Sequential Request Strategies

1. Sequential Request Strategies How to open doors…and slam them

2. Favors and gifts create a sense of indebtedness. • Returning favors is culturally universal. • Beware of unfair exchanges. • example: a male buys a female three drinks in a bar. Does she “owe” him anything in return? Pre-Giving

3. Befriending your neighbor • Ned fixes Earl’s sprinkler, then asks to borrow Earl’s lawnmower. • Political favors • Campaign contributions buy access to a politician, if not votes. • Panhandling tour guides • Panhandlers volunteer directions to tourists, then ask for a tip. • Pregiving in sales • A company gives important clients free tickets to a ball game. • Doing the dishes as foreplay • A husband does the dishes, hoping to put the wife in a good mood. Pregiving illustrations

4. The liking explanation • The pregiver is perceived as a good, kind person. • Best used when the return favor is for a good cause. • The gratitude explanation • The pregiver evokes “good vibes.” • Best used when the return favor benefits the pregiver. • Norm of reciprocity • Favors create a sense of indebtedness. • Impression management: People want to maintain a positive image. • Internalized social norm: Repaying favors is the right thing to do. Why does pregiving work so well?

5. A person who agrees to a small, initial request is more likely to comply with a subsequent larger request. • Freedman & Fraser’s (1966) classic study • initial request: housewives were asked to display a small sign in their window that read “Be a safe driver.” • follow-up request: housewives were later asked to display a large billboard that read “Drive Carefully” in the front yard. • results: 17% of the “control” housewives complied, compared to 76% of the FITD housewives. The “foot in the door” strategy (FITD)

6. Theoretical explanationsfor the “FITD” • Bem’s self-perception theory: People make self-attributions based on their own behavior. • Gorassini & Olson: Self perception is not the only explanation for the FITD. • The requestee may consider whether others would reject the request. • activating relevant attitudes is important (“you are so thoughtful.” “You are so generous.”)

7. Size of the 1st request • Must be small enough to ensure compliance, but not so small as to appear trivial. • Prosocial requests • The strategy works best with prosocial causes. • External incentives • There should be no external inducements such as payment or rewards. • Who makes the request • The 1st and 2nd requests need not be made by the same requester. • Social labeling • Positive labels help activate relevant attitudes. • Who answers the door • People with a high need for consistency are more susceptible. • People with high self-clarity are more susceptible. • Time Delay • A time delay between the 1st and 2nd requests helps activate relevant attitudes. Keys to the FITD strategy

8. Foot in the mouth: • Acknowledging that one is in a good mood predisposes a person to be more agreeable. • Telemarketers: “How are you today?” • Food servers: “What beautiful weather. We’re having!” • Warm-Up act: “Who’s ready to have fun? I can’t hear you. Who is ready to have some FUN?” The “foot in the mouth” strategy

9. The “door in the face” strategy (DITF) • A person is presented with an initial, large request which she/he is inclined to reject. • The person thereby becomes more likely to acquiesce to a second, more reasonable request. • Cialdini & Ascani’s (1976) study: • initial request: college dorm residents were asked to donate one unit of blood every two months for a period of three years. • follow-up request: dorm residents were asked to give blood once, the next day. • results: compliance for the DITF group was 49%, versus 31% for the control group.

10. perceptual contrast phenomenon • The 2nd request seems much more reasonable by comparison. • reciprocal concessions • The target perceives he/she is engaged in a bargaining situation. • self-presentation explanation • The target doesn’t want to be perceived negatively by others. • social responsibility position • We comply based on our own, internal standards • guilt-based explanation • The target feels guilty for not being helpful. • Note: at present, it isn’t clear which of these explanations best accounts for the research findings Theoretical explanationsfor the “DITF”

11. Size of the initial request • The 1st request must be large enough to be rejected, but not ludicrous. • Prosocial Requests • The strategy works best with prosocial causes. • Time Delay • The 2nd request must follow right after the 1st. • Who makes the request • The 1st and 2nd requests must be made by the same requester. • Size of the follow-up request • The 2nd request must be unambiguously smaller than the 1st. • Who answers the door • DITF works best with “exchange-oriented” people. Keys to the DITF strategy

12. But wait, there’s more…” • The “that’s not all strategy” sweetens the deal. • Free extras add perceived value to an offer. • “Order now, and I’ll throw in…” • Often combined with the scarcity principle. • “The first 20 callers will also receive…” • Effectiveness is based on reciprocity and contrasting The “that’s not all” tactic

13. The low ball technique • Lowballing involves making an offer that sounds too good to be true. • There are, however, hidden “strings” attached. • Once the consumer is psychologically committed, it is hard to back out. • zero down car sales • A credit card has a low interest rate, but only for a few months. • fine print in a low airfare ad (“restrictions may apply”) • Effectiveness is based on psychological commitment and unfulfilled obligations The “lowball” tactic

14. Bait & Switch • An offer is made that seems too good to be true. • When the consumer tries to buy the low-priced item, the item is no longer available. • The strategy is common in retail sales. • “Sorry, we’re out of your size, but…” • “That model is actually a piece of junk. For just a bit more, you can get…” • “Would you like to upgrade that ticket?” The “bait-and-switch” tactic

15. The low ball tactic changes the original deal or adds conditions to the existing deal. • The low ball operates after the target becomes psychologically committed. • The bait & switch involves a completely different deal, an alternative product or course of action. • The bait lures the target in before she/he is psychologically committed. Low ball versus bait & switch

16. Disrupting and reframing is a diversionary tactic. • A quirky statement disrupts cognitive processing. • “My soccer team’s candy is $5. That’s only 500 pennies.” • The disruption inhibits counterarguing. The “disrupt-then-reframe” strategy

17. This strategy pre-empts potential objections. • “Even a penny will help!” • “No donation is too small.” • The strategy induces guilt if the target declines. • The strategy produces a large quantity of smaller donations. • Donors tend to give far more than a penny, however. Legitimizing paltry contributions

18. Following a scare, the relief people feel makes them more compliant. • Police interrogations often rely on the “good cop, bad cop” routine. • Lola’s car is idling roughly. She takes it to her mechanic. • The mechanic looks under the hood and mutters, “uh oh…that’s not good.” • Lola experiences a moment of panic. She dreads a huge repair bill. • “Wait,” the mechanic says, “it’s just a loose spark-plug wire.” • Feeling relieved, she says, “Great!” • “However,” the mechanic says, “you need new spark plug wires. These are cracking.” • Lola is likely to jump at the chance for a smaller repair. The “fear-then relief” strategy

19. An emotional see-saw from good to bad also increases compliance. • The sudden withdrawal of positive emotion disrupts cognitive processing. • A person thinks she or he has found a $20 bill on the ground. • It turns out to be a flier. • Following the disappointment, the person is more likely to comply with a request. • The shift in emotions temporarily disrupts cognitive processing. The “happiness then disappointment” strategy

20. Some students were led to believe they received an “A” on an assignment. • The instructor then announced “There’s been a mistake.” • Students were then informed the high grade belonged to a student in another class. • The students were then given their correct grade, a “C.” • Students who experienced an emotional see-saw were more likely to volunteer for a school activity, for more hours, than students who weren’t mislead. Nawrat & Dolinski, 2007) The “happiness then disappointment” strategy