Describe Impacts on Other People

Everyone is self-interested.

But not always.

Sometimes you can boost persuasion by describing how a specific action could benefit other people.

For example, a hospital influenced more people to wash their hands when they described the benefit toward patients (Grant & Hofmann, 2011).

• Hand hygiene prevents you from catching diseases.
• Hand hygiene prevents patients from catching diseases.

Why It Works

• Blind Optimism. Nobody expects a car accident to happen, so they feel unmotivated to buy something that might prevent one. Therefore, describe how this decision (or lack thereof) could impact other people. Suddenly readers are no longer gambling their own safety – they are gambling the safety of their family and loved ones.
• Emotional Transfer. Mentioning "your family" can transfer positive emotions to the product (Fisher et al., 2023).

How to Apply

• Frame Discounts for a Significant Other. Mention other people who can benefit from your coupon (Fisher et al., 2023). You'll also activate a specific budget (e.g., family budget), narrowing the scope and capability of these funds so they feel less painful to spend (Pomerance & Reinholtz, 2024).

• Grant, A. M., & Hofmann, D. A. (2011). It’s not all about me: Motivating hand hygiene among health care professionals by focusing on patients. Psychological science, 22(12), 1494-1499.
• Fisher, G., McGranaghan, M., Liaukonyte, J., & Wilbur, K. C. (2023). Price promotions, beneficiary framing, and mental accounting. Quantitative Marketing and Economics, 21(2), 147-181.
• Pomerance, J., & Reinholtz, N. (2024). Cut me some slack! How perceptions of financial slack influence pain of payment. Psychology & Marketing, 41(5), 1100-1114.