Do you like it when people rip you off? I don’t particularly like it either, but I’m about to tell you how getting “ripped off” can really give your business a big boost.
It’s not an easy thing for us to giving unconditionally to people who are not close to us. It’s especially hard to give unconditionally to people who you don’t know, who are just going to take for their own benefit.
When I first started online, I wanted to use my blog to build a mailing list so that I could market my business opportunity or other offers to my list through email.
I didn’t want give away my best knowledge on the blog because I wanted to reserve that for my email marketing. To get the best from me, people had to opt in and get on my list.
The result? I built a list that I could count on one hand.
“The Justice Mechanism”
Recently, I was listening to an interview between Tony Robbins and Eben Pagan for Tony’s New Money Masters series. Eben talked about a psychological experiment that quintessentially demonstrated “The Justice Mechanism” in action.
Two people who didn’t know each other came together and sat at a table. The psychologists conducting the experiment would slap a $100 dollar bill in front of the two subjects.
Person A decides how the money is split up, whether it’s 50-50, 60-40 and so forth. But Person B has the say on whether they both get the money.
What they found was very interesting…
When Person A decides he’ll get $50, leaving B with $50, obviously Person B agrees to the deal since they’re both getting a fair share of free money.
When Person A tells Person B he’s going to take $60, B agrees most of the time because he’s still getting a good deal in $40 of free money.
However, in most cases where Person A said “I get $70, and you get $30″, Person B didn’t agree to the deal, and therefore both parties left the table with nothing.
Person B would rather walk away with nothing than see the other guy getting a better deal. He couldn’t stand getting the short end of the stick.
But the really interesting thing was they took the same experiment to countries where $30 to $40 would be the equivalent of several months’ wage for most people.
And remarkably, the same thing happened. At around the $70/$30 mark, Person B could not stand to see Person A getting the better end of the deal, even though he could have received the equivalent pay of several months of hard work.
“The Justice Mechanism” got the better of Person B.
How getting “ripped off” is good!
Nobody likes to be ripped off. The little Justice Mechanism in the brain tells a person to make sure everything is fair before making the deal. That’s how most people operate, and in most cases, works well.
However, it can be really inhibiting for your business if you don’t learn to overcome it. That’s because it operates from a scarce frame of mind, not an abundant frame of mind.
It prevents you from creating value over and above what your target market expects.
In St Kilda, a trendy suburb of Melbourne, Australia, there’s a restaurant that does not have any set prices for their dishes. Patrons are asked to nominate their own prices, so they simply pay what they can afford or what they think their meal deserves.
Sure, there have been a few customers who have ripped off the owners by not paying for their meals, but the restaurant is a roaring business. Most people pay generously because they love the experience. It probably has the most loyal customer base of any restaurant in its area.
The bottom line: Learn to love getting the short end of the stick.
When I started giving 100% of myself in my day to day blogging, was when I started getting more prospects (and quality prospects) for my business.
To your MLM success,
Wayne Wu
P.S. I would love your input! If you have an opinion that would contribute to this discussion, please leave me a comment below.
P.P.S. Share the love. If you enjoyed reading this article and think others will get value from it, please share it on Twitter or Facebook by clicking on the "Tweet" or "Share" buttons at the top of this post. Thank you.
No related posts.
{ 22 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Wayne,
I love thinking outside the box, and that’s absolutely out-of-the box thinking. The example with the restaurant in Melbourne shows that most people are honest and value a good product or service accordingly and generously, at least if you put away the scarcity aspect, as the experiment shows.
A great take, thanks for sharing.
Take care
Oliver
Oliver Tausend´s last [type] ..Anatomy Of Quitting – Oliver Tausend’s Example
Hey Oliver,
It’s great to have a new face here. Welcome!
It is brilliant outside-the-box thinking isn’t it? Just great. The restaurant is showing people a lot of trust by conducting the business in that way. People like that, and hence they are rewarded generously.
Hey Wayne,
That is one of the best posts I have read in recent times. People will only come to you if you offer value. Even you are getting ripped off while giving value your followers will love you for it and you too will have a loyal customer base. Excellent post.
Hey Yadvinder,
Welcome to my blog. It’s great to have you here. Thanks for the kind words. Creating value above and beyond what your prospects expect is what makes them loyal to you.
