{"id":447,"date":"2017-02-22T12:42:36","date_gmt":"2017-02-22T12:42:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/conversion.com\/definitive-guide-foot-door-technique\/"},"modified":"2024-08-14T10:05:12","modified_gmt":"2024-08-14T10:05:12","slug":"definitive-guide-foot-door-technique","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/conversion.com\/blog\/definitive-guide-foot-door-technique\/","title":{"rendered":"The Definitive Guide to the Foot in the Door technique (learn how to 2X your conversion rate)"},"content":{"rendered":"<section class=\"c-post-content\" data-ref=\"case-content\">\n\t<div class=\"post-content\">\n\t\t<div class=\"post-content__container container container--medium\">\n\t\t\t<aside class=\"post-content__sidebar post-content__sidebar--links\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"sticky-menu\" data-ref=\"case-content-menu\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"sticky-menu__title\">Contents<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"sticky-menu\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                            \t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"sticky-menu__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"sticky-menu__item-link  active\" href=\"#introduction\" data-ref=\"case-content-menu-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"arrow\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 16 20\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M10.6875 9.34375V7.34375L13.3438 10L10.6875 12.6562V10.6562H2.65625V9.34375H10.6875Z\" fill=\"#F6876F\"\/><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"sticky-menu__item-text\">Introduction<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                            \t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"sticky-menu__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"sticky-menu__item-link \" href=\"#whatiscommitmentandconsistencyprinciple\" data-ref=\"case-content-menu-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"arrow\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 16 20\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M10.6875 9.34375V7.34375L13.3438 10L10.6875 12.6562V10.6562H2.65625V9.34375H10.6875Z\" fill=\"#F6876F\"\/><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"sticky-menu__item-text\">What is commitment and consistency principle?<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                            \t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"sticky-menu__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"sticky-menu__item-link \" href=\"#whatissopowerfulaboutit\" data-ref=\"case-content-menu-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"arrow\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 16 20\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M10.6875 9.34375V7.34375L13.3438 10L10.6875 12.6562V10.6562H2.65625V9.34375H10.6875Z\" fill=\"#F6876F\"\/><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"sticky-menu__item-text\">What is so powerful about it?<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                            \t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"sticky-menu__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"sticky-menu__item-link \" href=\"#willitworkforyouandhowcanyoumaximiseyourchancesofsuccess\" data-ref=\"case-content-menu-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"arrow\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 16 20\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M10.6875 9.34375V7.34375L13.3438 10L10.6875 12.6562V10.6562H2.65625V9.34375H10.6875Z\" fill=\"#F6876F\"\/><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"sticky-menu__item-text\">Will it work for you and how can you maximise your chances of success?<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                            \t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"sticky-menu__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"sticky-menu__item-link \" href=\"#emailsignup\" data-ref=\"case-content-menu-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"arrow\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 16 20\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M10.6875 9.34375V7.34375L13.3438 10L10.6875 12.6562V10.6562H2.65625V9.34375H10.6875Z\" fill=\"#F6876F\"\/><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"sticky-menu__item-text\">Email sign-up<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                            \t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"sticky-menu__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"sticky-menu__item-link \" href=\"#doesittieavisitorsfirstcommitmenttoherselfimage\" data-ref=\"case-content-menu-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"arrow\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 16 20\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M10.6875 9.34375V7.34375L13.3438 10L10.6875 12.6562V10.6562H2.65625V9.34375H10.6875Z\" fill=\"#F6876F\"\/><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"sticky-menu__item-text\">Does it tie a visitor\u2019s first commitment to her self-image?<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                            \t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"sticky-menu__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"sticky-menu__item-link \" href=\"#doesyoursecondrequestseemlikealogicalprogressionofyourfirstrequest\" data-ref=\"case-content-menu-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"arrow\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 16 20\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M10.6875 9.34375V7.34375L13.3438 10L10.6875 12.6562V10.6562H2.65625V9.34375H10.6875Z\" fill=\"#F6876F\"\/><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"sticky-menu__item-text\">Does your second request seem like a logical progression of your first request?<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                            \t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"sticky-menu__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"sticky-menu__item-link \" href=\"#areyoutakingandgivingbackorjusttakingandtakingmore\" data-ref=\"case-content-menu-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"arrow\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 16 20\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M10.6875 9.34375V7.34375L13.3438 10L10.6875 12.6562V10.6562H2.65625V9.34375H10.6875Z\" fill=\"#F6876F\"\/><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"sticky-menu__item-text\">Are you taking and giving back or just taking and taking more?<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                            \t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"sticky-menu__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"sticky-menu__item-link \" href=\"#areyoutimingyourrequestsortryingtofeedthewholepie\" data-ref=\"case-content-menu-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"arrow\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 16 20\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M10.6875 9.34375V7.34375L13.3438 10L10.6875 12.6562V10.6562H2.65625V9.34375H10.6875Z\" fill=\"#F6876F\"\/><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"sticky-menu__item-text\">Are you timing your requests or trying to feed the whole pie?<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                            \t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"sticky-menu__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"sticky-menu__item-link \" href=\"#whatareyoucommunicatingaboutpeopleslikelihoodtocomplywithyourrequest\" data-ref=\"case-content-menu-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"arrow\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 16 20\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M10.6875 9.34375V7.34375L13.3438 10L10.6875 12.6562V10.6562H2.65625V9.34375H10.6875Z\" fill=\"#F6876F\"\/><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"sticky-menu__item-text\">What are you communicating about people\u2019s likelihood to comply with your request?<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                            \t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"sticky-menu__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"sticky-menu__item-link \" href=\"#protipcustomiseyouremailpopups\" data-ref=\"case-content-menu-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"arrow\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 16 20\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M10.6875 9.34375V7.34375L13.3438 10L10.6875 12.6562V10.6562H2.65625V9.34375H10.6875Z\" fill=\"#F6876F\"\/><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"sticky-menu__item-text\">Pro Tip: Customise\u00a0your email pop-ups<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                            \t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"sticky-menu__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"sticky-menu__item-link \" href=\"#useronboarding\" data-ref=\"case-content-menu-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"arrow\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 16 20\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M10.6875 9.34375V7.34375L13.3438 10L10.6875 12.6562V10.6562H2.65625V9.34375H10.6875Z\" fill=\"#F6876F\"\/><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"sticky-menu__item-text\">User onboarding<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                            \t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"sticky-menu__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"sticky-menu__item-link \" href=\"#torewardornottoreward\" data-ref=\"case-content-menu-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"arrow\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 16 20\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M10.6875 9.34375V7.34375L13.3438 10L10.6875 12.6562V10.6562H2.65625V9.34375H10.6875Z\" fill=\"#F6876F\"\/><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"sticky-menu__item-text\">To reward or not to reward?