Principle of Contrast

Have you ever done that high school science experiment where you put one hand in a bucket of cold water, one hand in a bucket of hot water, and then you took both hands and simultaneously put them into a bucket of room-temperature water? Well, the cold hand feels warm, and the hot hand feels cool. This is the Principle of Contrast.

When it comes to persuasion, the Principle of Contrast is very important. See? A lot of times, people think it is what happens in the moment of the ask that is crucial to your persuasion success, but, really, what is crucial to your persuasion success are those things that happen prior to your ask. And why? It is because this Principle of Contrast.

Have you ever noticed how, at a car dealership, the salesperson will talk to you about the $40,000 crossover SUV before they start talking to you about the $2,000 sat nav system? Well, the reason being is contrast.

When you’re talking about a $40,000 purchase, well, your psychological perspective is such that, when it then comes to a $2,000 navigation system, it seems absolutely reasonable; vice versa wouldn’t work.

Have you ever noticed, when you’ve gone to, perhaps, purchase men’s clothing, the person will speak to you about the suit before they talk to you about the tie? Why? Well, because spending $150 for a tie would seem ridiculous first, but, in the presence of purchasing a $2,000 suit, it seems absolutely reasonable.

The Principle of Contrast is important. So if you want to dramatically improve the amount of times that you hear “yes,” then think about what your target is exposed to prior to your ask.