Sunday, February 15, 2009
Week 7, Chapter 7: Persuasive messages
Many of you will have careers that do not require you to write sales letters or marketing materials. There are, however, reasons why you should still be aware of persuasive strategies and techniques. Describe a situation where you were persuaded to do something, buy something or say something that you would have preferred not to do/buy/say. What was the primary persuasive technique the person used and why do you think it was effective on you?
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In my former position I was the Sales Manager. So it was my job to convince people they needed what I was selling. My technique was to point out the benefits and how this service would save their company time and money. I was very good at my job, but I would sometimes feel very phony. Years ago I was taken in by a car salesman because I showed too much enthusiasm. I really liked the yellow truck on the lot and really didn't care about the price. The salesman could see this and told what I wanted to hear. How good I looked in the truck and he also went on to tell me that it was unique. I was sold. Over the next several months I noticed about 5 other trucks that looked my mine. It also didn't have the power I was hoping. The excitment soon wore off and I no longer liked my truck. I traded it in later and made sure I brought a more level-headed person with me.
There are several times when I am persuaded to do things. My daughter always talks me into doing things I don’t feel like doing. She’ll say I NEVER take her anywhere. She knows that makes me feel bad. She’s my last baby and she knows how to push my buttons. She talks me into letting her sleep in the living room every night. I try to tell myself to stand strong, but she gets her way. She can be very persuasive.
My boyfriend of 14 years has persuaded me to take him back every time we broke up. He also knows how to push my buttons to get what he wants. His technique is to work up my self esteem. He knows I have an extremely low self esteem, so he makes me feel good by saying all the right things. It’s worked every time.
My mother is the one who usually talks me into doing things that I do not like to do. She will use any argument and sometimes she will make me feel quilty until I give in.
But lately, I have been standing my ground, and if I do not want to do something I put my foot down. But I do sometimes still listen to her but only if she brings up a good point.
Last Saturday, I went to buy some light bulbs. While I was looking them over, the salesman came over and asked if I needed any help. As a salesperson by trade, I replied “no”. He was persistent and continued to try and sell me the $9.00 light bulb, when all I wanted that day was the cheap $.98 bulb. His selling point was the life and temperature expected from the bulb. My rebuttal was the fact that the light fixture I was referring to is in a place where it sustains a lot of vibration, which I’ve learned from the past, that vibrations will in fact shorten the life of the expensive bulb. I have to admit that this salesman was very good at selling because when I had an argument, he immediately directed his sales pitch to another selling point of this bulb. If I didn’t have many years of sales experience, he would’ve sold me the $9.00 bulb, however, my light fixture is very happy with the new $.98 bulb that I replaced this weekend.
Last year I had two friends who just happened to be best friends with each other. For a while I liked hanging out with them because they were fun to talk to but as time went on I knew that I needed to drop them. This was because they were very persuasive. They wanted to hang out all the time and I didn’t always want to drop what I was doing to hang out with them. But they would convince me that it would be a good idea, such as making me feel guilty for not hanging out with them. There was one time that I had class and one of them called me right before and asked if I wanted to go somewhere. I said no because I had to go to class but they convinced me to skip because of a dumb reason, now that I think about it. But there were other times when they convinced me to drop what I was doing to hang out and that’s not very good. They also made me feel bad about hanging out with my other friends and not them. So I eventually just stopped hanging out with them.
My teenager loves to text me to get his way. He must feel it is easier to ask me in that form. I prefer face to face. Text messages can be taken in so many different ways. I have told him before to be home by 10:00. He came home at 10:00 the next morning! He knew what I meant, but said I didn't specify a.m. or p.m. and that was the last time I did that. I no longer text him answers for permission!
I am not easily persuaded. Yet, I was swiftly coerced into buying a book I have opened once since its purchase, in 2006. I was working the overnight shift for an assisted living program in La Crosse, WI. One evening I was watching a late night television special on health and wellness, when the program was interrupted by an informational commercial for a book called "The World's Greatest Treasury of Health Secrets." I was already vulnerable to the sales pitch due to my interest in radically improving my health. The special featured a promoter of the book and a doctor who's advice could be found amongst the book's pages. The many references to unproductive doctor visits and promises of a wealth of valuable information had me dashing for the phone. I promptly ordered the book and waited, with great anticipation, for its arrival. When it came, I eagerly paged through its content, disappointed to find I had just been duped. I had bought a book that had a wealth of information, I already knew. Yes there were cures, for itchy bug bites, sore throats, and runny noses. I was not interested. Now the book sits collecting dust. I was persuaded by the promise of secrets, and convinced by the lofty status of the doctor in the commercial. I will never buy from television commercials in the future, due to my negative experience.
When I was moving into the house I'm living in right now, I had a problem. My roommates and myself didn't have a T.V. for the living room. Our living room is very small, and there was a great place to put a flat screen T.V. Later in the week we were at Best Buy and we just happened to walk into the T.V. department at Best Buy and plasma televisions were on sale.
My roommate said he didn't want to buy one, and that is when he started to put the pressure on me. I had thought about buying one, but I didn't think it would be a smart decision. However, he was quick to say, "You will not find a better deal anywhere." Followed by, "You don't have to pay for it right now, you can make monthly payments." After a couple more comments on his part, I found myself walking out of Best Buy with a T.V. in my cart.
I was asked to do a candle party for someone. I initially told her no because I didn't have a place to have it and I really didn't have the time. She was very persistent about me doing it and said she would set up the place and that if I did it I would really be helping her out. So I agreed even though I really didn't want to do it.
After reading the requirements for this blog, only one thought came to mind, money. This is the driving motivator for me and I am fairly certain 85.6% of the people in the world. (Percentages based off of personal belief, no factual backing.) The time that comes to mind is when I was twelve years old and my parents were really pushing me to get a job or to do something with my free time in the summer rather than just "play all day". So my father helped me to setup my own landscaping business, which was a terrible idea in my mind. Anyways, my friends and I decided to do this hard and manual labor with the end goal of having money. Along with the thought that we could give it to our parents to invest for us so we would never need to work again. (This still has not been achieved.) So I guess the reason I was persuaded into doing manual labor was the thought that by doing it now I would never need to do it again and the fact that I love money, and hate working.
I was recently pursauded into buying something that I felt was not a good investment at the time. However, it wasn't my money being spent. (Which can be a large factor in making a decision) My boyfriend thought it would be a good idea instead of saving up for a newer vehicle, to buy one at that present time. He found a good deal and although, the vehicle needed some repairs, it was going to be all taken care of. I told him that I felt this wasn't something we should be doing at the time and we should wait until we find a vehicle that doesn't need larger repairs. With every problem I came up with, the boyfriend had a rebuttle on how it would be resolved. Now, if only he would followed through with what he said, the vehicle wouldn't be sitting in the same spot for the last 4 months!
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