<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                            \t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"sticky-menu__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"sticky-menu__item-link \" href=\"#optimisationofacheckoutfunnel\" data-ref=\"case-content-menu-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"arrow\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 16 20\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M10.6875 9.34375V7.34375L13.3438 10L10.6875 12.6562V10.6562H2.65625V9.34375H10.6875Z\" fill=\"#F6876F\"\/><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"sticky-menu__item-text\">Optimisation of a check-out funnel<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                            \t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"sticky-menu__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"sticky-menu__item-link \" href=\"#leadgeneration\" data-ref=\"case-content-menu-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"arrow\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 16 20\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M10.6875 9.34375V7.34375L13.3438 10L10.6875 12.6562V10.6562H2.65625V9.34375H10.6875Z\" fill=\"#F6876F\"\/><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"sticky-menu__item-text\">Lead generation<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                            \t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"sticky-menu__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"sticky-menu__item-link \" href=\"#longtermimpactofthecommitmentandconsistencyprinciple\" data-ref=\"case-content-menu-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"arrow\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 16 20\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M10.6875 9.34375V7.34375L13.3438 10L10.6875 12.6562V10.6562H2.65625V9.34375H10.6875Z\" fill=\"#F6876F\"\/><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"sticky-menu__item-text\">Long-term impact of the commitment and consistency principle<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                            \t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"sticky-menu__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"sticky-menu__item-link \" href=\"#referralprograms\" data-ref=\"case-content-menu-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"arrow\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 16 20\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M10.6875 9.34375V7.34375L13.3438 10L10.6875 12.6562V10.6562H2.65625V9.34375H10.6875Z\" fill=\"#F6876F\"\/><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"sticky-menu__item-text\">Referral programs<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                            \t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"sticky-menu__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"sticky-menu__item-link \" href=\"#torewardornottorewardreconsidered\" data-ref=\"case-content-menu-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"arrow\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 16 20\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M10.6875 9.34375V7.34375L13.3438 10L10.6875 12.6562V10.6562H2.65625V9.34375H10.6875Z\" fill=\"#F6876F\"\/><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"sticky-menu__item-text\">To reward or not to reward? Re-considered.<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                            \t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"sticky-menu__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"sticky-menu__item-link \" href=\"#thehowtoofbuildingacommitmentthroughareferralprogram\" data-ref=\"case-content-menu-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"arrow\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 16 20\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M10.6875 9.34375V7.34375L13.3438 10L10.6875 12.6562V10.6562H2.65625V9.34375H10.6875Z\" fill=\"#F6876F\"\/><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"sticky-menu__item-text\">The how-to of building a commitment through a referral program<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                            \t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"sticky-menu__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"sticky-menu__item-link \" href=\"#areyourightontime\" data-ref=\"case-content-menu-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"arrow\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 16 20\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M10.6875 9.34375V7.34375L13.3438 10L10.6875 12.6562V10.6562H2.65625V9.34375H10.6875Z\" fill=\"#F6876F\"\/><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"sticky-menu__item-text\">Are you right on time?<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                            \t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"sticky-menu__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"sticky-menu__item-link \" href=\"#testimonials\" data-ref=\"case-content-menu-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"arrow\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 16 20\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M10.6875 9.34375V7.34375L13.3438 10L10.6875 12.6562V10.6562H2.65625V9.34375H10.6875Z\" fill=\"#F6876F\"\/><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"sticky-menu__item-text\">Testimonials<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                            \t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"sticky-menu__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"sticky-menu__item-link \" href=\"#keytakeaways\" data-ref=\"case-content-menu-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"arrow\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 16 20\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M10.6875 9.34375V7.34375L13.3438 10L10.6875 12.6562V10.6562H2.65625V9.34375H10.6875Z\" fill=\"#F6876F\"\/><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"sticky-menu__item-text\">Key takeaways<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/aside>\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"post-content__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"post-content__sections\">\n\t\t\t\t\t                        \t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-content__section\" id=\"introduction\" data-ref=\"case-content-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"post-content__section-content\"><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(This is the 2nd article in the 8-part series where I explore Cialdini\u2019s 7 (not 6!) principles of persuasion and how best to sequence them).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In case you missed it, here\u2019s Part #1: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/conversion.com\/reciprocity-rule\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to make reciprocity work online: 14 surprising insights<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is one technique that does wonders for your conversion rates. As I am about to show you, you can use it to:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">double your email signup rates (one firm used it to increase their CR by 113%)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">grow average monthly revenue of a subscription-based business by 11.4%<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">get up to 2x as many leads who are happy to jump on a phone call to discuss your product<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I am talking about the foot in the door technique. The reason why it works is that it utilises an effective persuasion mechanism called the commitment and consistency principle. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Read on if you want to find out how to achieve similar results for your business.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"post-content__index\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"post-content__index-title\">Contents<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"post-content__index-links\" data-ref=\"case-content-menu\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-content__index-link\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"#introduction\" data-ref=\"case-content-menu-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tIntroduction\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-content__index-link\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"#whatiscommitmentandconsistencyprinciple\" data-ref=\"case-content-menu-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWhat is commitment and consistency principle?\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-content__index-link\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"#whatissopowerfulaboutit\" data-ref=\"case-content-menu-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWhat is so powerful about it?\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-content__index-link\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"#willitworkforyouandhowcanyoumaximiseyourchancesofsuccess\" data-ref=\"case-content-menu-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWill it work for you and how can you maximise your chances of success?\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-content__index-link\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"#emailsignup\" data-ref=\"case-content-menu-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEmail sign-up\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-content__index-link\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"#doesittieavisitorsfirstcommitmenttoherselfimage\" data-ref=\"case-content-menu-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDoes it tie a visitor\u2019s first commitment to her self-image?\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-content__index-link\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"#doesyoursecondrequestseemlikealogicalprogressionofyourfirstrequest\" data-ref=\"case-content-menu-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDoes your second request seem like a logical progression of your first request?\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-content__index-link\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"#areyoutakingandgivingbackorjusttakingandtakingmore\" data-ref=\"case-content-menu-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAre you taking and giving back or just taking and taking more?\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-content__index-link\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"#areyoutimingyourrequestsortryingtofeedthewholepie\" data-ref=\"case-content-menu-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAre you timing your requests or trying to feed the whole pie?\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-content__index-link\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"#whatareyoucommunicatingaboutpeopleslikelihoodtocomplywithyourrequest\" data-ref=\"case-content-menu-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWhat are you communicating about people\u2019s likelihood to comply with your request?\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-content__index-link\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"#protipcustomiseyouremailpopups\" data-ref=\"case-content-menu-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPro Tip: Customise\u00a0your email pop-ups\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-content__index-link\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"#useronboarding\" data-ref=\"case-content-menu-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tUser onboarding\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-content__index-link\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"#torewardornottoreward\" data-ref=\"case-content-menu-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTo reward or not to reward?