Kia ora,

I attended a conference last week which was supposed to be a day of motivation, but turned out to be 80% a scammy sell-fest (read more here).

As consumers it’s essential (and empowering) to understand the way marketers and salespeople take advantage of our psychology to sell stuff.

P.s. please reply to this email to let me know if you’ve ever been sucked into some smooth marketing/sales tactics - I’d love to know!

Estimated Read time: 5 minutes 36 seconds

The Deep Dive: How to Not be a Sucker

I like being sold or marketed to well. But I also like having the knowledge of when I’m being sold to so I can be sure I’m making an informed decision.

Here are some common tactics to look out for to stop you getting caught in the hype of great marketing or sales:

Buy One Get One Free (BOGOF) 🍫🍫

If you really need the thing, then buy one get one free is great. But remember: the retailer will still be profiting.

Think: Just because it’s a ‘great deal’ doesn’t mean you need it. Would you buy if it weren’t BOGOF?

Gift with Purchase (GWP) 🎁

“And if you spend over $200, you’ll get the Nightmare Slaughterer 10 Billion Feather Pillow for Free!”

Ah good old gift with purchase. I recently bought 11 (!!) kgs of protein powder because of GWP. The deal was spend $X to get a free bar, spend $XX to get a free bag of protein etc. I justified it because I do use a lot of protein powder, but I definitely didn’t need 11 kgs.

Think: If it’s $30 extra to get a free protein powder/duffel bag/makeup item, ask yourself “would I buy another item for $30 right now without the GWP offer?”

Free shipping ✈

Notice how free shipping is always a weirdly inconvenient number?

I.e. if a standard item on an online store is $70, the ‘free shipping’ threshold might be $85, and shipping costs might be $13. The numbers are close enough so that you think “I may as well buy an extra thing to get shipping for free”

Think: remember that instead of paying $13 for shipping for stuff you need, you’re paying $25 for something you don’t. This isn’t a saving.

Desired State Visualisation / Mere Exposure Effect 🥰

Basically, when we visualise ourselves possessing a thing, we’re much more likely to buy it.

This can be as simple as a salesperson saying “It’s like it was made for you!”

This effect is even more powerful when we physically touch the thing. This is why technology stores have their tech on display so you can touch it and hold it, and why car showrooms offer test drives.

Think: I know that I’m being encouraged to visualise this in my life, but I am not attached to it.

Flattery 😘

When I used to work at a men’s shoe store, all I needed to do to sell shoes to a corporate man was to compliment his socks (corporate men wear a lot of patterned socks and apparently put a lot of pride in them).

Think: If someone compliments you and they’re trying to sell you something, enjoy the compliment but also keep a firm grip on your ego.

Scarcity 😬

Scarcity plays into FOMO.

At the conference last week, the charlatans on stage would make these ridiculous offers which were allegedly an 80% discount, and were “only for the first 10 people to sign up!”. They made people run to the side tables to scan the QR code to access the offer. The effect of seeing other people running to the tables made you feel as though you were missing out.

Scarcity also gets used in time limited offers or flight websites where they say “only 5 seats left at this price!”

Think: most legitimate sales run for longer than you think. Put 24 hours, or at least a couple of hours between you and a purchase.

Social Proof 📱

We trust businesses more when our peers (or randoms on the internet) have bought the the item first.

Social proof gets leveraged in lots of different ways, such as: social media ads which show a regular person talking to the camera about X product (called User Generated Content); reviews and testimonials; influencer product posts; website pop-ups which say “Anna from Gisborne just bought XXX!”

Think: these people MAY have been paid to give this review. It is not valid proof.

Retargeting/remarketing 💞

Ever visited a website or a store and then seen ads all over your socials, Google, YouTube, news sites and even email for weeks afterwards?

That’s because digital marketing whippersnappers like myself have tags in websites and apps such as Google maps which track when you visit a particular site or store.

We can then create a campaign which targets you if you haven’t bought anything yet with special offers to incentivise you to buy.

Think: I am being remarketed to. I will not cave. Screenshot the thing and if you still care about it 24 hours later, take advantage of the discount.

Razzle Dazzle ✨

‘Razzle dazzle’ is where salespeople or marketing campaigns use big promises or flashy things to dazzle you before asking for the sell.

Examples of this include talking about huge amounts of money you’re guaranteed to make; all the famous people you could meet by doing X or Y; the 6 pack you’ll get in 2 weeks.

Think: If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Action of the Week:

Write two lists in the notes app on your phone before shopping.

On the “want list”, list all the things you want or need that come to mind. Do NOT go on social media or online before you do this.

On the “gift list” write all the gifts you’re thinking of getting and write who you’re intending to get them for.

When it’s shopping time, refer back to the list every time before you buy something. Is it on your list? Did you know you needed/wanted that thing before today? If the answer is “no” to both, don’t buy it.

Inspo & Recommendations:

LinkedIn post: “My simple blueprint for success.” by Nick McDonald

Podcast ep: Farming Sustainable Wool, Country Calendar & Growing a Business by It’s No Secret

Learning: Reclaim Your Brain – a five-week expert coaching plan to help you reset your screen habits in the new year.

Tech: Splitwise. I use this app on group holidays, and with my partner in day-to-day life to easily keep track of who owes what. Put the expenses in as they happen so you don’t forget.

Money: Black Friday sales are a great time to do your Christmas shopping, however you do not need to give people expensive gifts. In recent years, I’ve bought my nearest and dearest (e.g. my parents) experiences on Grabone. For everyone else, I made granola which I put into recycled jars. It cost me $90 to give 12 people a thoughtful and unique gift.

Love from your business-minded friend,

Elise