Article: People tend to base their decisions on the opinions of others. We read restaurant reviews before we dine out, and we read movie reviews and ask our friends’ opinions before we see a movie. This same “herd mentality” can be a helpful tool in getting someone to say yes to you.  If you’re attempting to sell a house, for example, using this technique would entail printing out ratings of the neighborhood available online, showing prospective buyers how elite the property is, and showing that the area has some of the city’s best schools, for example. This peer pressure through others’ positive reviews might seal the deal for you on the home sale. Similarly, if you’re trying to convince your parents to let you study abroad, for example, letting them know how exclusive the program is or how favorably other students and parents (and future employers!) have viewed the experience might persuade them to allow you to go. If you ask people for a favor without demonstrating a clear benefit to them, they might not be inclined to help you. However, if you give a reason, then they are more likely to say yes to you. It’s important to make sure that your reason is truthful and valid. Otherwise, if they determine that you’re lying, now you appear dishonest and they will be even less likely to agree to your request. For example, if you are waiting in a long line for the restroom and you can’t wait, you can try going to the person at the front and asking to cut in line. If you simply ask “I have to use the restroom. May I cut in line?” they are far less likely to agree than if you instead ask the same question with a reason given. Saying something like “May I cut in line? I have to use the restroom urgently because I have a digestive disorder” is far more likely to get someone to agree to your request. ” This psychological concept is based on that notion that once someone does something for us, we then feel obligated to reciprocate by doing something for them. For instance, if we covered a shift for a co-worker when they were sick, then the next time you need a shift covered, you might ask that co-worker to work for you and mention that you covered for them before. To do this you might try saying something like, “I need this Friday off, and since I covered for you last weekend, I was hoping you might be able to work for me this week.” This prior indebtedness makes it more likely that they will say yes to working for you. Advertisers employ this technique all the time by declaring their deal to be a “limited time offer” or available “only while quantities last.” You can use this trick to get people to say yes to you. If you’re selling someone something and you mention that it’s available only for a limited time or in limited release, then it’s more likely that people will agree to buy the product you’re pitching.

What is a summary?
Use peer pressure. Use the “one reason” approach. Make use of the “reciprocity norm. Make your item or service seem scarce.