Get them to start with a small commitment

Ever heard of the foot-in-the door technique?

It’s when you start with a low-stakes, easy request. If the other person complies, you follow up with a bigger one.

The idea is that people who commit to the initial request are more likely to agree to the subsequent, bigger request.

Why? To remain consistent with their earlier behavior.

This is one of the best in-action examples of commitment bias. And brands do it all the time.

Most SaaS subscriptions offer a free trial, which is cool. But they also ask you to commit your credit card information. Which is not that cool.

Brands may tell you they do it to avoid any abuse. And that’s true, partially.

But beyond that, this is a natural way to get you to commit—because later on it will be easier for you to pay the subscription.

Tie your product to a cause

Like we said, people often stick to commitments—especially if they align with their own self-image.

And there’s a simple way you can take advantage of that.

Frame the purchase decision as aligning with your customers’ identity by tying it to a relevant cause.

Your potential customers are already committed to certain values. When you reflect those values in your branding, you are appealing to their commitment bias.

Say you’re someone who cares deeply about marine life. And you come across an apparel brand that feels the same way:

You will probably spend to support that brand.

And you’ll also probably keep supporting them once you’ve committed.

In a nutshell, leverage storytelling to touch upon the values that reflect those of your customers. It works.

Reward consistency

Your customers want to maintain a positive self-image by staying true to their past decisions.

… And you can help them.

Make sure you reward your customers for regular engagement, loyalty, and longevity, because this will reinforce their sense of loyalty to your brand.

Some examples of this include:

• Loyalty programs that reward frequent actions like repeat purchases.
• Progress trackers and visual tools for achieving rewards and completing tasks.
• Longevity rewards like premium prices for long-term subscribers.

Booking leverages commitment bias with its “Genius” program, which encourages you to book more in order to unlock extra perks:

Start doing this, and you’ll probably prefer Booking to similar services—and might even hold it in a more positive regard.

All of this creates a positive feedback loop. By rewarding commitment, you’re making your customers commit even more.

A “commit-ception,” if you like.