When sales prospects are unresponsive, you can exploit a well-known cognitive bias to warm them up. Called reciprocity, this societal rule has governed human behavior for millennia and was (and still is) fundamental to our survival as a species.

Celebrated psychologist Robert Cialdini describes reciprocity as a situation where I am obligated to give back to you a form of behavior that you first give to me.

Reciprocity, therefore, plays to our ideas of fairness. If someone buys you a coffee, youll feel obliged to buy them one in return. To do otherwise would violate a societal norm.

The same thing applies to business. Give a prospect something of value, and theyll feel obliged to return the favor perhaps in agreeing to meet you or try your product even if the gift in question is unwanted or unsolicited.

Todays world is noisy. To sell, you need a sharp tool to cut through the chaos. Cold emailing is still useful, but less so, with some response rates as low as 1.7%. Cold calling fares a little better at 2%, perhaps because its harder to reject or ignore a person. With such high demand for your prospects attention, how can you harness reciprocity to warm up leads and boost responses?

Here are three examples:

Mail them something.

People love receiving personal, handwritten mail. Think of the last time you received a postcard or thank-you note remember that warm, fuzzy feeling it gave you? In a world of smartphones and digital marketing, the personal touch is often neglected. Americans receive just 10 items of personalized mail a year, despite it being one of the most thoughtful and endearing ways to communicate.

Mailing your prospects a handwritten, personalized letter or card will make them feel good. Theyll become warm and receptive to you.

Dont believe me? Direct mail has made a comeback: Responses average around 9% for subscribers and have been increasing every year since 2003. This is partly due to its novelty, but also the reciprocal response to the pleasure of receiving something through the mail.

Of course, you need to send something meaningful and personal. Otherwise, theyll simply see it as another piece of junk mail.

Importantly, avoid asking for more than the perceived value of the letter in return. Otherwise, you risk inducing the opposite effect. Its a good way to invite a call, for example, but dont use it to ask a stranger to hand over their cash.

Gift them something personal.

Salespeople have been employing this technique for years. Think of the fragrance and shampoo samples in fashion magazines, or the cocktail-stick testers given away in food stores. Businesses hope that giving you something relevant for free will make you feel obligated to buy. Its a simple tactic, but it works: Gifting can increase response rates by 17%.

Personalization amplifies this effect. If your prospect has been tweeting about a Lakers game, send them some team merchandise. If they recently came back from vacation in Napa Valley, send them a bottle of wine from the region. The initial cost might be higher than, say, a handwritten note, but thats the point. A personal gift induces a much stronger reciprocal response and, in turn, a warmer lead.

Of course, you dont need to stalk your prospects. Just a little background info is enough even something simple like their hometown or alma mater will generate ideas. Remember, the more personal the gift, the higher the perceived value, because people, even those in business, love to be recognized as individuals.

Send them some swag.

Swag is an ordinary item with a brand emblazoned upon it. Offices all over the world even homes are filled with swag. From notepads to keyrings, beermats to water bottles, swag can be almost anything it all. Its usually low-cost, mass-produced stuff, given away for free or handed out at promotional events.

Is it effective?

Well, the industry is worth around $17.4 billion. So all those little gifts that clutter homes and offices around the world must be doing something right. And smart or unique swag, like the Land Rover Escape key, provides utility as well as subtly reinforcing your brands selling points.

Swag works because it appeals to everyone. Whos going to throw away a notepad or pen? Swags value lies in its immediate, universal utility. Its cheap and effective, and it might be the key to opening conversations with your sales leads.

Reciprocity is fundamental in business. Be kind, generous and interested in your prospects, and you can expect the same behavior in return (most of the time).

While no reciprocal strategy guarantees a response, its certainly better than cold calling or emailing alone. So next time your prospects go cold, see if the power of reciprocity warms them up.

Read the rest here:
Three Ways To Warm Up Sales Leads Using The Power Of Reciprocity - Forbes