The “That’s Not All” Technique involves adding additional incentives to the original offer to “sweeten the deal”. The sequence involves offering a product or service at a particular price. Before the person can respond to that price, you say, “Wait, that’s not all!” and then you add the additional incentives. I think the video does a nice job explaining this technique and offering an example, so I will just add a research study to support it.

In 1986 Burger was able to statistically increase compliance by using the “That’s Not All” Technique. He set up a fake bake sale on a college campus and recruited two graduate students to run it. There were cupcakes sitting on the table, but there were no prices displayed. People who asked about the price of the cupcakes were the research participants. Some participants were told the price of the cupcake was 75 cents. In this condition, 40% of the people agreed to buy a cupcake at 75 cents. 

In the “That’s Not All!” condition, when the participant asked how much the cupcakes were, one of the graduate students running the sale told the participant that the cupcakes were 75 cents. Before the participant answered, the second graduate student interrupted and said, “No, actually the 75 cents includes the cupcake and two chocolate chip cookies.” In this condition, 73% of the participants bought the products. By simply “sweetening” the deal, compliance increased by 33%!

1. What is the technique?

2. How does this technique work? In other words, explain the sequence of persuasion to me.

3. Provide an example of your technique in action.

Examples can come from TV, movies, Youtube, Social Media, print ads–anywhere really… If you’re feeling really creative, you can even make a short video where you persuade someone to do something using your technique.

4. What do you think about the ethics of the sequential-persuasion techniques? Do you find them ethical? Why or why not?