\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-content__index-link\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"#optimisationofacheckoutfunnel\" data-ref=\"case-content-menu-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOptimisation of a check-out funnel\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-content__index-link\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"#leadgeneration\" data-ref=\"case-content-menu-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLead generation\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-content__index-link\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"#longtermimpactofthecommitmentandconsistencyprinciple\" data-ref=\"case-content-menu-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLong-term impact of the commitment and consistency principle\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-content__index-link\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"#referralprograms\" data-ref=\"case-content-menu-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tReferral programs\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-content__index-link\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"#torewardornottorewardreconsidered\" data-ref=\"case-content-menu-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTo reward or not to reward? Re-considered.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-content__index-link\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"#thehowtoofbuildingacommitmentthroughareferralprogram\" data-ref=\"case-content-menu-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe how-to of building a commitment through a referral program\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-content__index-link\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"#areyourightontime\" data-ref=\"case-content-menu-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAre you right on time?\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-content__index-link\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"#testimonials\" data-ref=\"case-content-menu-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTestimonials\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-content__index-link\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"#keytakeaways\" data-ref=\"case-content-menu-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tKey takeaways\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                        \t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-content__section\" id=\"whatiscommitmentandconsistencyprinciple\" data-ref=\"case-content-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"post-content__section-title\">What is commitment and consistency principle?<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"post-content__section-content\"><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Commitment and consistency principle is based on the theory that we, humans, want to appear consistent to ourselves and to others. Sometimes we alter our attitudes to be in line with our actions (as explained by <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Self-perception_theory\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the self-perception theory<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">). <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is where persuasion experts step in. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By making people to commit to something, we might change their attitudes. This makes it more likely that they will comply with other related requests in the future. A classic example comes from a 1966 study by Jonathan Freedman and Scott Fraser. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Researchers asked a group of residents to support a safe driving campaign. This meant installing a large (6 feet by 3 feet) sign, stating \u201cDRIVE CAREFULLY\u201d on their front lawn. Only 17% of residents agreed to do so, but this number jumped to 76% for another set of residents. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><strong>What caused that difference?<br \/>\n<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Two weeks earlier researchers approached that group of residents with another request. They asked them to install a small sign in their window that read \u201cBE A SAFE DRIVER\u201d. People easily said \u201cyes\u201d. What residents did not realise is that this first commitment would make them see themselves as the type of people who support such causes as safe driving. Two weeks later, to appear consistent with their past behavior (and a newly acquired self-image) they had to agree with a larger request, too.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That\u2019s the essence of the foot-in-the-door technique: compliance with a modest request leads to compliance with a larger request.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now let\u2019s think about how you can apply that principle to your online marketing!<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                        \t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-content__section\" id=\"whatissopowerfulaboutit\" data-ref=\"case-content-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"post-content__section-title\">What is so powerful about it?<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"post-content__section-content\"><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Consistency and commitment principle is powerful because not only can you increase immediate conversions within your sales funnel, but also alter your customers\u2019 attitudes towards your brand. As you will see in the studies below, this could go as far as turning your dissatisfied customers into satisfied ones. This means lower churn rate and higher lifetime customer value.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t                            <div data-target=\"post-newsletter-anchor\" data-device=\"mobile\"><\/div>\n                        \t\t\t\t\t                        \t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-content__section\" id=\"willitworkforyouandhowcanyoumaximiseyourchancesofsuccess\" data-ref=\"case-content-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"post-content__section-title\">Will it work for you and how can you maximise your chances of success?<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"post-content__section-content\"><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As with the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/conversion.com\/reciprocity-rule\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">norm of reciprocity<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, you are very unlikely to be able to manipulate your customers. When applying this principle online, people would think more deliberately about requests that they comply to. So, unless your request might add some real value to their lives, people will likely reject it. Yet, you can still use this principle to gradually guide them towards the target request. The one that will help them to live a better life and make you money.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Commitment and consistency principle has the greatest effect when one\u2019s self-image is affected by his\/her previous actions. According to Cialdini, for the highest chance of a commitment affecting one\u2019s self-image, it needs to be:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Active (a person consciously commits to something)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Public (there is a sense that commitment is known\/observed by other people)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Effortful<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Freely chosen (uncoerced)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not to bore you with dry theory, we will jump straight into some examples. Today I am considering 4 main use cases for this technique: email sign-up, user onboarding, check-out optimization and lead generation. Where relevant, I will cite research by Cialdini and his colleagues. Jerry Burger&#8217;s <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/abs\/10.1207\/s15327957pspr0304_2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">meta-analysis<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of existing research on the Foot-in-the-Door technique deserves special attention.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                        \t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-content__section\" id=\"emailsignup\" data-ref=\"case-content-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"post-content__section-title\">Email sign-up<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"post-content__section-content\"><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here\u2019s what the standard email popup looks like:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-946 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/conversion.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/1165x678image31commit-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"350\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While great, there is a psychological process that interferes with our goal of getting a visitor\u2019s email address. It\u2019s called psychological reactance. It occurs when people perceive a threat to their sense of personal freedom and choice. When we become aware of an effort to reduce our freedom (eg. we feel we are being forced to do something), we often respond in such a way that will re-assert that freedom. In that case, we will close the pop-up window. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s a completely different story when we offer our readers an opportunity to sign up for our email list. Let\u2019s consider SnackNation\u2019s example. They offer their readers an opportunity to sign up for a newsletter within their popular article, \u201c<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.snacknation.com\/blog\/employee-wellness-program-ideas\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">121 Proven Employee Wellness Program Ideas For Your Office<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-932 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/conversion.