I don’t know about you, but Christmas cards are a thing in our family, and especially at our church.
It’s pretty common to have pictures taken, have them designed, and then hand the cards out at various settings. Handing them out saves money on postage, but if you've ever done it, it can be a big headache. (I don’t know about you, but I don’t need the extra stress.)
I'm sure you've done this before, but if you didn't know, the principle of reciprocation states that people will respond similarly to a kind action done to them. (I noticed that even at 5 or 6 — having grown up in an orphanage in India — Jubilee knew and expected this…it was kinda scary.) So generally speaking, if you receive a Christmas card, you'll give one in return.
Christmas cards are a perfect example of reciprocity at work.
Reciprocation by Mail?
This year, for business, I am using mail marketing in my business and I use a service that makes mailing personalized cards and postcards super simple. (Personalization is powerful, by the way.) So after I designed them, we decided to use that service for our family Christmas cards. Instead of the stress of handing them out, we chose the expense of mailing them (which can actually be more personal and more meaningful). However, it seemed like everyone was taking their time to get their cards to us. Mid-December we only had about three.
About a week later, things changed drastically. The number of cards we had hanging up more than quadrupled. And most of the cards were mailed to us from...the people we mailed cards to. (I think only two were handed to us.) I thought to myself, “this is a prime example of the principle of reciprocation at work, but with a twist. When we sent cards, not only did we get cards in return, they were reciprocated in the manner with which they were given [mail].” Fascinating.
Action item:
What does this mean for your business? How do you want things given to you?
Now, I’m not suggesting that you do things for others so that they will do something similar in return, but it is an added bonus that this is often the case.
What do you do for people that you would appreciate in return? And as this email suggests, how would you like it done?
Give it some thought.
