Small Yes First
Agreement to a tiny request substantially raises agreement to a much larger related one later.
- Evidence
- solid
- Topic
- Influence
- Things to do
- 3
- Read
- 1 min
solidHow strong is the evidence?
Good evidence behind it, but fewer people have checked it independently.
- Freedman & Fraser, JPSP, 1966 — 17% vs 76% compliance
Why it works
The first yes changes the person's self-description (“I'm someone who helps with this”), and the second request is then consistent with who they now are.
What to do about it
- Sequence the ask: a five-minute question before the two-hour favour; a pilot before the contract.
- Let time pass between them, and make sure the small yes was freely given — a coerced yes creates nothing.
- In sales and fundraising, ask for the trivial version first: “even a rupee helps” outperforms asking for nothing small.
Where people go wrong
Making the first ask so large it's refused. A no is just as self-consistent as a yes, and now it runs against you.
Read next
- Give a Reason, Any ReasonCompliance with a small request rose from 60% to 93% when the ask included the word “because” — even with a meaningless reason.solid
- The Seven LeversReciprocity · Commitment & consistency · Social proof · Authority · Liking · Scarcity · Unity.proven
- Name What They're Feeling“It seems like…” / “It sounds like…” — naming the other side's emotion defuses it and gets you information.solid
- Repeat Their Last Three WordsReflecting the other person's own words back — as a question — makes them keep talking and makes them like you.solid