Good to have you back again. The guys in the restaurant are setting a fine example. I reckon we can all learn from it. Although taking that step is not easy, once doing it, the rewards are fantastic.
cheers
Charlie
Charlie Holles´s last [type] ..Prospecting MLM – did I hear you right
Hey Charlie,
It’s definitely not an easy mindset to get over. But really, more people should just say “Screw it, let’s do it” just like Richard Branson. To hell with it, let’s just create as much value as we can.
Wayne, as I read your post I was thinking exactly like Yadvinder, fantastic post, I enjoyed it very much.
You do not become a leader based on a promise of delivering more, you become a leader by delivering more.
Good stuff Wayne.
Peter Fuller MBA´s last [type] ..How has my business grown since I started my blog
Hey Peter,
Thanks for the vote, man. I’m glad you enjoyed the post. You make a great point – you become a leader by doing what you promise.
Wow Wayne,
This was one of the best reads I’ve had in awhile. Totally awesome.
I came here tired but wanted to see what you were up to before I call it a day. I’m really glad I did, this was outstanding. Great end to a great day. Thank you!
Susanna
Susanna Hess´s last [type] ..What Does My Blog Have In Common With The LA & Sydney Airports
Hey Susanna,
Welcome back. Thank you, thank you. I’ve very glad you enjoyed the read and made a small part of your day.
Hi Wayne,
Great read man, keep it up…
Steve´s last [type] ..How To Get The Most From Your Article Marketing Strategy
Hey Steve,
Welcome to my home on the internet. Thank you for the compliment.
Great post, Wayne! I love the story that you shared, very powerful! The point that you make about having an attitude of abundance is so important if we are going to have any success!
Stacy´s last [type] ..Day Three- 31 Day Blog Challenge 31DBBB
Hey Stacy,
Thank you. Prosperity is only possible through thinking abundantly.
Hi Wayne,
Fabulous article. What an amazing concept ‘The Justice Mechanism’. I love how you drive home your point of giving more than you expect in return and you will over the hearts of your readers.
We must let go and give our best and give our all. Like the restaurant that let the customers decide how much their meal was worth. Though there are the few that may not do the right thing the majority of customers paid well and became extremely loyal.
Also, love your catchy title about loving the short end of the stick. This really demonstrates the law of attraction and abundance mindset. When we give our all it always comes back to us.
Thank you for your great post. I will be coming back often.
Faith
Faith Barnard´s last [type] ..Finding Your Niche Starts with Identifying Your Passion
Hello Faith,
It’s great to see new faces here. Welcome and thanks for commenting.
Yeah, we must try to give 100% and give graciously and humbly all the time – this will ensure that we have positive energies return to us. May not be today or tomorrow, but it will. Those who give conditionally, with the expectation of receiving in a short period of time are generally not very successful. It’s a law of the universe.
Hey Wayne,
Just the title itself drew me to your blog. “The Justice Mechanism” is a great concept. I remember reading it a while back and it didn’t make that much sense to me at first. Then I heard this concept over and over and applied it. I started noticing that more and more people who have the “scarcity” frame of mind aren’t as successful as those that don’t. A prime example would be the restaurant you just mentioned in Melbourne, Australia. Thanks for sharing!!!
Sherman
Sherman Smith´s last [type] ..To Become A True Leader- First Start With Becoming An…
Hey Sherman,
Thanks, my friend. I go as far as to say it’s nigh on impossible to succeed with a scarcity mindset.
Thank you for sharing and I concur 100%. I have accumulated many free resources I can pass on to others and just about head off now and create a new page on my blog called ‘Tools and Resources’.
Hi Dennis,
Welcome to my blog. Your giving away of free, valuable resources is a prime example of “getting the short end of the stick.” Well done!
That restaurant is great unique style. Pay for the value you receive and I’m betting ten times fold come back.
“Give value away and expect nothing in return” is my MOTTO!
Why? It gives back ten times fold later……………
This POST is powerful. Thankyou for shareing Wayne.
Maria Eves´s last [type] ..Link Building Tips
Hey Maria,
It’s always great to see a new face here. Welcome. You have a great motto. Thanks for the comment.
{ 1 trackback }