Foot in the Door? No, Door in the Foot; Try This Persuasion FITD Technique — Daily Persuasion Ep. 55

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Is it possible that the most famous persuasion technique—foot in the door—actually fails more often than we admit?

In Daily Persuasion Episode 55, titled “No, Door in the Foot; Try This Persuasion FITD Technique,” Joshua Lisec breaks down one of the most talked-about yet misunderstood persuasion techniques in psychology: the foot in the door phenomenon—and flips it on its head.

This episode is a short one, but it packs a punch. Lisec contrasts two powerful persuasion strategies: the classic foot in the door persuasion method and what he calls the door in the foot technique. You’ll walk away knowing which one to use when—because not all persuasive techniques work equally well in every context.

We’ve all heard the foot in the door psychology definition: ask for something small, then escalate to something bigger. You’ve probably seen examples of persuasion in advertising where a company gets you to sign up for a free trial—only to upsell you later. That’s the foot in the door effect in action. It’s one of the foundational persuasion techniques in behavioral psychology, and the idea is simple: people are more likely to agree to a larger request after saying yes to a smaller one.

But Lisec asks the bold question: What if the foot in the door phenomenon doesn’t work in the high-stakes world of business or B2B sales?

In those situations, the better approach, Lisec says, is the door in the foot technique—and yes, that’s a phrase he coined. Instead of starting small, you go big, establishing a higher anchor. You ask for the moon (a $150,000 services package, for instance), and then scale down to something more reasonable. It’s a strategy that mirrors price anchoring, and in this episode, Lisec shares how this approach has worked in his real-world client offers—some dating back to 2018.

So what makes this work? According to Lisec, it’s all about persuasion psychology and context. In personal relationships, the foot in the door method has merit. If your child or spouse does something small for you during a conflict, it helps re-establish an identity of kindness and respect. That’s the foot in the door phenomenon psychology definition at work: small acts create internal consistency. But in business, asking for a glass of water before proposing a $20,000 contract? That’s not persuasion. That’s awkward.

Lisec’s analysis gives us a deeper look at how to persuade someone to do something the right way, depending on the setting. It’s not about manipulation—it’s about understanding the psychology of persuasion and respecting context. If you're a writer, marketer, or closer, this is one of those persuasion examples that separates amateurs from pros.

Whether you're exploring techniques of persuasion in writing, learning about foot in the door examples, or simply here for another sharp take from Lisec himself, Episode 55 of Daily Persuasion delivers clarity.

🎯 Ready to level up your influence?
1. Watch Episode 55 now and hear why Joshua Lisec prefers the door in the foot technique.
2. Share your thoughts: Which technique have you used before—foot in the door or door in the foot?
3. Subscribe for more episodes of Daily Persuasion that challenge everything you think you know about how to influence people.

Because persuasion doesn’t work just because a textbook says so—it works when you use the right tool for the right job. And Joshua Lisec is here to show you how.