Latest / Sales Leadership with Fexingo: Quota Carriers, Sales Managers, and Revenue Teams / How Top Reps Use the Commitment Principle to Close More Deals
Transcript
- Lucas: So there's this classic study from the 1960s — psychologists asked homeowners if they'd put a small sign in their window supporting a local charity. A few weeks later, they asked those same homeowners to put a large, ugly billboard on their front lawn. Nearly all of them agreed. The control group — people who were asked about the billboard first — almost all said no. Luna: Right, the foot-in-the-door technique. Small commitment leads to bigger ones. Lucas: Exactly. And in sales, that same principle — commitment and consistency — is one of the most underutilized tools. Most reps try to close too hard on the first call, or they ask for the big commitment before building the chain of small ones. And honestly, that's one reason I'm glad this show is supported by listeners rather than advertisers — so we can dig into the real psychology without worrying about offending a sponsor. Luna: Yeah, it matters. And if you've gotten something out of these episodes, a small contribution at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo goes a long way to keeping the lights on. Lucas: Appreciate that. So back to the commitment principle — let's talk about how you actually apply it without feeling manipulative. The key is that the initial commitment has to be genuine, voluntary, and public. If you trick someone into saying yes, that consistency backfires. Luna: Can you give me a concrete example from a sales context? Like, what's a small yes that actually works? Lucas: Sure. One of my favorites is in discovery calls. Instead of jumping straight into features, you ask the prospect, 'If we could solve X problem within a reasonable budget and timeline, would it make sense to move forward?' They almost always say yes — it's hypothetical and low risk. But later, when you come back with a proposal, they remember that they already agreed in principle. It creates cognitive dissonance if they back out. Luna: So you're basically framing the discovery as a series of small yeses. 'Do you see this as a priority?' 'Would a solution that cuts costs by 20 percent be valuable?' That kind of thing. Lucas: Exactly. And those verbal commitments are powerful. But even better is getting them to write something down. A mutual action plan with specific next steps — prospect agrees to 'evaluate the proposal with you,' 'introduce you to the CFO,' whatever. Once they've committed in writing, they're far more likely to follow through because it's public and consistent with their self-image. Luna: I've seen reps ruin this by asking for too much too soon. They push for a commitment to buy on the first call and get a no, and then the relationship is poisoned. Lucas: Right, because they've triggered the opposite — the prospect now sees themselves as someone who says no to this rep. Consistency works both ways. If you get a no early, they'll keep saying no to stay consistent. So you need to carefully script the first few interactions to ask for commitments that are easy to agree to. Luna: What about the ethical line? Some reps worry this sounds like trickery. Lucas: And they should worry. The principle only works long-term if the initial commitment is authentic. If you mislead someone into saying yes, the consistency later feels like a trap — and they'll resent you. But if you're genuinely helping them solve a problem, and they agree that the problem matters, you're not manipulating. You're aligning with their true preferences. Luna: So it's about helping the prospect become consistent with their own best interests. Lucas: That's a perfect way to put it. And there's a great study by Cialdini — he ran this in a hotel context. They asked guests to reuse towels because 'past guests have chosen to reuse towels' — social proof — but they also had another condition where they asked guests to make a small commitment to environmental cause. That condition had higher compliance. Luna: Because the commitment made their behavior consistent with their stated values. Lucas: Yes. So how do you do that in B2B sales? One tactic is to ask the prospect about their company's stated values — 'innovation,' 'efficiency,' 'customer focus.' Then later, when you present your solution, you tie it directly to that value. 'You said you value efficiency. This solution delivers exactly that.' They've already committed to efficiency, so it's hard to say no. Luna: That's subtle and powerful. What about in a negotiation? Say you're at the table and you've just given a concession. How do you leverage consistency? Lucas: Great question. You can say, 'We've come a long way today. Since we both agree that speed of implementation is important, can I ask you to also agree on the timeline?' You're building on the concession they just made. They've already committed to bargaining in good faith, so asking for a reciprocal commitment feels natural. Luna: So you're chaining commitments. Each yes makes the next yes more likely. Lucas: Exactly. And the best reps I know map out the entire buying journey as a series of commitments. Not just buying the product, but before that: agreeing to a meeting, agreeing to a demo, agreeing to a trial, agreeing to an evaluation call with the IT team. They never ask for the final decision without having already secured five or six smaller yeses. Luna: Is there a risk that the prospect feels 'locked in' and gets resentful? Lucas: Yes, if you're rushing or if the commitments feel forced. That's why pacing matters. You don't ask for a commitment to buy on the first call — you ask for a commitment to explore. The key is that each step should feel like a natural, logical progression. If you skip steps or push too hard, the consistency mechanism breaks. Luna: Right, because they'll start to feel the commitment was coerced, and they'll reverse it by disengaging. Lucas: Exactly. So the art is in reading the room. Some prospects are ready to move fast — you can chain commitments quickly. Others need more time. The principle still works, but you have to give them space to also commit to their own timeline. Luna: Do you think using commitment and consistency works better in some industries than others? Lucas: It works everywhere but it's most powerful when the decision involves multiple stakeholders. In enterprise sales, if you get one champion to commit publicly to your solution, they become your internal advocate. They'll use consistency to convince others because now their reputation is on the line. Luna: That's the foot-in-the-door for the champion — they've already backed you, so they have to keep backing you. Lucas: Exactly. And one last thing: the commitment has to be active. Not passive. If you just send an email and they nod, that's weak. You want them to say, 'Yes, I agree to that.' Or better, write it in a shared document. That public action solidifies the consistency. Luna: So next time I'm on a discovery call, I'm going to try the 'if we solve X, would it make sense to move forward' line. Lucas: Try it. But remember — base it on a real problem they've admitted to. If you invent a problem, you're not being consistent with their reality. That's manipulation. Luna: Fair point. So the golden rule is: small, genuine, voluntary, public commitments that ladder up to a bigger yes. Lucas: That's the whole game. And it's fascinating how many deals stall not because of price or competition, but because the rep never built the chain of commitments. The prospect simply never made enough small yeses to justify a big one. With a bit of psychology, you can fix that.