Manipulation in trading

[Hacker]

Trying to sell more and more expensive at all costs, resourceful sellers use many tricks.

Part 1: banal tricks.

"Get the second item for free»
This trick is performed under the motto: "Buy one thing, take the second one for free!".
However, many people "bite" on this bait.

Gifts from the company
The deception is that the cost of "gifts" is usually negligible, and is also included in the purchase price.

"Discount only for this week»
The product has two price tags; the crossed-out price is much higher than the new one.
The target of influence here is still greed.

Similar names
Products of little-known companies that have taken a name similar to well-known companies are sold at a price slightly lower than branded products. You can't prove anything legally, because only one letter has been changed, omitted, or added to the name and this is a different name!
It turns out that the buyer is to blame: you should have read it carefully!
The target of influence is the victim's inattention, and the bait is the name of a reputable company.

Foreign tag
On the domestic product hang a tag in a foreign language. Such a "foreign" tag serves as a good "bait" for the buyer. We are used to trusting foreign brands. Sometimes even more than my own eyes. Here, for example, is a fun experiment conducted in a store, studying marketing and customer psychology.
Two men's suits were hung side by side - the German "HugoBoss" and the Russian "PurboPrestige". We changed the placards with names and offered customers to choose the best one. So what is it? They praised the imaginary "HugoBoss", that is, a Russian product: both the style is more interesting, and the material is better, the line is smoother.

"We sell below the market price»
You only have to think for a moment to realize that something is wrong here. After all, no one will sell at a loss. This means that either the market price is not higher than the offered one, or the product is defective, damaged, with a broken shelf life, etc.
The target of influence is the buyer's desire to save money on the purchase. Bait - ease of achieving the goal.

Rumors about price increases
Rumors about a rise in the price of goods, products, and services lead to a surge in consumer activity. From time to time, they are disbanded by large trading companies in order to speed up capital turnover and increase profits.
The target of influence is the desire of citizens to protect their earned funds from depreciation. Bait - an opportunity to buy free funds in order to reduce the damage caused by inflation.

"Are you better than others?»
In a grocery store, a customer asks you to sell fresh vegetables: "Over there, in that drawer." "Yes? And what will others get?" - retorts the seller, nodding at the queue. The blow is accurate: the queue tightened invisibly, there was a heavy pause, during which the obstinate buyer felt the full weight of the rejected position. But no, there are still forces: "I stood in line and have the right to choose!". What right? The impatient queue starts to get excited.
In this case, the seller used the pressure of the group on the individual. The pressure of a group is usually much stronger than that of a single person, even with a high status. On the other hand, as can be seen from this example, it can be quite easy to manage a group if you understand the general mood for all members of the group, which forms its overall psychological climate. It is this circumstance that is used by manipulative sellers.
The target of influence here is conformity (submission of the individual to the opinion of the group). The bait is the interest of those waiting in line so that the best products are not selected by previous customers and that the queue moves faster.

Part 2: Non-trivial manipulations

"Not with your capabilities"
A woman entered the store and went to the counter. There were almost no customers. The saleswoman gave the woman an appraising look from head to toe, which somewhat confused her, because her clothes were "not very good". She asked me to show her thermos flasks. "Of course, this one would suit you better..." the saleswoman said, pointing to the most expensive one. It was said in a tone that meant " don't buy a good product with your skinny wallet." "That's exactly what I'm taking!" the woman flashed back. Of course, she would be happy to back down when she spent the last of her money, but to back down would mean "humiliating yourself in front of that scoundrel."
The same manipulation can be implemented in a slightly different version. The seller, seeing in a person struggling principles (he considers for a long time, moves away and approaches again), begins to praise not the product (this will finally scare off!), but strikes a blow to the person's self-esteem. "This product is for those who value high quality", or: "This is for wealthy people".
The target of influence on the buyer is a wounded dignity. Bait is an opportunity to maintain your reputation as a non-poor person.
Different types of protection are possible here. Passive - pretend that you didn't notice the hint. If you don't want to be offended, take revenge in silence: turn around and leave, supporting yourself with the thought that you will leave money in another outlet, and "these" will not receive a penny from you.
Another defense seems more natural here. Answer the seller: "Of course, it is more profitable for you to sell more expensive, otherwise you will not earn anything."

