more quickly, please send through your paperwork.”

Wherever possible, lead with the benefit to the person you are trying to influence. Tell them what they GET before what they have to give you.

🌟 If you found this interesting, let me know! Buy me a virtual coffee ☕  or forward this email ↗️  to someone who also might like it. Your occasional support means I can keep sharing ideas about behavioural science for free.

🧠 Learn the science of Influencing Action

📈 Be shown exactly what to do to get better results for your small business

Hey, are we connected yet?