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/689x325image02commit-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"283\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When clicking \u201cDownload this entire list as a PDF\u201d, users are making an active commitment that does not feel coerced (ie. it was their free choice). This increases the chances that they will finish the sign-up process. When SnackNation changed a forceful pop-up for an uncoerced opportunity to get a PDF checklist their subscription rate <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/backlinko.com\/white-hat-seo\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">increased<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by 195%. From 20 subscribers per week to 59.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-933 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/conversion.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/765x360image22commit-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"598\" height=\"281\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Moreover, entering your first name and an email address requires a certain amount of effort (tick this one, too). This gives SnackNation not only a chance to get subscribers, but also make related requests in the future such as a webinar sign-up (which is a larger commitment). <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cRemember you signed up for this PDF checklist? We know you are the type of person who cares about employees\u2019 well-being. Why not sign-up for our free webinar that will help you with exactly that?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Apparently, that\u2019s what they do:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-937 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/conversion.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/855x566image19commit-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"601\" height=\"398\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now, using research on the use of commitment and consistency principle, I will walk you through some questions. They will help us to understand if SnackNation is doing a good job.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                        \t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-content__section\" id=\"doesittieavisitorsfirstcommitmenttoherselfimage\" data-ref=\"case-content-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"post-content__section-title\">Does it tie a visitor\u2019s first commitment to her self-image?<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"post-content__section-content\"><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">First of all, we know that, to be effective, the first commitment needs to insert a desirable (from our point of view) self-image into the person. So, we might want to improve this page by tieing a person\u2019s identity to the action.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It could look like this:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-939 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/conversion.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/956x316image14commit-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"594\" height=\"196\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                        \t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-content__section\" id=\"doesyoursecondrequestseemlikealogicalprogressionofyourfirstrequest\" data-ref=\"case-content-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"post-content__section-title\">Does your second request seem like a logical progression of your first request?<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"post-content__section-content\"><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Burger <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/abs\/10.1207\/s15327957pspr0304_2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">found<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that when a second request seemed like a continuation of the first request, participants were twice as likely to comply relative to the control groups. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In SnackNation\u2019s case a webinar on wellness seems to be a logical progression of the first request to download the wellness program report. Well done guys!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On the other hand, Decathlon, a global sports retailer, fails on this one. As you enter their website, you are being presented with a standard email sign-up form. It promises that\u00a0upon entering your email address, you will receive sport advice and offers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-928 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/conversion.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/640x498image09commit-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"467\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">From my point of view, the logical progression would have been to ask me to confirm my email address, so that I can start receiving those offers. Instead, their second request is to create an account at MyDecathlon (I am still not sure what that is):<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-927 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/conversion.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/636x266image20commit-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"251\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In other words, to complete that enormous sign-up form with several tabs:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-935 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/conversion.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/800x893image04commit-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"670\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Decathlon\u2019s signup process is likely to be ineffective because psychological reactance might kick in. A user might feel that Decathlon purposefully omitted any information about account creation. They made the pop-up form seem like a newsletter sign-up, so that users don\u2019t realise that they will have to go through a lengthy sign-up process, all before receiving any of the promised perks. As we know from reactance theory, when we feel manipulated, we will act in an opposite way to re-assert that freedom (ie. not sign up).<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But there is another reason why Decathlon\u2019s sign up process might be failing. It violates the rule of reciprocity\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                        \t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-content__section\" id=\"areyoutakingandgivingbackorjusttakingandtakingmore\" data-ref=\"case-content-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"post-content__section-title\">Are you taking and giving back or just taking and taking more?<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"post-content__section-content\"><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We know that when we apply the principle of commitment and consistency, compliance with a small request leads to compliance with a larger request. Well, this is not always the case. As one <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1111\/j.1559-1816.1999.tb01382.x\/abstract\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">study<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> showed, when two requests are made one <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">straight after<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> another (and the second one is <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">not<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> a logical progression of the first one), the norm of reciprocity might burn this whole persuasion effort into pieces.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In line with the norm of reciprocity, after people complied with the first request (put some effort on their end), they feel that the person who asked for it is indebted to them in some way. So, unless the \u201casker\u201d provides something of value back <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">first, <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the second request would be taken unfavourably. People would perceive it as an imprudent act that violates the norm of reciprocity and, as Cialdini says in the book, we tend to react negatively to such violators. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Note:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The reciprocity norm is unlikely to backfire when the sign-up form is designed as a logical progression sequence (for example, upon signing up you are made another request, to confirm your email). This is because the second request would seem as <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a part of the first request, <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">not a separate request. According to Burger, the highest risk of the reciprocity rule backfiring is when two <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">unrelated <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">requests are made one <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">straight after<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> the other.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is exactly the mistake that Decathlon is making. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">First of all, upon receiving your email address, they make you a second request that is unrelated to their first request. I would have expected them to ask me for confirmation of my email address. Instead, they asked me to create an account at some unknown MyDecathlon. As we saw this involves filling out several, complicated forms.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I have also put some effort on my end, I provided an email address. So, if the second request does not logically progress from the first one, I would at least expect to get something of value in return for my contact details. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Now, I feel that the reciprocity norm has been violated, causing a negative reaction on my end.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Compare this to what Reebok is doing.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You just comply with their first request (enter your email address) and boom!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-929 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/conversion.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/640x506image17commit-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"596\" height=\"471\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A free coupon offer straight to your inbox.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-926 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/conversion.