From heaven to earth
There is an old trick used in the automobile trade called "ask for Mr. Otis on the phone." The buyer comes to the seller, who, to his utter amazement, offers a fabulous sum for his old buggy on the account of partial payment for the new car and excellent terms for its purchase. The buyer goes to other sellers, looks at the prices and returns to the one who offered the amazing deal.
The seller fills out the contract form. It asks the buyer to sign it with their initials. Then he casually asks the buyer what they have offered him in other places. At this point, the buyer, intoxicated with luck, casually parts with the most valuable asset that he has in negotiations — with information, namely: he reports prices from other sellers.
"One last procedure. - says the seller. - The Commercial Director must approve the contract. I'll call him right now." The salesman pushes the intercom button on his phone and says, " Mr. Otis on the phone, please... please Mr. Otis." Of course, there is no sign of Mr. Otis in this firm.
There's a commercial director, all right, but his real name is Smith or Jones or something.
"Otis" is the name of a company that makes elevators. The commercial director appears. He asks the seller to leave the room with him — let the buyer ripen for a while. Then the seller returns, says that Otis does not agree to such a contract, and begins to redo it in exact accordance with the terms offered to the buyer in other places.
Why, you might ask, doesn't the customer just leave at this point? For the reason that he put too much feeling into this deal. He had already chosen his new car. It's a blue car with red upholstery. While he was in the customer office with the salesman, his wife was already behind the wheel, and the children were jumping on the seats.
A happy face empties your pocket - we have the right to summarize.
Looking at manipulation in the negotiation process, we described the "high-serve gambit "and" low-serve gambit", as well as ways to protect against them. The synthesis of these two tricks is the considered manipulation "from heaven-not earth".

"And the product is rotten…"
Someone buys a house. To bring down the price, he wants to pass without criticism the idea that the house is old. Knowing that the seller will not remain indifferent to this thought and will indignantly fall upon any accusation of dishonesty, the buyer says: "I heard that the landlord acquired this old house through some kind of fraud." The seller really rushes to justify the legality of the previous operation, and the main accusation remained unanswered. If there are intermediaries (witnesses of this conversation), the fact that the house is old will certainly be recorded and will incline intermediaries to recognize it.
The target of influence is the seller's need for respect from others. Bait - an opportunity to justify yourself from the accusation of a tendency to fraud.

Counter-manipulation "don't make people laugh"
A real estate agent shows an old villa in the Canary Islands to a serious businessman:
- Here is a large hall, its area is two hundred and eighteen square meters… Here in this fireplace five hundred years ago, Knights of the Order of Malta roasted whole bulls... this terrace offers a beautiful view of the peak of Tenerife... in the basement there is a chic wine cellar…
- I understand everything, " the businessman says. - We will proceed as follows: you name the amount that you expect to receive from me, we laugh heartily, taste the wines from this cellar, and only then start a serious conversation.

The seller acted according to the standard scheme: he showed the product with his face, praising it. Implemented the usual practice of preparing for hidden (or open) management of the interlocutor in order to get the largest possible amount from him.
This situation is interesting because the buyer responded to the seller's stencil actions in a non-standard way - the possibility of not only manipulation, but also hidden control of it was nipped in the bud.

Countermanipulation for debt repayment
Partners owe you money for the products they received earlier. Citing temporary difficulties, they have repeatedly postponed payment deadlines. There is a suspicion that you may just want to "throw". How to influence debtors?
You demonstrate that you do not suspect your partners of anything, believe their words, and are full of optimism and friendly disposition. And you offer a new, very important deal for them, the income from which will cover the existing debt. When partners are eager to grab a big jackpot, you tell them that you don't have enough money to get a product for them (a little less than a debt, for example).

