persuasion Generally, if the second item is quite different from the first, we will tend to see them even more differently than they actually are. As a Master Persuader, you can use this contrast to steer your audience toward the object of your persuasion. The use of contrast is based on our perception of items or events that happen one right after the other. If you've had a rotten day because you found out you're losing your job and you come home to a new scratch on your car, you will have a vastly different reaction than if you were having a great day because you're getting a promotion and then came home to the scratch on your car. It's the same scratch, but there are very different perceptions and reactions to it, depending on your personal circumstances. Time can erode your ability to use the Law of Contrast. The key to this ins You were thinking of spending only about $99 and you ended up spending triple that amount-$297 to be exact. Why? Because of the Law of Contrast, you were going to get over $800 worth of product and the deal kept getting better. This law is critical for you to understand when showing others the value of your product. No one buys unless they feel like they are getting value for their money. When you "sweeten the pot," you add bonus items to make the deal more and more valuable. We can all learn from the example of a high school bake sale: When the cashier told one group of customers they could purchase one cupcake and two cookies for a total cost of 75 cents, 40 percent of customers bought. The cashier then told another group of customers that they could purchase one cupcake for 75 cents. However, a few seconds later she added that because of a special they had going for that night, two more cookies would be thrown in as a bonus. By the end of the night, 70 percent of the customers purchased cupcakes and cookies when the "three for the price of one" technique was used, even though it was really the exact same deal.2 It's all in the presentation-you have to "sweeten the pot"! You see this technique used in supermarkets and in other advertisements when a company plans their packaging strategy to show the contrast between before and after prices. You may see diapers that have the "save 20 percent" slashed out and replaced with "save 30 percent." Or maybe their method is "buy five, and we'll give you another one free." It might also be that they have the 16 oz. slashed out and the new 20 oz. written in for the same price. Whatever the form it takes, this is an example of "sweetening the pot," the Law of Contrast in action. It isn't the actual price that is paid, but the addons that seem to make it such a better deal. The same thing happens when an insurance sales rep presents you with the initial offer and then begins to give you special deductions based on your circumstances. Look, you are getting a better deal! If the opposite were to happen, you would feel cheated. Put yourself in the mall candy store buying one pound of chocolate candy for your sweetheart. persuasion