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/623x343image25commit-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"605\" height=\"333\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Obligations on both ends have been fulfilled, now I am ready to consider any other requests from them.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Similarly, SnackNation provides you with value once you complied with their first request. Upon entering your contact details you expect to receive a PDF-checklist in return.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-933 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/conversion.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/765x360image22commit-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"591\" height=\"278\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The copy on the next page informs you that the PDF was sent. So, SnackNation fulfilled their obligations and it\u2019s ok to make a second request (webinar sign-up).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-924 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/conversion.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/521x104image18commit-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"516\" height=\"103\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, what should a firm like Decathlon do if ultimately they want you to create an account with them? <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Well, they could have informed us that we would need to create an account <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">before<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> receiving any offers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-931 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/conversion.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/683x432image15commit-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"593\" height=\"375\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Then, copy in the email would seem like a logical progression of what has been offered in the pop-up. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Alternatively, they could take an approach where the first commitment would be tied to a person\u2019s identity. They could offer a 60-second quiz, making users answer a number of questions about themselves. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-930 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/conversion.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/654x401image34commit-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"368\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The quiz would allow them to find out more about the person. This in turn would give them an opportunity to use that first commitment (quiz completion) as a segway to registering an account at MyDecathlon. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here\u2019s what it could look like:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-952 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/conversion.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/1272x1022image28commit-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"599\" height=\"481\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, there is also another factor that we need to consider when dealing with the norm of reciprocity. It\u2019s timing.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                        \t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-content__section\" id=\"areyoutimingyourrequestsortryingtofeedthewholepie\" data-ref=\"case-content-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"post-content__section-title\">Are you timing your requests or trying to feed the whole pie?<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"post-content__section-content\"><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.tandfonline.com\/doi\/abs\/10.1207\/s15324834basp1901_7\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">study<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> has shown that the reciprocity norm lasts only a few days, at least for the kinds of favors typically examined in social psychology experiments (for example, receiving a soft drink). That is, the obligation people feel to return a small favour appears to dissipate after a short period of time. So, if you are making two, unrelated requests, you might overcome the negative effects of the norm of reciprocity by simply making these requests on separate days. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Research is inconclusive on how many days need to pass by for the norm of reciprocity to lose its effect. In a recent <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1111\/j.1559-1816.1999.tb01382.x\/abstract\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">study<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> a lapse of 2 days was sufficient to produce a more favourable effect than when there was no delay at all. This means that if Decathlon employed the quiz change I described above, it might have been safer to send the follow-up email 2 days later.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                        \t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-content__section\" id=\"whatareyoucommunicatingaboutpeopleslikelihoodtocomplywithyourrequest\" data-ref=\"case-content-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"post-content__section-title\">What are you communicating about people\u2019s likelihood to comply with your request?<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"post-content__section-content\"><p>A fourth consideration we need to make is social proof. It was found that if a person perceives the type of request you are making as the one only few people comply to, they would be less likely to commit to it. This is exactly what SnackNation might be sub-communicating with their \u201cThe number of seats are limited&#8230;\u201d copy. We are not being told how many seats are left (or have been reserved).<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-940 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/conversion.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/969x915image27commit-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"605\" height=\"571\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This could have been interpreted as a \u201cneedy\u201d attempt to get at least a few webinar attendees (unfavourable social proof). So, from the research on commitment and consistency, it might have been safer to reframe this last bit as \u201cXX caring HR managers have already signed up\u201d (I assume that a good number of people actually signs up).<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                        \t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-content__section\" id=\"protipcustomiseyouremailpopups\" data-ref=\"case-content-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"post-content__section-title\">Pro Tip: Customise\u00a0your email pop-ups<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"post-content__section-content\"><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In case you don\u2019t have time to create customised lead magnets to every single one of your posts (or you\u2019re afraid the bonus won\u2019t be noticed), you could test customising your standard pop-up box.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Instead of making a sign-up request straightaway, you could re-frame it as a question. Here\u2019s an example of how Thrive Themes did it:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-948 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/conversion.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/1204x820image05commit-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"607\" height=\"413\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They ask you a question instead of pushing the sign-up form on you. The sub-headline, \u201cLet us know, maybe we can help!\u201d reinforces the idea of helpfulness vs. pushy-ness. These two elements reduce the psychological reactance. Now the user can consciously pick the goal they are interested in (making an active, somewhat effortful commitment that does not feel coerced). <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And only after that she is being presented with a request.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-947 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/conversion.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/1203x906image07commit-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"601\" height=\"452\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With the first commitment having been made, the reader\u2019s self-perception can now be framed as \u201cI want to design a cool website, I just chose it as a selection\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>I asked <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/haveitfr?lang=en\">Hanne Vervaeck<\/a>, the marketing team lead at <a href=\"http:\/\/thrivethemes.com\">ThriveThemes<\/a>, about their results:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We were able to get our conversion rate up from 5.5% (the control) to an impressive 11.7% by changing from a simple opt-in to a multiple choice opt-in form.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"quote-citation-name citation__author\">Hanne Vervaeck -Marketing Team Lead at Thrive Themes<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It doubled their conversion rate. Very impressive indeed.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                        \t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-content__section\" id=\"useronboarding\" data-ref=\"case-content-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"post-content__section-title\">User onboarding<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"post-content__section-content\"><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Similarly, Duolingo uses the principle of consistency &amp; commitment to convert visitors into active users. Everything starts with a declarative statement, \u201cI want to learn&#8230;\u201d where a visitor needs to choose a language (an active commitment).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-938 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/conversion.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/903x567image16commit-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"598\" height=\"375\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Straight after that, Duolingo asks me to decide how much I want to commit to language learning (another active commitment).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-923 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/conversion.