Build Post-Decision Trust Using FITD

How fair do your shoppers consider the world to be? To what degree do they think the people they know generally get what those people deserve?
     The answers to those questions influence how much trust your shoppers place in the recommendations you make to them. But the way it works has three twists. Moreover, although you’ve limited influence over your shoppers’ perceptions of fairness in life, you do have some influence.
     As to the twists, the effect sets in after, not before, the consumer makes the purchase decision. Researchers at Saint Mary’s College of California and Canada’s York University surveyed perceptions of life fairness among about 500 study participants. Along with this, the participants were asked to choose between digital cameras, both of which had been recommended by the salesperson. Prior to the choice, the consumer’s degree of trust in the recommendations had little to do with life fairness beliefs. However, after having made the choice, those with high life fairness beliefs were more likely than those without to say they trusted the salesperson’s recommendations.
     A second twist is that if the consumers believe the salesperson is intentionally misleading them, the life-fairness effect on trust disappears. And a third is that the effect is much stronger when consumers are considering purchases they’re making for themselves rather than for others.
     Putting it all together: If you can convince your customers that life is fair, they’re more likely to trust your recommendations for a series of decisions they make in purchases of items for their own use.
     As to how to increase belief in life fairness, establish a record of keeping your promises. Research at Athens University of Economics and Business in collaboration with National Bank of Greece suggest using one of the oldest selling tactics in the world—the foot-in-the-door technique.
     FITD consists of starting out with such a small request that the shopper is very likely to say yes and then using this yes as a base for presenting a series of larger requests. Prove you deserve a little trust and the customer is willing to extend you more rope.
     The twist in this one is that to grow trust most efficiently, get the consumer to behave in a trusting way. Not only keep your promises to your customers, but also point out to the customers that the promises have been kept and there have been benefits from this.

Click below for more: 
Put Foot-in-the-Door to Build Trust 
Build Trust Before Asking for Information 
Keep Your Promises