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Imagine this…
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It's Sunday evening, and you're combing through your monthly bank statement on your laptop.
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You're scrolling through the usual suspects—Netflix, Spotify, grocery stores—when you spot that $79 gym membership charge.
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Your stomach drops.​
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​After doing some quick mental math, you realize you've been paying that membership fee for eight whole months. But you’ve only gone twice.
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You remember how confident you felt when you signed up.
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"This is it," you told yourself. "I'm finally going to get serious about my health." You even mentioned it to your parents and two best friends.
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But now, the rational move would be to cancel and cut your losses… right?

Instead of Googling "how to cancel my gym membership," you head straight to the gym’s website and start browsing the HIIT classes for next week.
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Then you begin screenshotting the Tuesday evening yoga schedule and mentally planning your weekly workout routine.
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You even set three phone reminders for next week, hopeful that this time will be different.
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​Why did you create future fitness plans instead of just canceling a membership you clearly don't use?
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​In today’s edition of Why We Buy 🧠 we’ll explore Commitment Bias—why we cling to our decisions, even if they’ve led to undesirable outcomes.
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​Let’s get into it.

🧠 The Psychology of Commitment Bias

Participants read a hypothetical case study about a business and decide how to spend company money.

• Some were told their decision worked out great
• Others were told their decision bombed

Instead of cutting their losses, participants who were personally responsible for a failed decision doubled down hardest, allocating $13.07 million to the same failing strategy. That was significantly more than any other group.

Once we make a choice—especially one that others know about or we're personally responsible for—we feel compelled to stay consistent with it.
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It's our brain's way of reducing cognitive dissonance—because admitting it was wrong threatens our self-image as being a “good decision-maker.”
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That’s why smart marketers create campaigns that make commitment irresistible.
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After all, once people decide to enter the buyer’s journey, continuing with that decision is waaay more desirable than starting over.

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🤑 How To Apply This

Alright, so how can you apply this right now to sell more?
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Subscriptions​
​Use a tiny initial payment to build subscription loyalty
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​Dollar Shave Club eliminated the risk of trying a new brand by offering a one-month trial for only $1. Then they seamlessly rolled customers into regular-priced subscriptions.
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That tiny first payment removes the fear of making the wrong decision and establishes psychological commitment.

Once you've physically tried the razors for a few days and established the routine, canceling means admitting your original decision was wrong. Plus, it disrupts a habit you've formed. So you’re more likely to keep your subscription.
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No wonder DSC gained 12,000 subscribers within 48 hours and grew from $4M to $240M in just four years.
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Retail​
​Tie memberships to public recognition
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​To compete with online retail giants, an independent bookstore could create a "Reading Family" membership that requires spending $200 annually to maintain the status.
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Not only do members get a special 10% discount, but they also get their names displayed on a wall poster that’s updated quarterly.

Once you invest in the identity of being a "Reading Family" member—publicly displayed for everyone to see—you’re more likely to head to that local bookstore to pick up the latest Freida McFadden book instead of buying it online.
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(Even when the latter sells the same book for less.)
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Loyalty programs​
​Create irresistible status tiers that customers go out of their way to maintain
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​Sephora's Beauty Insider program has three spending tiers: Insider (free), VIB ($350/year), and Rouge ($1,000/year). Each level unlocks better perks, like early sale access and exclusive birthday gifts.
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After you hit a certain tier for a few years, it’s harder to scale back—even if you don’t technically need another mascara yet.

Why? Because dropping to a lower tier after being Rouge or VIB feels inconsistent with your purchasing pattern.
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Dropping down means questioning whether all that previous spending was necessary.
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The result? You’re more likely to keep spending at Rouge or VIB levels to stay consistent with your established behavior.

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💥 The Short of It

We don't abandon decisions, even if they’re less than optimal. Instead, we’re more likely to double down on them.
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Once we've invested time, money, or even our identity into a choice, admitting it was wrong threatens our self-image of being good, rational decision-makers. Which we definitely don’t want.
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The key: create opportunities for early commitments that deepen over time. Customers who invest their time or effort upfront are more likely to continue with their decision rather than abandon ship and start over.
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​​Until next time, happy selling!

With ❤️ from Katelyn and Jordyn​

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