Brainstorms

The ‘Ben Franklin Effect’ and Why It Belongs in Your Sales Playbook

Why asking for help — not offering it — might be your most underused sales skill.

Published

3 weeks ago

March 24, 2026

INSTORE Staff Instore April 2026 Issue

The ‘Ben Franklin Effect’ and Why It Belongs in Your Sales Playbook

Ask to borrow a book and a nemesis may become your friend. IMAGE: GENERATED BY GOOGLE NANO BANANA

Ask Your Toughest Customer for a Favor

HERE’S A TRICK that’s almost 300 years old and still works beautifully. Benjamin Franklin had a political rival who despised him. Instead of flattering the guy, Franklin asked to borrow a rare book from his library. The man agreed. Franklin returned it with a gracious note. And from that point forward, the rival treated Franklin as a friend. Psychologists later confirmed the phenomenon in controlled experiments: when someone does you a favor, their brain resolves the contradiction (“Why did I help someone I don’t like?”) by deciding they must like you after all. Think about someone in your community whose business you’d love but whose relationship with your store is cool — or maybe even worse than cool. Don’t lead with a pitch. Ask their opinion on something. Ask them to judge your holiday window contest. Ask for a restaurant recommendation. Let them help you, and watch the relationship shift.

Related Topics: community networking sales tips

INSTORE Staff

Since launching in 2002, INSTORE has won 89 international journalism awards for its publication and website. Contact INSTORE's editors at [email protected].

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