Commitment hierarchy: what it is and what it means

The commitment hierarchy describes the mechanism whereby a customer's signals of interest do not all carry the same value: they sit on an increasing scale of reliability. The input is a concrete offer put to the customer; the customer can stop at a stated intention or take an action at increasing cost. Yes, I'd be interested is not worth as much as here is my email address, which in turn is not worth as much as here is the payment. The most reliable filter is always the action the customer agrees to take at increasing cost.

Distinctive: increasing scale of reliability
Distinctive: action the customer agrees to take at increasing cost
Essential: stated intention
Essential: here is my email address
Essential: here is the payment
Constant: increasing cost
Constant: most reliable filter

Glossary

Commitment hierarchy

An increasing scale of reliability of customer signals: from "I'd be interested" (stated intention) to "here is my email address" (low-cost action) to "here is the payment" (significant-cost action).