And then one of three things happens:
a) partners pay urgently, without resorting to financial assistance from other partners (which means that they cheated you);
b) they pay you back by borrowing money from other partners. This means that debtors have difficulties, but the partners ' trust in them is still preserved;
c) partners are not able to participate in a profitable transaction. This means that they are completely entangled in debt, have lost the trust of potential creditors, i.e., in fact, they are bankrupt. And it is better to find out about this in advance.

So, in any case, you reach the maximum possible. And what to do next, decide on the situation.

Part 3 Complaints about the purchase
When the buyer turns to the seller, there are many conflicts, since the interests of the parties are directly opposite. It is preferable for the seller to reject the claims in order to avoid incurring costs. The buyer, on the contrary, should receive compensation. Let's look at a few manipulative techniques.

"She insulted me!"
This manipulation has already been considered by us. Let us briefly recall its essence: the buyer, having heard the seller's answer about the groundlessness of his claims, finds fault with the words, tone, facial expressions and "loads" his claims with accusations of incorrect behavior of the staff. Often, in order to preserve their image, the management makes certain concessions in the satisfaction of claims.

"Thick-skinned" client
The buyer wishes to return the previously purchased product. The seller explains that he does not have the right to accept it and that this issue can be resolved by a commodity expert. The buyer goes to the product specialist and explains in detail how everything turned out. The sales manager responds that he can't accept the product, explaining the reason.
Customer: "Yes, but I have a slightly different case." And once again tells in detail about it. The product manager shows instructions that confirm his words about the impossibility of a refund. The buyer repeats that he has a different case and again begins to repeat his story.
Usually, someone present - a salesman or other employees who hear the conversation-begins to lose their nerves. The thick-skinned client starts to raise his voice, say something like: "Why don't you understand Russian?" and so on. If he doesn't take offense at this, then the pressure on him increases, and more offensive words appear in his address.
When the client considers that insults to his address are already enough, he declares:

"Give me the complaint book!"
- What will you write there? After all, you are wrong!
- And I'll write down how you called me names!
And lists all the unflattering epithets he has heard in his address.
A silent scene usually follows. Finally, after some internal struggle, the product manager says: "Give me your receipt!" and writes permission for a refund on it.
The target of influence here was the unwillingness of further proceedings, because formally the buyer is right: no one has the right to insult him.
The bait was his apparent "thick skin", the confidence that offensive words "do not reach" him. This dulled the vigilance of the sales staff and provoked them to show feelings.

"What's wrong with them?»
Let's consider a simple situation from the category of everyday ones.
The customer returns a pair of sandals to the seller. "Why don't you like them?" the salesperson asks her (implicitly).: how can someone not like them?). When asking a question, the seller demands that the customer give a satisfactory explanation of why she does not like sandals.
If the buyer allows the seller to believe that there must be some reason for "dislike", she will feel confused and, perhaps, submit to the need to explain the reason. By starting to explain, she will give the salesperson an opportunity to make equally valid arguments about why she should like sandals.
The outcome depends on who - she or the seller-gives more reasons, and it may end up with the buyer being left with a pair of shoes that don't fit her.
The target of the manipulator's influence in this case is the stereotype of our behavior: it is customary to answer questions. The bait is that your own arguments always seem to be the most significant. The buyer does not know that there will be counter arguments for his arguments.
Protection from this manipulation: if you have the right to return the purchase, just say: "I don't have to explain this to you. I have the right of return, and I want to use it."

"You are detaining everyone!»
Sellers often try to dismiss a complaint about a low-quality product with the words: "You are delaying the queue. All these people want to be served."
The target of influencing the client is guilt. The implication is: you must understand that the seller cannot delay other people's service because of you. The seller's "verdict" on you is that if the complaint handling system doesn't work well in your case, then you are responsible, not the store.
But if you decided for yourself who is to blame (who is responsible), you would easily cope with the situation by answering, for example, like this: "You are right, we are detaining everyone. Either you grant my request quickly, or they'll have to wait a little longer."