Final answer:
The door-in-the-face technique is a persuasion strategy that involves making a large request that is likely to be rejected, and then following it up with a smaller request that is more likely to be accepted.
Step-by-step explanation:
The door-in-the-face technique is a persuasion strategy that involves making a large request that is likely to be rejected, and then following it up with a smaller request that is more likely to be accepted. This technique works by taking advantage of the principle of reciprocity and the desire for consistency in our behavior. When someone initially refuses a large request, they may feel obliged to comply with a smaller request to maintain consistency or to repay the favor from the first request.
An example of the door-in-the-face technique in a sales context would be a store owner offering a customer an expensive product, such as a high-end smartphone, and then suggesting additional expensive products or services like an extended warranty or a data plan. By first presenting the larger request (the expensive smartphone), the customer is more likely to agree to the smaller requests (the additional products or services), feeling that they have already made a commitment by purchasing the smartphone.
The door-in-the-face technique works because it taps into our inclination to reciprocate and our desire for consistency. When we perceive that a person has made a concession or shown us a favor by agreeing to our initial request, we feel an obligation to reciprocate by complying with their subsequent request. Additionally, we have a natural desire to maintain consistency in our behavior, so once we have agreed to a small request, we are more likely to continue agreeing to subsequent requests that are consistent with our initial response.