Scarcity is a powerful psychological trigger that can motivate your audience to take action. When something is rare, limited, or exclusive, it becomes more desirable and valuable. As a public speaker, you can use scarcity to create a sense of urgency and persuade your listeners to act on your message. Here are some ways to do that.
One way to create scarcity is to emphasize the deadline or expiration date of your offer, opportunity, or solution. For example, if you are selling a product or service, you can say that the price will go up, the stock will run out, or the bonus will disappear after a certain date or time. If you are promoting a cause or a campaign, you can say that the window of opportunity is closing, the situation is urgent, or the consequences are dire if they don't act now. By using time-based scarcity, you can create a fear of missing out (FOMO) and make your audience feel that they need to act fast or lose the chance.
In my experience the best way to scarcity with your audience is to give but at the same time take away. For example offer a course or a programme, but say to them let’s see if my course fits you, if we don’t fit I can’t work with you ? Or to talk about how your courses have limited spaces and they better book soon to get their spot. There are several ways to achieve this, but to be honest if your product and service is exemplary it will sell itself without the use of scarcity ??
Remember to be truthful and ethical in your use of scarcity. While creating urgency is a powerful technique, it should not involve misleading or deceptive tactics. The scarcity should genuinely exist and be in the best interest of your audience.
I feel that there are two things when clubbed together gives amazing results. They are scarcity and urgency factors. In my career I have tried to mix scarcity of time & resources with the urgency of opportunity & credibility to get the result. There is no need to artificially create that scarcity bogey otherwise it may backfire nor the urgency threat. My experience tells me that scarcity alone would not guarantee results nor the urgency factors alone. It is always advisable to mix the two in a great proprtion to achieve the results.
As a broker of real estate, I often see this in my line of work. Scarcity can be used during sales in Real Estate. Take for instance, the opportunity to buy real estate in an exclusive neighbourhood. That drives more buyers to a market and influences buying simply based on the fact that there are few properties in a given area and Scarcity mind set drives the buying frenzy.
Another way to create scarcity is to highlight the limited availability or supply of your offer, opportunity, or solution. For example, if you are selling a product or service, you can say that there are only a few spots left, a limited number of units, or a restricted access to a feature or benefit. If you are promoting a cause or a campaign, you can say that there are only a few donors, volunteers, or supporters needed to reach a goal, make a difference, or create an impact. By using quantity-based scarcity, you can create a sense of exclusivity and make your audience feel that they need to act now or miss the opportunity.
A third way to create scarcity is to leverage the influence of others and show the demand or popularity of your offer, opportunity, or solution. For example, if you are selling a product or service, you can say that thousands of customers have bought it, hundreds of testimonials have praised it, or dozens of experts have endorsed it. If you are promoting a cause or a campaign, you can say that millions of people have joined it, thousands of dollars have been raised, or hundreds of lives have been changed. By using social proof scarcity, you can create a sense of validation and make your audience feel that they need to act now or be left behind.
There is no harm in following the social proof scarcity technique but we must be real and factual in our deliberations. in this social media age where there is immense opportunity to counter verify the claims it is always paying to be real and honest. Inflated declarations of our proof of scarcity can sometimes mar our credibility. I prefer to use the social proof scarcity only when the claims are genuine and not compromised.
A final way to create scarcity is to use it ethically and honestly. Don't lie, exaggerate, or manipulate your audience with false or misleading claims. Don't create artificial or unnecessary scarcity that doesn't match the reality or the value of your offer, opportunity, or solution. Don't pressure or coerce your audience into making a decision that they might regret later. Instead, use scarcity to communicate the genuine benefits and urgency of your message and to help your audience make an informed and positive choice.
Scarcity is a powerful tool for public speaking, but it must be used wisely and responsibly. By using time-based, quantity-based, social proof, and ethical scarcity, you can create a sense of urgency and persuade your audience to take action.
Scarcity is often used in real estate through statistics. An example, "There is generally only 1 house for sale in this exclusive neighbourhood every few years. So don't delay and come take a look before it's gone."