Persuasion And Influence- How To Defend Yourself From Being Manipulated By Clever Salesmen

It is perhaps human nature to compare what we have with others. For example, we like to compare our wealth with others, our children’s grades and a whole variety of things. This tendency to compare can be exploited by salespeople who make effective use of the contrast principle.

Car salesmen, in particular, love to use the contrast principle. If you have bought a car before, you would know what I mean. Isn’t it weird when you responded to adverts for a car costing only $50,000 but you left paying much more than that? If you have had such an experience, and I believe most of us have, then you have already fallen victim to the contrast principle.

What’s happening is that the car salesmen sell you the car at $50,000. Once the sale has been made, they go on to recommend you accessories for your car. These accessories, such as an in-car radio (around $30), cost significantly lesser when compared to the $50,000 car that you’ve just bought. To put this in perspective, the in-car radio will look as if it costs pennies when compared to the $50,000 car. Thus, people like you and me decide to buy the in-car radio since it is so “cheap”.

Ok, so you may only visit a car showroom once every few years so you should be safe from the contrast principle right?

Unfortunately, this view is wrong. Do you frequently visit a supermarket to shop for groceries? If you do, then you are constantly being exposed to exploiters of the contrast principle. Believe it or not, the managers of supermarkets are constantly making use of the contrast principle to sell more of their products.

After buying your groceries for the week, you arrive at the check-out counter ready to go home. This is the place where the contrast principle is most effective. Do you notice the candy bars that are placed near the check-out counter? That is how the managers make use of the contrast principle. When compared to your groceries, which may cost up to $70, the $1 candy bar looks much cheaper than $1; its price almost inconsequential. Shoppers then pick up the “cheap” candy bar and add it to their total bill.

Now that you know the applications of the contrast principle, be a smart shopper. Before buying something, consider the product in its entirety. Ask yourself, do you really need it or are you buying it just because it looks like an absolute steal? Consider the contrast principle in the situations mentioned above. What looks cheap may not necessarily be cheap if you view it from another perspective.

By: Vincent Kyle Ng

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Vincent Kyle Ng is the founder of a website ( www.thesecretofpersuasion.com ) that aspires to help others by giving advice and information on the latest strategies in the fields of persuasion, influence, public speaking, relationships and much more.