Introduction
That’s Not All (TNA) is an influence technique where you present an initial offer, then add a meaningful sweetener before the listener responds. The added value reframes the offer as fair and generous, making acceptance more likely. Used well, TNA clarifies value, improves perceived fairness, and helps people decide confidently. Used poorly, it feels gimmicky or manipulative.
This article defines That’s Not All, explains the psychology behind it, and shows how to apply it ethically across communication, marketing, product and UX, leadership, and education. You will find channel playbooks, examples, templates, a mini-script, a quick-reference table, and an end-of-article checklist. Sales is mentioned only where it naturally fits and can be supported responsibly.
Definition & Taxonomy
Definition. That’s Not All is a sequential framing tactic in which a communicator adds a bonus, upgrade, or concession to an offer before the audience decides, often without asking for anything in return (Burger, 1986).
Place in influence frameworks. TNA draws primarily on reciprocity and framing. The unprompted sweetener functions like a concession that invites reciprocal compliance, while the sequential reveal changes how people perceive value and price relative to alternatives (Cialdini, 2009).
Distinct from
•Door in the Face. Starts with a large request, then retreats to a smaller one after refusal. TNA adds value before any refusal.
•Low-Ball. Gains commitment, then reveals extra costs. TNA goes the other direction by adding value without removing benefits.
•Bundle pricing or standard discounting. TNA is about the timing and sequence of the added benefit, not merely the presence of a bundle.
Psychological Foundations & Boundary Conditions
Underpinning principles
•Reciprocity and perceived concession. When someone improves an offer unasked, people feel a subtle obligation to respond positively, even if nothing was requested from them earlier (Cialdini, 2009).
•Perceptual framing and mental accounting. Adding a clear bonus reframes the value ledger, making the exchange feel more favorable than similar price-only reductions (Thaler, 1985).
•Elaboration Likelihood. The sequence can work as a credible cue under low motivation or as part of strong argumentation under high motivation. It is more effective when the bonus is relevant and diagnostic of quality (Petty & Cacioppo, 1986).
•Empirical basis. Controlled studies show that improving the offer before the decision increases compliance, particularly when the sweetener appears unexpected and contingent on the listener’s decision window (Burger, 1986).
Boundary conditions - when it fails or backfires
•High skepticism or prior negative experience. Audiences discount last-minute sweeteners if they suspect gimmicks.
•Irrelevant add-ons. Bonuses that do not help the user’s goal look like clutter.
•Overly complex stacks. Too many add-ons reduce fluency and invite distrust.
•Cultural mismatch. Some contexts prefer direct, full-value offers upfront and read late additions as haggling.
Mechanism of Action - Step by step
1.Attention. Present a clear, specific core offer.
2.Understanding. Make the base value concrete and credible.
3.Enhancement. Before the decision, add a relevant bonus or improved term. Keep it simple and useful.
4.Acceptance. Invite a low-pressure decision with an explicit path to decline or defer.
Ethics note. Legitimate TNA is a real improvement, not bait. It should keep the listener’s autonomy intact and should not hide conditions.
Do not use when
•The sweetener masks a deficiency in the core offer.
•Opt-out is hard or socially costly.
•Regulations require full disclosure of terms upfront and the sequence would obscure that disclosure.
Practical Application: Playbooks by Channel
Interpersonal and leadership
•Performance feedback. Offer targeted coaching plus a short skill clinic invite.
•Change management. Announce a new workflow and include a starter toolkit or office hours.
•Time requests. Ask for a 30-minute review and include a pre-read summary that reduces the effort.
Moves you can use:
•“Could you review this brief? That’s not all - I attached a 2-minute summary so it takes less time.”
•“We’re piloting this template. That’s not all - I’ll staff a rotating help slot this week.”
Marketing and content
•Headline and angle. Lead with a focused promise. Add a relevant bonus, like a checklist or calculator, that aids the same goal.
•Proof. Use two-sided messaging that shows both benefits and limits.
•CTA. Keep the decision reversible. Make the bonus accessible without locking people in.
