Cialdini describes an experiment in which two groups of people were asked to rate choc-chip biscuits.
Group A took theirs from a jar containing ten biscuits.
Group B took from a jar with just two biscuits.
The result? Group B rated the biscuits higher on almost every measure – even though the biscuits were identical.
This is scarcity at work. And it’s a very useful ‘influence’ technique.
Here are some ways to use scarcity to get better results from your persuasive writing:
- Scarce time – Imposing deadlines on your readers will motivate them to act sooner rather than later (‘later’ is probably ‘never’), e.g. ‘Offer ends 30 June’ or ‘Please do X by next Friday so [insert good reason]’.
- Scarce amount – What you’re offering will be more attractive if it seems rare or exclusive, e.g. ‘special edition,’ ‘Limited offer’ or ‘Exclusive release.’ Be specific if you can – ‘Just five left’ trumps ‘Just a few left.’
- Scarce information – Research shows if you limit access to a message people value it more and find it more persuasive. Can you structure your message so your readers believe it’s restricted information, e.g. ‘Exclusive members-only offer.’
- Scarcity boosters – I’ve included three scarcity ‘boosters’ at the bottom of this post.
Seen a good example of scarcity in action? Please share it in a comment below!
Scarcity ‘boosters’
Booster 1: ‘Scarcity’ works better when people think something’s newly scarce – i.e. when it hasn’t always been in short supply, but suddenly becomes so. E.g. ‘Unprecedented demand – now just 10 seats left!’
Booster 2: ‘Scarcity’ works better again when people realise they’re competing with others for scarce resources. A common real-estate sales ploy is to tell wavering buyers that someone else is also interested in the property.
Booster 3: How you frame things can invoke ‘scarcity.’ Emphasising ‘what you could lose’ is more powerful than ‘what you could gain,’ because the former is a type of scarcity.
This is part two of a six-part series on influence and persuasion, loosely based on Dr Robert Cialdini’s work.
- Part 1: Liking – Should leaders be feared or loved?
- Part 2: Scarcity – Using scarcity in persuasive writing
- Part 3: Social Proof – How to leverage social proof (concensus)
- Part 4: Authority – Write like a boss
- Part 5: Reciprocity – The power of give and take
- Part 6: Commitment & Consistency – Persuasive business writing