Customers run from pressure—do this instead

The Chocolate Experiment

Dan Ariely conducted a fascinating business experiment. He offered people a premium block of Lindt chocolate for $0.15 and a cheap, not-so-great-tasting chocolate for $0.01.

With this offer, most people chose the Lindt—it was the better value for money.

Then, he changed the rules: the Lindt was now $0.14, and the cheap chocolate was free.

Suddenly, almost everyone chose the free option.

The insight?

When something is free, it changes the psychological equation—even if it’s a worse deal.

How to apply this in your business:

Instead of offering a 50% discount, offer “Buy 1, get 1 free.”
There’s a reason it’s a classic.

When someone purchases a higher-tier product, add free bonuses—
Free shipping, free demo, free trial, free return policy.

The more free add-ons you can offer without hurting your margins, the better.

Because “free” works.
It always has.

How do you communicate that you’re truly on the customer’s side?

It starts with a powerful tactic called “Dropping the rope.”

Here’s the scenario:

You walk into a shopping center. As soon as you step into a clothing or jewelry store, the assistant starts following you around, watching what you look at, asking if they can help.

It feels pushy. So you say no.

This moment is a classic example from the book Unreceptive.

Let’s be honest—why would you waste 5–10 minutes aimlessly browsing when the assistant could help you find what you need in seconds?

Because deep down, you don’t believe they’re on your side.

You assume they’re trying to sell you the most expensive item. Or whatever they think is best—not what you think is best.

They want to close fast.
You want space.
You don't want to explain your life story just to get a shirt that fits.

But imagine this:

The assistant tells you, “Just so you know, I don’t make any commission. I’m only here to help you find what’s right for you.”

That changes everything.
Suddenly, they’re not against you—they’re with you.

That’s Dropping the Rope—a move in sales where you stop tugging and start aligning.

Great salespeople do this naturally.
In the famous “Sell me this pen” test, the best answer isn’t a pitch.
It’s:
“I’m not sure this pen is right for you. What do you usually use pens for?”

It’s not about pushing.
It’s about pausing.

Dropping the rope means detaching from the sale and stepping onto the customer’s side.

Use it wisely.

Best,

Maxi | The Warrior’s Newsletter