Foot in the Door

Foot in the Door (FITD) is a psychological persuasion technique often used in sales, marketing, and negotiation. The basic premise of the technique is that if a person agrees to a small initial request, they are more likely to comply with a larger, related request later on. The principle behind this phenomenon is that once a person has made a commitment, even if it's small, they feel a sense of obligation to continue behaving in a consistent manner.

The Foot in the Door technique is based on the principles of commitment and consistency, as described by psychologist Robert Cialdini in his book "Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion." When people comply with a small request, they often experience a change in their self-perception, which leads them to view themselves as helpful, cooperative, or agreeable. This change in self-perception makes them more likely to comply with subsequent larger requests to maintain consistency in their behavior and self-image.

Here's an example of the Foot in the Door technique:

A salesperson might initially ask a potential customer to fill out a short survey about their preferences or opinions. Once the customer has completed the survey, the salesperson might then ask if they are interested in purchasing a product or service that aligns with their preferences. Because the customer has already invested time and effort in completing the survey, they may be more likely to consider the salesperson's offer.

The Foot in the Door technique is closely related to another persuasion strategy called the Door in the Face technique, which involves making an initial large request that is likely to be rejected, followed by a smaller, more reasonable request. The idea behind this technique is that the second request appears more reasonable in comparison to the initial request, increasing the likelihood of compliance.

In summary, the Foot in the Door technique is a persuasion strategy that involves gaining compliance with a small initial request in order to increase the likelihood of compliance with a larger, related request later on. This technique is based on the psychological principles of commitment and consistency, as people tend to maintain consistency in their behavior and self-image once they have made an initial commitment.

See Also

• IT Strategy (Information Technology Strategy)
• IT Governance
• Enterprise Architecture
• Chief Information Officer (CIO)
• IT Sourcing (Information Technology Sourcing)
• IT Operations (Information Technology Operations)
• E-Strategy