biscuit from a jar, they rate the biscuit as more enjoyable if it comes from a
jar with just 2 biscuits than from a jar with 10.
Persuasion architects exploit this by revealing scarcity in the design of the
interface. This could be an item of clothing that is running short in your
size, theatre tickets that are running out, or invitations to a beta launch.
They know that perceived scarcity will generate demand.
Related to this is the ‘closing down’ sale. One of the artists at my friend’s art
co-op recently decided to quit the co-op and announced this with a sign
in-store. She had a big rush on sales of her art. Then she decided not to
quit after all. So pretending to go out of business might be a ploy!
Phrases like ‘only 4 left in stock’ seem to stimulate a primal urge not to miss out.
Framing
“I’m strongly influenced by the way prices are framed.”
This principle acknowledges that people aren’t very good at estimating the
absolute value of what they are buying. People make comparisons, either
against the alternatives you show them or some external benchmark.