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“We’ve been working on this approach for the past six months…”
“We already have buy-in from leadership on our current plan…”
If you’ve heard a prospect say something similar, you witnessed one of the most dangerous forces in B2B sales today: Escalation of Commitment.
Escalation of Commitment is a psychological bias that’s becoming increasingly devastating in modern B2B sales.
Why? Because today’s buyers are spending 50-70 percent of their journey in self-directed research before talking to sales. By the time you enter the conversation, they already have strong convictions about their problem and the solution—and those convictions are often wrong.
Our research study with Dr. Leff Bonney at Florida State University’s Sales Institute found that there’s an average 54.5 percent misalignment between how sellers and buyers perceive the core problem to be solved. This misalignment jumps to 77 percent in lost deals—a costly disconnect that’s driven by buyers’ escalating commitment to their initial (and often incorrect) problem diagnosis.
The cost? Millions in failed implementations, wasted resources, and deals that die on the vine. But more importantly, it represents missed opportunities to truly solve your buyer’s problems.
What Is Escalation of Commitment?
Originally coined by Barry M. Staw, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, Escalation of Commitment is a psychological phenomenon where individuals and organizations continue to commit resources to a failing course of action.
Staw also found that people are more likely to stay committed to a failing strategy if they’re the one who made the initial call.
To effectively address Escalation of Commitment, you first need to understand the psychological forces at play.
The Psychology of Escalation of Commitment in Buying Decisions
Two main psychological factors drive Escalation of Commitment in B2B buying decisions:
Sunk Cost Fallacy – When buyers have invested significant time and resources into a project or solution path, they tend to stick with it even if it’s not working. The mental accounting of what they’ve already spent makes it psychologically painful to change course.
Cognitive Dissonance – Buyers experience mental discomfort when faced with evidence that contradicts their chosen path. To reduce this discomfort, they often double down on their original decision rather than admit they might be wrong.
Two psychological factors contribute to Escalation of Commitment in B2B buying decisions.
Additional factors that reinforce this behavior include:
Loss aversion: The pain of accepting a loss feels worse than the potential pleasure of gains
Social pressures: Fear of looking bad in front of colleagues and stakeholders
Optimism bias: An unrealistic belief that things will improve if they just stay the course
While these psychological factors have always influenced buying decisions, recent changes in how B2B buyers approach purchases have amplified their impact.
Why It’s Getting Worse: The Modern B2B Buying Landscape
How buyers now make purchasing decisions creates the perfect conditions for Escalation of Commitment to take root and flourish. Here’s why:
Independent Research without Expert Guidance
Modern B2B buyers spend significantly more time conducting independent research before engaging sellers
Without an objective guide, buyers often interpret information through the lens of their existing beliefs and assumptions
Over time, misconceptions can become deeply entrenched and harder to correct
Increased Stakeholder Complexity
The average B2B buying committee now includes 10 or more decision makers
Each stakeholder has their own success metrics and departmental priorities
Competing agendas and technical requirements create analysis paralysis
Getting alignment becomes exponentially harder with each new stakeholder
Internal Pressure to “Get it Right”
High-value purchases face intense scrutiny from executive leadership
Failed initiatives can damage careers and departmental credibility
Budget constraints create pressure to show immediate ROI
Fear of making the wrong choice leads to risk-averse decision making
Extended Decision Cycles
80 percent of B2B buying decisions now take up to six months
Longer evaluation periods create more opportunities for sunk costs to accumulate
Extended timelines increase the psychological investment in the chosen path
As time passes and more stakeholders get involved, your buyer’s Escalation of Commitment becomes increasingly more entrenched.
Buyers are spending 50-70 percent of their journey in self-directed research before talking to sales.
Signs Your Buyer Is Experiencing Escalation of Commitment
Our research identified several key indicators that your buyer might be experiencing Escalation of Commitment. Watch for these telltale signs:
Negative feedback. When presented with feedback that the purchasing project is not going well, buyers paradoxically invest even more resources rather than stepping back to reassess.
Project ownership. The stakeholders who originally proposed or championed the project are willing to commit more resources at every stage of the project.
Hard deadlines. Under pressure to meet organizational timelines, buyers double down on their current approach.
You might hear sentiments like:
“We’ve already invested too much to change direction now”
“I know the numbers don’t look great, but we just need to give it more time”
“We can’t afford to slow down and reconsider our approach”
When you hear these phrases, it’s a strong signal that Escalation of Commitment is affecting your buyer’s judgment.
How to De-escalate an Over-Committed Buyer
When facing an over-committed buyer, conventional discovery techniques can make things worse. Here’s what to avoid and what actually works.
What doesn’t work:
Standard consultative selling techniques (they push buyers to defend their current path)
Challenging their current decision-making process by highlighting potential losses (triggers defensive responses)
What does work:
Our research shows that the most effective way to help over-committed buyers is to suggest positive refinements to their existing process. Here’s how:
Acknowledge Progress: Compliment the buyer on the work they’ve done so far
Share Insights: Provide data about alternative paths that have worked for others
Frame Benefits: Focus on the potential gains of adjusting their approach
Tell Success Stories: Share examples of other companies who made similar adjustments
Offer Partnership: Position yourself as a helpful guide in refining their process
This positive approach makes buyers more likely to reconsider their current path, include you in future discussions, and remain open to alternative solutions.
Why This Matters Now
Escalation of Commitment isn’t another buzzword to add to your sales vocabulary. It’s a real challenge that’s getting worse as buying cycles get longer and more arduous.
But understanding this bias gives you a serious edge. When you train your sellers to spot and address Escalation of Commitment in discovery conversations, they can:
Help buyers make better decisions before they’re locked into the wrong path
Turn potential deal-killers into opportunities for deeper conversations
Build real partnerships instead of rushing to close another deal
The old way of doing discovery isn’t enough anymore. In fact, traditional discovery techniques can sometimes make buyers dig in their heels even more. When your team understands the psychology behind their buyer’s decision-making process, they can take a different approach—one that actually helps buyers see past their blind spots.
Take a moment to think about your current approach to discovery. Is it helping your sellers navigate these psychological barriers, or could it be accidentally reinforcing them?
Dig Deeper
Want to learn more about Escalation of Commitment? Dig into these science-backed resources.
Anton Rius, Sr. Director of Content Marketing, leads all content marketing strategy and production at Corporate Visions. Anton’s extensive experience supporting B2B revenue growth with insightful content has been featured in publications like SalesPOP! and Relevance. Anton writes regularly at Long Tail Thinking.
