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FOOT IN THE DOOR TECHNIQUE

Abhi
April 20, 2023



TOGETHER WITH



Hey there 👋 - Abhi here!

Happy Thursday to the 25,641 marketers reading today :)

I'm out here in Chicago, got one weekend of sunny, beach weather, and now - all
of a sudden - we're back to the frigid cold. Regardless, we're still bringing
the heat here.

Today we're going to cover:

 * The Foot-In-The-Door Technique
 * 3 Factors That Enhance The Effect
 * 3 Specific Tactics For Your Business

Reading Time = 3 minutes 53 seconds

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Foot-In-The-Door Technique

I was taking a nap on my couch the other day. As one should. And my friend woke
me up to help move his couch. You know me, of course I helped.

But before I knew it I was out there helping him clean his entire room.
Vacuuming. Lint rolling. The works. I'm nice and everything, but usually quite
lazy. So what happened?

It was the foot-in-the-door technique in action. And I'm way past the door
now...

The foot-in-the-door technique is a persuasion tactic that starts with a modest
request and aims at getting a person to agree to a relatively larger request.
I.e. from lifting a table to helping clean the entire room.

This persuasion tactic has been studied through experiments as well, and you
know I'm going to cover those. Based on several research studies, here are three
factors that may enhance the impact of the foot-in-the-door technique:

 1. Delay Between Requests: A longer time gap between the initial and secondary
    ask reduces the impact of the technique.
 2. Preference For Consistency: People are more likely to comply with the second
    request if it aligns with the initial request. In an experiment, researchers
    have seen the compliance rate drop from 76% to 48% when the two asks are
    misaligned.
 3. Publicity: The foot-in-the-door technique is enhanced by increasing the
    social exposure of the initial request.

But that's enough about the research (for now).

It's time to focus on you and your business.



3 Tactics To Enhance The Foot In The Door Technique

1/  For SaaS companies: Inducing Inputs

This input doesn't have to be a CTA click or directly purchase-related.

Simply add a relevant element of interactivity. For instance, beehiiv asks a
question about the number of newsletter subscribers on their pricing page.

The benefits are two-fold:

 * you learn more about your audience and can give relevant recommendations
 * the compliance rate for your second (aligned) ask about purchasing the plan
   may increase too



2/ For DTC companies: Optimize For Email Input


I see all these DTC companies - with their pop-ups or footers - asking for
emails. And I see the value behind that. But I'm not seeing the research. Well,
here it is...

In a study from 2021, researchers studied the optimal CTA layout. The four
options were as follows: 



With 46.9% of participants picking Alternative C, it was the clear winner. So if
you run a DTC company and want to increase your email sign-up conversions make
sure you:

 * start by highlighting the dream outcome (i.e. with X you will become Y)
 * showcase the email dropbox with the sign-up button on the right

By increasing the likelihood of email input, you increase the likelihood of
purchase too! Another win-win that stems from the foot-in-the-door technique. 

3/ For Online Businesses: Refining Your Review Requests

I would start with the option to give anonymous reviews, perhaps just a number
of stars. And once you've got your foot in the door, then go in for the second,
bigger ask. Look how Google does it with their request for longer reviews with a
face behind it:



Even with the CTA in the email, as well as the subject line, they keep the focus
on the customer. They emphasize how helpful the customer has been to them, and
appeal to our need to perceive ourselves as helpful. Once we're convinced of
that, making us write longer form reviews will only get easier.

"I mean, as the helpful person I am, I should write them a nice review right?"

This is the perfect example of the foot-in-the-door technique in action, and
it's being enhanced by our self-perception theory as well as our need for
consistency.

Hit all three, and you're golden.



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ICYMI, last week we analyzed 

A Review From A Fellow Marketing Psychologist...



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I look forward to reading your feedback :)

See you next Thursday,

Abhishek "May I Have Your Email?" Shah

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