Examples:
•“Join the 5-day writing sprint. That’s not all - get a template pack you can reuse.”
•“Download the guide. That’s not all - you’ll also receive a benchmarking sheet.”
Product and UX
•Onboarding. Offer core activation plus an optional starter dataset or sample project.
•Consent patterns. If you add an incentive, show terms clearly and allow a version without the bonus.
•Choice architecture. Add one meaningful improvement at decision time, not a cascade of popups.
Microcopy patterns:
•“Enable scheduling now. That’s not all - we pre-filled your first two templates.”
•“Start free. That’s not all - you can export results anytime.”
(Optional) Sales
•Discovery. “We can map your current workflow. That’s not all - we’ll produce a one-page efficiency summary for your sponsor.”
•Proposal. “Here is the core scope. That’s not all - we also include a kickoff checklist and a change-management brief.”
•Objection handling. “If risk is your concern, that’s not all - we’ll add a 2-week rollback window.”
Fill-in-the-blank templates
1.“You’ll get ___ as the core solution. That’s not all - we include ___ to help you start fast.”
2.“The base plan covers ___. That’s not all - we add ___ during the first month at no extra cost.”
3.“If you choose ___, that’s not all - you also receive ___ that reduces your effort.”
4.“This meeting will decide ___. That’s not all - I prepared ___ so we can finish in 20 minutes.”
5.“You can opt out anytime. That’s not all - you keep ___ even if you do.”
Mini-script - 8 lines
Lead: We’re rolling out the new standup format next week.
Team: We’re worried it will take more time.
Lead: The core change is two bullets per person. That’s not all - I built a template and a 3-minute recorder for async updates.
Team: That helps.
Lead: We will try it for two weeks. That’s not all - there’s a quick survey after week one to adjust.
Team: What if it still feels heavy?
Lead: Then we revert. You keep the template either way.
Team: Let’s try it.
Quick table
Context
Exact line or UI element
Intended effect
Risk to watch
Leadership
“New format - that’s not all, template included”
Reduce effort, increase fairness
Looks like gloss over real cost
Landing page
“Download guide - that’s not all, get calculator”
Add relevant value, raise conversions
Bonus unrelated or gated unfairly
App onboarding
“Start project - that’s not all, sample data preloaded”
Faster first success
Confusing defaults or hidden settings
Classroom
“Essay prompt - that’s not all, rubric with examples”
Clarity and confidence
Over-scaffolding that limits creativity
Optional sales
“Pilot scope - that’s not all, rollback window”
Risk reduction
Bonus that masks weak core value
Real-World Examples
1.Leadership - lightweight adoption
•Setup. A manager introduces a weekly status update.
•The move. Announces the format and adds a 2-minute audio template plus a compiled dashboard view for the team.
•Why it works. The extra reduces cost and signals fairness, inviting reciprocity.
•Ethical safeguard. Participation remains reversible and time-bounded.
1.Product and UX - starter projects
•Setup. New users churn during first-run experience.
•The move. Offer create-project, then add a well-crafted sample that can be kept or deleted.
•Why it works. The sweetener reduces effort and increases early success.
•Ethical safeguard. Default to user control and transparent data use.
1.Marketing - educational bonus
•Setup. Webinar promotion struggles to convert.
•The move. Promote the session, then add a concise worksheet and annotated slides on sign-up.
•Why it works. Bonus is clearly relevant and helps the same goal.
•Ethical safeguard. No hidden list subscription and easy unsubscribe.
1.Education - confidence and clarity
•Setup. Students hesitate to start peer review.
•The move. Instructor sets simple peer-review criteria, then adds a short bank of sample comments.
•Why it works. Reduced cognitive load increases willingness to engage.
•Ethical safeguard. Make the bank optional, encourage original feedback, and allow private submissions.
1.Optional sales - pilot confidence
•Setup. Security-conscious prospect delays decision.
•The move. Offer a 30-day pilot, then add a documented rollback plan and one prebuilt compliance report.
