A persuasion technique studied by Jerry Burger (1986) — a Cialdini-era classic.
“But wait — there’s more!” is one of the most parodied infomercial lines in history, and one of the most effective. The “that’s not all” technique opens with a price, then sweetens the offer with additional items, bonuses, or discounts before the customer responds. Each “bonus” makes saying no harder, even though the seller decided in advance to give them.
How It Works
The seller quotes a price. Before you decide, they pile on extras: “and you also get…”, “plus we’ll throw in…”, “and if you call now…”. The offer that ends up in front of you looks dramatically better than the opening one — even though it’s the offer they planned to make all along. The technique exploits reciprocity: the seller appears to make concessions, so you feel pressure to reciprocate by accepting.
Common Examples
| Where You See It | The “That’s Not All” Move |
|---|---|
| Infomercials | “You get the blender — and the second blender FREE — and a free recipe book!” |
| Black Friday TV ads | “Plus free shipping, plus extended warranty, plus a gift card!” |
| Software bundles | “Sign up today and we’ll throw in the Pro plan, the templates, and 1-on-1 onboarding!” |
| Car dealerships | “And we’ll include the all-weather mats, the cargo net, and free oil changes for a year” |
| Online courses | “You get the course — plus the worksheets, the community access, the bonus interviews…” |
| Gym memberships | “Sign today and we’ll waive the signup fee, include personal training…” |
The Psychology Behind It
Jerry Burger’s 1986 experiments showed that the “that’s not all” technique consistently outperforms simply presenting the final offer upfront — even when both offers are identical. The mechanism combines reciprocity (the seller’s apparent concessions create social pressure) with anchoring (the initial price is the reference point, making the final package feel like extra value).
How to Protect Yourself
- Wait for the final price and full bundle before evaluating. The opening is theater.
- Ask yourself: “If I were offered just the final bundle at the final price, cold, would I buy it?”
- Don’t let “bonuses” overshadow whether you actually want the core product.
- Recognize that “limited-time additions” are usually permanent — the same bonuses will be offered tomorrow.
- Be wary in any sales setting where the offer keeps improving while you sit silent.
Key Takeaway
The bonuses were planned from the start. The “concessions” are part of the script.