How to Coach Yourself and Others How to Influence, Persuade and Motivate | Page 147

can be seen as a strategy to create the perception of honesty--making
subsequent information seem more credible to those listening.

6. Scarcity
According to the Principle of Scarcity--people assign more value to
opportunities when they are less available. The use of this principle for
profit can be seen in such high-pressure sales techniques as only a
"limited number" now available and a "deadline" set for an offer. Such
tactics attempt to persuade people that number and/or time restrict access
to what is offered. The scarcity principle holds true for two reasons:
1. Things difficult to attain are typically more valuable. And the
availability of an item or experience can serve as a shortcut clue
or cue to its quality.
2. When something becomes less accessible, the freedom to have it
may be lost.
According to psychological reactance theory, people respond to the loss
of freedom by wanting to have it more. This includes the freedom to have
certain goods and services. As a motivator, psychological reactance is
present throughout the great majority of a person's life span. However, it
is especially evident at a pair of ages: "the terrible twos" and the teenage
years. Both of these periods are characterized by an emerging sense of
individuality, which brings to prominence such issues as control,
individual rights, and freedoms. People at these ages are especially
sensitive to restrictions.
In addition to its effect