I received a question from a colleague and friend who is an SEO (I’ve left his name out in case he may not want to be mentioned for privacy) by e-mail a couple weeks ago that asked:

Hi James, Do you think the bribe model works [in conversion optimisation]?

My Answer

Short answer

The short answer is: yes, the ‘bribe’ model can definitely work and I would never dismiss it or overlook it.

Numbers based answer

In situations where I’ve tested bribery versus other stuff, I’ve usually found that ‘bribery’ has often helped (as long as the offer has been right) but sometimes the improvement is a lot lower than other things. (Elaboration below).

The longer answer

Yep, the ‘bribe’ model can definitely work (or as Robert Cialdini in his book Influence calls it ‘Reciprocity’) and is a powerful tactic for influence and persuasion (Getting people to say ‘yes’ which is really what all conversion optimisation is about at the end of the day.). I’ve heard of people virtually using Robert Cialdini’s book as a conversion optimisation methodology in itself. In my experience, there’s a lot of wins to be had in his principles, which are: * Reciprocity (can also be thought of as ‘bribery’); * Commitment (and Consistency); * Social Proof; * Likability; * Authority; * Scarcity; It should be required reading for anyone looking to get into sales or marketing in my opinion. That said, the “challenge” with “bribery” and “reciprocity”, in my opinion, is this:

When it’s done right and it works, it’s not really bribery or reciprocity – it worked because you provided something that your customer considered to be of value, possibly for free or at a discounted rate, and ultimately – you gave the customer what they wanted. When it’s not done right and it doesn’t work, it’s usually because you were trying to give the customer some junk they don’t want (perhaps it’s what the company thinks is valuable – but actually isn’t valuable from the point of view of the customer.)

Therefore, if you think about it: bribery done well is really just giving the customer what they want. Giving the customer what they want is one of the most powerful tenets underlying how to craft a superb offer. In my experience, a lot of companies and marketers fail to really understand what the customer actually wants. Think about how many websites are out there offering e-books for free. Now, think of how many people you know who actively love ebooks or pay money for ebooks or really like them? Not so many. (Kindle and eBook readers are a bit different. If the offer was “A free book on your Kindle” that might be more valuable. But think, who actually considers eBook PDF downloads valuable? Very few indeed.) Consider this: you might use all reciprocity in the world, demonstrate social proof like crazy, be likable, be authoritative and be scarce – but at the end of the day, if the customer doesn’t have a need for what you’re selling, doesn’t consider it valuable or doesn’t understand the value – they won’t buy. The first and most important job for any marketer is to explain to your prospect why they should buy from you rather than someone else.