•Why it works. Risk-first sweetener supports reciprocity and perceived fairness.
•Ethical safeguard. No auto-renewal, clear exit criteria, and transparent terms.
Common Pitfalls & How to Avoid Them
•Over-promising with fluff. Backfire: trust drops. Fix: offer one relevant, useful bonus.
•Unrelated add-ons. Backfire: looks like noise. Fix: tie bonus to the same outcome.
•Over-stacking sweeteners. Backfire: cognitive overload. Fix: keep to one or two.
•Tone drift into hype. Backfire: reactance. Fix: plain language, precise benefits.
•Cultural misread. Backfire: perceived as bargaining. Fix: lead with full value, treat bonus as thoughtful support.
•Hidden conditions. Backfire: complaints and churn. Fix: disclose terms in-line, not in footers.
Safeguards: Ethics, Legality, and Policy
•Respect autonomy. The bonus should reduce effort, not limit choice.
•Transparency. Disclose any conditions next to the bonus.
•Informed consent. Do not gate the bonus behind ambiguous opt-ins.
•Accessibility. Provide alt text, readable formatting, and localizable content.
•What not to do. Confirmshaming, confusing opt-outs, or dangling bonuses that disappear after acceptance.
•Regulatory touchpoints - not legal advice. Consumer protection for promotional claims and pricing fairness, data consent under GDPR or similar, and platform rules on promotions.
Measurement & Testing
•A/B ideas. Core offer alone vs core plus one relevant bonus. Measure satisfaction, not only clicks.
•Sequential tests. Reveal timing earlier vs later in the decision window.
•Comprehension checks. Ask users to identify what the bonus includes and any conditions.
•Qualitative interviews. Probe perceived generosity vs gimmick.
•Brand-safety review. Ensure the bonus is real, accessible, and not used to obscure trade-offs.
Avoid speculative claims. Track downstream behavior quality, not just immediate conversion.
Advanced Variations & Sequencing
•Two-sided messaging → TNA. Acknowledge limits, then add a practical helper that addresses the limit.
•Contrast → reframing. Present the base value clearly, then add a targeted tool that speeds time to benefit.
•Expert rationale. Explain why the bonus exists and how it reduces real cost or risk.
Ethical phrasing variants
•“Here’s the core plan. That’s not all - you also get a starter pack to shorten setup.”
•“If you prefer to keep it light, that’s not all - there’s a short version you can finish in 10 minutes.”
•“You can opt out anytime. That’s not all - you keep the template either way.”
Conclusion
That’s Not All works when the added value is real, relevant, and timely. It should make the decision easier, not noisier. When you use it to reduce effort and risk, people feel respected and respond positively. When you use it to distract or pressure, trust erodes.
One actionable takeaway today: choose one decision point in your workflow and add a single, clearly relevant helper that users keep even if they do not proceed.
Checklist — Do and Avoid
Do
•Add one relevant, user-centered bonus that reduces effort or risk.
•Reveal the sweetener before the decision, with clear terms next to it.
•Keep the offer reversible and the bonus retainable where possible.
•Use plain, two-sided language and accessible formats.
•Test for perceived fairness and understanding.
•Document why the bonus exists and how it helps the same outcome.
•Provide an easy decline path without penalty.
•Localize tone and expectations for your audience.
Avoid
•Irrelevant or stacked add-ons.
•Hidden conditions or forced opt-ins.
•Hypey framing that masks trade-offs.
•Bonuses that vanish after refusal or create lock-in.
•Using TNA to compensate for a weak core offer.
•Ignoring feedback that the bonus confuses or pressures users.
References
•Burger, J. M. (1986). The that’s-not-all technique. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
•Cialdini, R. B. (2009). Influence: Science and Practice. Pearson.
•Petty, R. E., & Cacioppo, J. T. (1986). Communication and Persuasion: Central and Peripheral Routes to Attitude Change. Springer.
•Thaler, R. (1985). Mental accounting and consumer choice. Marketing Science.
