The sunk cost effect

Also called Micro-commitments

Ask for a small, easy first step, and people who start tend to keep going.

Get the click or enquiry
Win the sale

The idea

People are more likely to continue with something they've already put time or effort into. In marketing, a quick first question, a short quiz or a two-step form turns 'maybe later' into a start.

Why it works

In a 1985 study by Hal Arkes and Catherine Blumer, people who paid full price for a season of theatre tickets went to more plays in the first half of the season than people who got the same tickets at a discount. Having paid more, they felt more committed. Economists call continuing for that reason alone the sunk cost fallacy.

Research: Arkes and Blumer 1985

Where to use it

Multi-step forms

Open with the easiest question, like the service or the suburb, and ask for contact details last. Show progress so people can see how little is left.

First, what do you need help with?

Quizzes

Keep it short and show the result on screen, not only by email. People who have answered a few questions want their answer, and a useful result earns the follow up.

Which plan fits your business? Answer four quick questions to find out.

Lead form ads

Start the form with one multiple-choice question about their situation, before the contact fields. It feels like a conversation, and it helps you qualify leads too.

Is this for a home or a business?

Sales calls

Ask for small, easy agreements before the big one: confirm the problem, agree on the goal, choose a start date together. Each one should be something they genuinely agree with.

So the main thing is more booked jobs over winter. Have I got that right?

Free trials

Get new sign-ups to do one small setup task on day one, like adding their logo. Effort they've put in makes the product feel like theirs. Keep cancelling just as easy.

Add your logo to see your first draft. It only takes a moment.

Steal these

Fill in the brackets and use them in your next post, ad or email.

First, what do you need help with? [Option A], [Option B] or [Option C]
Answer [4] quick questions and see which [plan] fits you.
Is this for [option one] or [option two]?
So the main goal is [goal]. Have I got that right?
Nearly there. Where should we send your [quote or result]?

Before and after

Before

Request a quote: name, email, phone, address, job details

After

What do you need done? Pick one to start. We ask for your details on the last step.

The first asks for everything before giving anything, so it feels like work. The second starts with an easy question, so people are already moving before the harder part arrives.

Where it backfires

Trapping people. A quiz that hides the result behind a sales call, a form that asks for more than it needs, or a trial that's hard to cancel breeds resentment and can breach consumer law. Make leaving easy.

Pairs well with

ReciprocityGive the quiz result back as something genuinely useful: they invest a few minutes, and you return real value.

Common questions

Is this the same as the foot-in-the-door technique?

They're close cousins. Foot in the door is about agreeing to a small request first. Sunk cost is about not wanting to waste what you've already put in. Multi-step forms and quizzes use a little of both.

How long should a quiz or multi-step form be?

As short as it can be while still giving a useful result. Ask only what you need to help them, and put the contact details last. If a question doesn't change your answer, cut it.

Want this working in your marketing?

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