It’s a basic sales technique that we sometimes do without even knowing it. “Foot in the Door” is not only useful, it’s one of the 4 most commonly used techniques!
In a nutshell, it’s when you present a low priced or lower valued product or service to get your “foot in the door”, then work your way up for a higher sale. For example, if start talking to you about this new MP3 player that’s $30, I’ll begin by telling you about all the great features and how awesome it is. Once I see that twinkle in your eye, I’ll start talking about other features (those that aren’t with this cheaper model)… As you get interested, you might ask “so this thing does THAT too???” I’d say no, but for only $10 more, you can get that feature as well as these 3 other features! Then as we start talking about that model, I might talk to you about the next model up or even talk you up on a nifty insurance/warranty plan for it. By the end of it, you might wind up with a $100 purchase.
Ok, now here’s the difference between someone who makes a sale vs a salesperson. If I just try to make the sale, that’s it….. I sold up the product and we’re done. You might be super happy but then when you get home you’ll be like “Waaaaiiitttt…… a second…. Did I just get ripped off?” In contrast, a salesperson wants you to realize the value of your purchase and also continue to believe in it. In other words, I might end up selling you the newer model, but it is my goal and responsibility as a salesperson to make sure that this is the product or service you really want AND one that you really need. If not, I’m just hawking a sale.
But if used correctly “Foot in the Door” can help, if nothing else, bring you a step closer in the sales or help you plant the seed for a future sale. What’s cool about this technique is that you can apply it to pretty much anything. Even asking someone out on a date (which is essentially a sales pitch), you can start off small and work your way up.
“Let’s grab some coffee sometime” turns to “Well, coffee won’t really fill you up and you do have to eat… how about I meet up with you during your lunch break?” and finally … “Well, instead of rushing through lunch, why don’t we have a good dinner after work. You deserve to it! And you can tell me about your day” (Ok, not as cheesy as that, but you get the picture. LOL)