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/486x469image33commit-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"486\" height=\"469\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is very smart as then they can send me emails with \u201cremember, you set this goal for yourself\u201d. I checked it and that\u2019s exactly what they do:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-925 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/conversion.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/619x680image10commit-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"604\" height=\"664\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Again, using the knowledge from Burger\u2019s meta-analysis, we can improve the way Duolingo gets a commitment from their users. Research has shown that labeling people can have pronounced effects on their behavior. When participants\u2019 behavior was attributed to positive internal traits (eg. calling someone \u201ccooperative\u201d or \u201chelpful\u201d) compliance rates were higher.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-922 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/conversion.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/460x715image21commit-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"460\" height=\"715\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(Adapted from Burger, 1999, \u201c<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/abs\/10.1207\/s15327957pspr0304_2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Foot-in-the-Door Compliance Procedure: A Multiple-Process Analysis and Review<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d. Combined results of 3 studies that experimented with labeling.)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Similarly, Duolingo could label users based on the commitment they made. If I chose \u201cinsane\u201d as my commitment level, they could show me this message:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-941 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/conversion.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/983x554image13commit-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"598\" height=\"337\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Supposedly, that label would make me more likely to keep using the app on a daily basis.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the past, the commitment part was pushed further down the onboarding process (you can see the full overview by Samuel Hulick <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.useronboard.com\/how-duolingo-onboards-new-users\/?slide=18\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">here<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">). The idea was that they provided some \u201caha moments\u201d first and <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">then<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> requested the user to make a commitment.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-955 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/conversion.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/1453x818image23commit-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"337\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-953 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/conversion.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/1280x720image26commit.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"584\" height=\"328\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s interesting that they pushed it towards the beginning of the funnel. We will discuss why this might have been a bad choice in the 8th part of these series where we discuss sequencing.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another great example comes from Naked Wines. Before you can use their services, they screen you on whether you would be a good fit for them.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-951 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/conversion.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/1220x693image29commit.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"599\" height=\"340\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let\u2019s do it!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-949 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/conversion.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/1217x363image11commit.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"595\" height=\"178\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now, I told them I consider myself to be a wine enthusiast who would prefer a wine with a story. I have not only made several declarative statements about who I am, I have fully laid out how they can tie up my identity to their marketing.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                        \t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-content__section\" id=\"torewardornottoreward\" data-ref=\"case-content-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"post-content__section-title\">To reward or not to reward?<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"post-content__section-content\"><p>There is mixed evidence on how offering extrinsic rewards affects effectiveness of the commitment and consistency principle. It\u2019s important to notice that neither Duolingo nor Naked Wines offer any incentives in return for commitments we are making (Naked Wines gives you a voucher, but it has not been said in the copy).<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Generally, studies have shown that when we are rewarded for a commitment, we are less likely to comply with a subsequent request. This is because we attribute our initial commitment to the reward, not to our internal qualities (e.g. being \u201cdetermined\u201d or generally liking certain types of wine). The greater the reward, the less <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">committed<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> the person is to the act (according to a<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/17280502_A_Test_of_a_Model_for_Commitment\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">study<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by Kiesler and Sakumara).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With that said, all these studies used money as an extrinsic reward. This is rarely the case with our online marketing activities. Instead, we offer ebooks, PDF checklists, etc. Those types of incentives have not been explored in academic research. I personally believe that ebooks and PDF checklists are a sufficiently small reward for a person to still feel committed to their action.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, ideally you would not use them. For example, there is no way I would attribute my commitment to Duolingo learning to anything external. It&#8217;s 100% clear that I made this commitment because I want to learn a language. This gives them the full power to nudge me to stay committed to that goal (hence, use the app).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, it should not hurt too much for the standard perks we use in online marketing. (Plus, as we will explore later in this article, rewards <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">can<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> strengthen our commitment). Testing is the only way to answer this question with certainty though.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                        \t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-content__section\" id=\"optimisationofacheckoutfunnel\" data-ref=\"case-content-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"post-content__section-title\">Optimisation of a check-out funnel<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"post-content__section-content\"><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You have probably already read about Barack Obama\u2019s 2012 presidential <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/kylerush.net\/blog\/optimization-at-the-obama-campaign-ab-testing\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">campaign<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. The team behind it re-designed the donation form using the commitment and consistency principle. This resulted in a 5% increase in the conversion rate, adding millions of incremental dollars.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-954 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/conversion.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/1300x813image32commit.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"601\" height=\"375\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They split the check-out process into 4 steps, thus splitting the target request to donate into a series of smaller commitments. It worked.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What was missed in other overviews of this campaign is the way copy was re-framed. Notice, the new form asks, \u201cHow much would you like to donate today?\u201d vs \u201cDonate now\u201d. This again overcomes the psychological reactance, showing the visitor that there is no threat to their freedom. Moreover, \u201cHow much would you like to donate\u201d transforms the first commitment into a declarative statement about a person\u2019s intentions, prompting one to think \u201c<\/span><b>I<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(!) want to donate that much\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Obviously, the first commitment is active as you have to select an amount, and is not effortless.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As with the campaigns above, the strength of this implementation is that it does not offer any rewards. In terms of improvements, we know that labelling could have been used to tie one\u2019s self-image to their action. For example, upon clicking \u201cContinue\u201d, one might have been shown a message, saying \u201cThat\u2019s so generous of you. We appreciate your support.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                        \t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-content__section\" id=\"leadgeneration\" data-ref=\"case-content-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"post-content__section-title\">Lead generation<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"post-content__section-content\"><p>Finally, the principle of commitment and consistency can be used for getting\/closing sales leads. This is not a post on sales techniques, so I will only cover how you can generate leads through digital media.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.crazyegg.com\/\">Crazy Egg<\/a> offers a great example. When reading their blog, here\u2019s a Qualaroo survey that you get. (Notice how you can skillfully use <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/qualaroo.