In this brief business discussion, Speaker B shares an anecdote about Old Town Deli in Boonton, New Jersey, illustrating the principle of reciprocity: the owner occasionally offers free sandwiches to regulars and new customers, which transforms even a dry roast‑beef sandwich into a coveted treat and generates word‑of‑mouth buzz and long lines. Speaker A distills the lesson into a clear actionable takeaway: give your customers small gifts to foster loyalty and attract new business.
There is a deli in Boonton, New Jersey, that's a little town next to me that I live in. I go there regularly. Old Town Deli serves, literally, between me and you, the driest roast beef sandwich on the planet. But they know the law of reciprocity. When you go to Old Town Deli, sometimes John the owner will look at you and say, hey, Malik, I haven't seen you, seen you in a while. Hey, why don't you enjoy a sandwich on me? And all of a sudden, that dry roast beef sandwich becomes the most delectable sandwich on the planet. Other times, I see new customers that he's never seen before walk in and he says, hey, I want to welcome you to our store. This sandwich is on me. And what do you think people do? They start talking about Old Town Deli. That place has people lined up every single afternoon for lunch. Because of reciprocity, people are hardwired to respond in kind. Now we have the same opportunity.
Give your customers small gifts.
