Rebecca has two possible courses of action to propose. One is significantly more costly than the other, and she is hoping to gain approval for that one. Which of these persuasion strategies is likely to work in her favor?
A) Present the smaller one first. If the sponsor says yes, ask if she would consider the bigger one.
B) Present the smaller one first. If the sponsor says no, ask if she would consider the bigger one.
C) Present the bigger one first. If the sponsor says yes, admit that you were willing to accept the smaller one.
D) Present the bigger one first. If the sponsor says no, ask if she would consider the smaller one.
E) All of these have been shown to be equally effective.

Question

Rebecca has two possible courses of action to propose. One is significantly more costly than the other, and she is hoping to gain approval for that one. Which of these persuasion strategies is likely to work in her favor? 
A) Present the smaller one first. If the sponsor says yes, ask if she would consider the bigger one.
B) Present the smaller one first. If the sponsor says no, ask if she would consider the bigger one.
C) Present the bigger one first. If the sponsor says yes, admit that you were willing to accept the smaller one.
D) Present the bigger one first. If the sponsor says no, ask if she would consider the smaller one.
E) All of these have been shown to be equally effective.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Presenting the bigger option first and then offering the smaller one as a fallback (if the first option is rejected) is a strategy known as the "door-in-the-face" technique. This approach can make the second, less costly option seem more reasonable by comparison, potentially increasing the likelihood of it being accepted.

Rebecca Has Two Possible Courses of Action to Propose