ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the principles of social influence designed to produce consumer compliance with requests. The idea that an initial act of compliance spurs compliance with a second request lays at the root of the 'mother of all compliance techniques', the foot-in-the-door (FITD) technique. A technique that is assumed to hinge on this principle is the door-in-the-face (DITF) technique, which is characterized by a sequence of rejection-then-moderation. The core of the lowball technique consists of soliciting commitment from customers with a particularly seductive offer and then changing the deal for the worse. A straightforward tactic for advertisers to exploit the power of social validation is to include reference group appeals in their messages. Products in advertising also use signs and symbols of power and authority to convey status, expertise and credibility. A powerful mechanism that people frequently resort to in influence settings is the motivation to return a favour, i.e. the principle of reciprocity.