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Qualaroo<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> not just for research, but also lead generation).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Funny fact:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Hiten Shah told me that at this moment their priority with this form is customer research, but we both agreed that it could as effectively be used for lead generation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It starts with a non-intrusive question, \u201cWould you like to know which problems on your site are driving people away?\u201d. Notice that it also does not use any manipulative copy such as, \u201cNo, I want to keep losing customers\u201d. Emphasis on the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">you <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">again attempts to tie this commitment with our self-image.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-918 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/conversion.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/291x183image35commit.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"291\" height=\"183\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After having made an active commitment, a visitor has to actually put some effort in and explain what her problems are.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-921 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/conversion.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/297x210image24commit.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"297\" height=\"210\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The next question is the target request. Notice how it has been built on top of all the previous questions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-919 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/conversion.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/291x199image01commit.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"291\" height=\"199\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The copy remains being non-intrusive, \u201cWould you be open to\u2026?\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-920 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/conversion.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/291x317image12commit.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"291\" height=\"317\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The final step is again a logical progression of previous commitments. Giving an email address is a sufficiently small, but valuable commitment to the subsequent phone call offer.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, again Crazy Egg combines active, effortful and non-coercive elements of commitment making for maximum effects.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I asked <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hnshah\">Hiten Shah<\/a> if they used direct sales approaches (eg. asking &#8220;Would you be open to a 20 minute call about&#8230;&#8221; straightaway), and if yes, how did they compare to gradual, commitment-based approaches? <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here\u2019s what he told me:<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We have found that the direct approach is much less effective. We have tested both approaches and this one works much better. It is up to 2 times as effective in getting us people who are willing to get on the call.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"quote-citation-name citation__author\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hiten Shah <\/span>Founder of Crazy Egg and Kissmetrics<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"quote-citation-company\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s difficult to think of how you could make all the commitments above public, but you could introduce publicity once a visitor has become familiar with what you are offering. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, Duolingo could prompt users to publicly share their goal of learning a new language <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">once<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> they completed some of the exercises.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-934 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/conversion.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/800x488image08commit.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"603\" height=\"368\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We will cover public commitments in more depth in the next section.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                        \t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-content__section\" id=\"longtermimpactofthecommitmentandconsistencyprinciple\" data-ref=\"case-content-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"post-content__section-title\">Long-term impact of the commitment and consistency principle<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"post-content__section-content\"><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cialdini\u2019s work on influence is not limited to immediate conversions. Persuasion is a different animal. The definition of persuasion, according to Cialdini is that it is focused on \u201cthe change in a private attitude or belief as a result of receiving a message.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That leads us to the idea that we might use the principle of commitment and consistency to alter one\u2019s attitudes towards your brand or product (or both). By making people to take a favorable stance towards your brand, you can set them on a path where it would be inconsistent to switch to your competitor.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                        \t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-content__section\" id=\"referralprograms\" data-ref=\"case-content-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"post-content__section-title\">Referral programs<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"post-content__section-content\"><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Researchers explored how this effect could be induced through referral programs. The intended goal of referral programs is to attract new business. Yet, many don\u2019t realise that, due to the effects of commitment and consistency principle, recommending a company to a friend strengthens the bond between a firm and the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">recommending customers<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> themselves. This makes existing business more stable. For example, churn rate might go down. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Indeed, this is what a 2013 <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/journals.ama.org\/doi\/full\/10.1509\/jm.11.0423\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">study<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> has found. A group of researchers examined the impact of participating in a referral program on customers of a global cellular communications provider. They operate on a subscription-based model, so SaaS folks might find these results particularly interesting:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Researchers found a significant churn-reducing effect from participation in a customer referral program. Twelve months after participating, the probability of being an active customer was 93% for participants (of the referral program), but only 81% for non-participants. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Moreover, the average monthly revenue for participating customers grew by 11.4% compared with a matched control group.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The principle at work is the same. After publicly recommending the company, the customers\u2019 attitude towards the company became more favourable, to be consistent with their own behavior. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Madlen Kuester and Martin Benkenstein show that this could go as far as turning dissatisfied customers into satisfied ones. Their<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0969698914001088\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">study<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> showed that recommending a firm enhanced attitude and loyalty towards the recommended provider despite users&#8217; prior negative experience with that firm. In simple terms, users who were dissatisfied with the firm\u2019s service in the past became more loyal after recommending it. They rationalised it backwards, \u201cIf I recommended the company, then they offer a good service\u201d (change of attitude despite prior negative experience).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(Note that this study was not conducted on a group of 120 undergraduates in a non-real life setting, so whether the same impact can be produced in real life remains an open question, but theoretically yes, it can be.)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                        \t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-content__section\" id=\"torewardornottorewardreconsidered\" data-ref=\"case-content-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"post-content__section-title\">To reward or not to reward? Re-considered.<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"post-content__section-content\"><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Oddly enough, the 2013 study examining churn has also found that the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">larger<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> the reward offered for referring a customer, the stronger the effect on attitudinal loyalty. How can this be the case? Haven\u2019t we previously said that rewards are bad for making a person committed to their previous action?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The devil is in the detail. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Based on research, it seems that rewards might have a negative impact when you are working with people who have <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">no pre-existing attitude<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> towards your brand or had <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a negative experience<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with your brand. In that case, they would be more likely to justify their actions in terms of extrinsic rewards they received. