Final answer:
The 'foot-in-the-door' technique involves first getting agreement to a small request before making a larger one, increasing the likelihood that the customer will comply. It is a common sales strategy used in various scenarios including smartphone and car purchases.
Step-by-step explanation:
The technique being described is the foot-in-the-door technique, which is a psychological tactic used in sales and marketing where a small, initial request is made to a customer before making a larger request. This method is based on the principle that people are more likely to agree to a large request after they have agreed to a small one. For example, in the context of selling a smartphone, a store owner might start by suggesting the customer purchase a specific data plan.
Once the customer agrees to this initial, smaller request, the salesperson is more likely to succeed in convincing the customer to purchase a more expensive add-on like a three-year extended warranty. Similarly, when selling a car, salespeople may employ this technique to upsell additional features or services after the initial agreement to buy the car has been made.