Merchandising/Marketing/Retailing: Management

Unlocking the Potential of Conversational AI as a Sales Agent: Application of Sequential Request Techniques and Message Framing for Persuasion

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Abstract

The advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) has led to the implementation of conversational AI in handling customer interactions through its human-like decision-making and reasoning capabilities. Applying conversational AI in personal selling contexts, we propose the concept of sequential request techniques (SRTs) as persuasive communication tactics that can be used by AI sales agents to achieve customer compliance. This paper reviews two common SRT tactics, including foot-in-the-door, which starts with a small request followed by a larger one, and door-in-the-face, which begins with a large request followed by a smaller one and predicts and theoretically explains how these SRT tactics operate through distinct psychological mechanisms to obtain customer compliance. Furthermore, we propose how the effectiveness of these SRT tactics may vary depending on AI sales agents’ utilization message framing strategies focusing on gain versus loss. Future empirical research can validate the propositions to provide practical guidelines for AI sales agent design. 

Keywords: Artificial Intelligence, Conversational AI, Door-in-the-Face, Foot-in-the-Door, Message Framing, Sequential Request Technique

How to Cite:

Siddique, M. & Kwon, W., (2025) “Unlocking the Potential of Conversational AI as a Sales Agent: Application of Sequential Request Techniques and Message Framing for Persuasion”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 82(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/itaa.21855