People often say no to sales offers out of habit. Certain rules or expectations go into the interaction that keeps them from saying “Yes!” to what you have to offer.
Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to help potential customers to overcome these habits. Apart from using survey software tools and sales techniques, the Escalation of Commitment can transform a stubborn “No” into a resounding “Yes!”
Understanding the Escalation of Commitment
How does the Escalation of Commitment work?
The first step in the Escalation of Commitment is to get past your customer’s preconceived notions of what they are willing to do.
Picture this: suppose you ask a person to give you $200. Their automatic reaction would be to refuse. They most likely have a subconscious rule that keeps them from giving out $200 to people. If you ask for a smaller amount, say, $1, they might be more open to handing the cash off. After all, it’s just a dollar. Eventually, you get that person used to the idea of $1 when you need it.
Once you’ve established to the other party that it would be alright to give you a dollar, you can ask for more next time. Since they’re already used to the idea of giving you a dollar, they might think, “Well, what’s a bit more?” Slowly, you can work your way up to $200, all by gaining their commitment at a lower amount.
In a nutshell, the idea is to get a small piece of commitment, build on that, until they finally give you their “Yes!”
Escalating a Commitment into a Sale
Escalation of Commitment is a common sales technique. At call centers, salespeople build scripts to get customers to agree on products early on, effectively getting them in the habit of saying yes. Eventually, the commitment they ask for grows.
This type of sales technique works because it uses human biases — the way a person is wired to react to situations — to induce an act. How you respond is evidence of your interest. Take telemarketing calls, for example. People who answer calls find themselves interacting more with the salesperson on the other end. Once they answer more questions or get involved, the salesperson will take their interaction as a sign of their interest.
How to Put the Idea into Action
In terms of marketing, think of the Escalation of Commitment as a ladder or ramp. You should have a natural entry point for your potential customers. Start by giving them multiple opportunities to say yes to small purchases or ways of accessing information.
You should, however, create a ramping-up process that’s not too pushy. The next step should encourage people to move from the initial agreement to a higher level of engagement without annoying them. Get potential customers to say yes as often as they can before you bring them to the next level.
Simply put: make them want to go up a level higher because they’re enjoying the experience with you. Stay away from deception; provide offers that will gain their trust and interest.
People’s habit of automatically saying “No” shouldn’t keep you from pushing a sale. With the idea of Escalation of Commitment, you can get them to say “Yes” slowly but surely.