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, according to positive reinforcement theory when customers <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">already<\/span><\/i> <i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">have a<\/span><\/i> <i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">positive attitude <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">towards the brand (remember, people participating in referral programs are likely to be existing customers; why would they recommend something to a friend if they did not like it?), a larger reward can <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">strengthen<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that attitude. So, whether to offer rewards or not would depend on the situation you are dealing with.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let me reiterate. When you need to <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">create<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> a positive attitude or <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">reverse<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> an existing negative attitude, you should avoid using rewards (if using, the smaller the better). When you need to <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">strengthen<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> an <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">existing<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> positive attitude, rewards can serve you well (the larger the better). At least that\u2019s what these findings suggest.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                        \t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-content__section\" id=\"thehowtoofbuildingacommitmentthroughareferralprogram\" data-ref=\"case-content-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"post-content__section-title\">The how-to of building a commitment through a referral program<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"post-content__section-content\"><p>When it comes to execution, all the same principles apply. For greatest results, a referral needs to be an active, effortful, public commitment that does not feel coerced.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-943 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/conversion.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/1050x648image03commit.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"597\" height=\"368\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A referral program used by Typeform ticks all those boxes. It\u2019s important to point out that in contrast to many other referral programs, it allows you to customise the message that will be sent out. Most referral programs just ask you to enter your friends\u2019 email addresses. This is great in terms of simplicity, but you might be missing out on an opportunity to strengthen loyalty of your existing users.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>By allowing them to change the message, you create a situation where<\/p>\n<p>1) if they did not change it, that still means that they agree with what is being said (= more active commitment)<\/p>\n<p>2) if they do change the text (telling about their positive experiences), you are building an even stronger commitment because then it also becomes more effortful.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-936 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/conversion.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/804x380image00commit.jpg\" width=\"450\" height=\"213\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                        \t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-content__section\" id=\"areyourightontime\" data-ref=\"case-content-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"post-content__section-title\">Are you right on time?<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"post-content__section-content\"><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Finally, timing is crucial. The 2013 study found that effect was the strongest for customers with low expertise in the service category and little experience with the provider. This means that engaging customers in the referral program <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">at an early stage<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of the onboarding process would produce maximum effect on their loyalty.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                        \t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-content__section\" id=\"testimonials\" data-ref=\"case-content-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"post-content__section-title\">Testimonials<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"post-content__section-content\"><p>The same principle is at work when customers are voluntarily leaving testimonials. Each testimonial is a public, declarative statement about their experience with your brand. If it was positive, then your customers are likely to use it as a frame of reference when thinking about which brand they prefer.<\/p>\n<p>Basecamp shows testimonials of 1,000 of its customers on their website.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-945 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/conversion.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/1108x885image06commit.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"602\" height=\"481\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Each is an active, public, effortful statement about their experience that was not coerced.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t                        \t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-content__section\" id=\"keytakeaways\" data-ref=\"case-content-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"post-content__section-title\">Key takeaways<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"post-content__section-content\"><p>I explored the commitment &amp; consistency principle with all of its peculiar subtleties. It appears that its application is not as simple as breaking a larger request into a series of smaller ones. For it to take a substantial, lasting effect, the first commitment needs to establish (or reinforce) a certain self-image within a person.<\/p>\n<p>That self-image would act as a frame of reference for a person to decide whether to commit to subsequent requests or not.<\/p>\n<p>For maximum chances of establishing a desirable self-image, the first commitment needs to be:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Active<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Effortful<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Public<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Freely chosen (uncoerced)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>To enhance the likelihood of inserting that self-image, you can:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Label a person to possess a certain internal characteristic after they took a certain action (eg. you\u2019re \u201cdetermined\u201d or \u201cyou care about your employees\u2019 well-being\u201d)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Frame your copy in a way that makes the visitor think in declarative statements about herself (or better make her write them).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>To make sure the process goes smoothly, think about how the principle of commitment &amp; consistency interacts with other principles of influence:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Does your second request seem like a logical progression of the first one?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If not, the norm of reciprocity will likely backfire.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To counteract it, you should either provide something of value first or wait at least 2 days between making 2 requests (or both). <\/span><b>Top tip: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">make sure to remind the person of their first commitment when making the second request.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Use social proof to show that it\u2019s a norm to comply with a request you are making.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If planning to use rewards:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Offer small rewards when trying to get a commitment towards something that a user does not have a pre-existing attitude towards (eg. a new reader or a user on your website would not have a strong attitude towards your brand)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Offer large rewards when trying to strengthen a commitment of existing customers<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>As we have seen, this principle can be successfully applied to improve email signups,\u00a0<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">user onboarding, check-out funnels and lead generation. More importantly it can strengthen loyalty of your newly acquired customers (for example,\u00a0through referral or testimonial programs).<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t                            <div data-target=\"post-newsletter-anchor\" data-device=\"mobile\"><\/div>\n                        \t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<aside class=\"post-content__sidebar post-content__sidebar--form\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"sticky-newsletter\" data-target=\"post-newsletter-anchor\" data-device=\"desktop\">\n                \t<div class=\"post-newsletter\" data-target=\"post-newsletter\">\n    <h4 class=\"post-newsletter__title\">Real-world growth experiments. In your inbox. Every week. <\/h4>\n            <div class=\"post-newsletter__form post-newsletter__form--world kam-world\">\n        <script charset=\"utf-8\" type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"\/\/js.hsforms.net\/forms\/embed\/v2.js\"><\/script> <script>   hbspt.forms.create({     region: \"na1\",     portalId: \"9358319\",     formId: \"4e927e03-4f90-466a-8646-7f94947f860c\"   }); <\/script>\n    <\/div>\n            <div class=\"post-newsletter__form post-newsletter__form--uk-us kam-uk-us\">\n            <script charset=\"utf-8\" type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"\/\/js.hsforms.net\/forms\/embed\/v2.js\"><\/script><script>hbspt.forms.create({ region: \"na1\", portalId: \"9358319\", formId: \"03e799e7-ee63-4857-9182-cb3a687dba40\" });<\/script>\n        <\/div>\n        <div class=\"post-newsletter__terms\"><p>Join 5,000+ optimizers who subscribe to our content<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n            <\/aside>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":511,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>The Definitive Guide to the Foot in the Door technique (learn how to 2X your conversion rate) | Conversion<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/conversion.com\/blog\/definitive-guide-foot-door-technique\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Definitive Guide to the Foot in the Door technique (learn how to 2X 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