How to Coach Yourself and Others How to Influence, Persuade and Motivate | Page 296

Just the opposite is true if we want to promote a new, larger-size product
or a significant price reduction. In this case, we want to pass that
threshold and make the change extremely noticeable. This is also true for
taste. Companies want the best taste for the lowest cost. The quality of the
ingredients causes people to notice or not notice the quality of the
product.
Comparison Effect: Taking Their Temperature
The last form of contrast is the more general Comparison Effect. This is
closely related to the door-in-the-face technique except that instead of
presenting an outrageous request upfront, the persuader presents his
prospects with an undesirable form of what they are looking for. Then,
when the good (or even mediocre) item is presented, the prospect grabs
hold of the offer a lot faster. The Comparison Effect focuses on how the
prospect is able to compare two options simultaneously and come to the
conclusion that the second option really is desirable.
Some real estate companies maintain what they call "set-up" properties.
These are run-down properties listed at inflated prices, which are used to
benefit the genuine properties in the company's inventory by comparison.
Agents show customers the set-up properties first, then they show them
the homes they really want to sell, both of them listed at the same price.
The latter home looks much better in comparison to the dump they first
saw. This strategy works just as well when showing a $120,000 home
after viewing a $90,000 home.
The comparison principle comes into play in our everyday lives. It can
even influence how we perceive the physical attractiveness of our partner.
A study at Arizona State and Montana State Universities tested to see
whether we might think our own spouses or partners were less attractive
because of the media bombardment with ads showing very attractive
models. In the study, students were first shown pictures of models &Vf