Why the Term "Sale" is Manipulative

The term "sale", in reference to the language used by businesses when they sell goods at reduced prices, is often used in marketing and advertising to manipulate consumer behavior and drive sales. This tactic is known as "sales psychology" and is based on the idea that people are more likely to make a purchase when they believe they are getting a good deal or a discounted price. Max Freedman, who is a contributing writer for Business.com, offered an
alternate view towards why people buy. “There are different ways that individuals buy products. Some customers buy impulsively and rationalize the purchase later. In other cases, the person uses logic and reason over emotion when purchasing new products.” This census provides advertisers the rationale to use sales psychology tactics to coerce consumers into making stimulated purchases repeated over the course of many payment interaction systems. Today, we will be going over many tactics deployed from sales psychology that, as a consumer, you can become aware of and make yourself less susceptible to falling into one of these traps set by advertisers and other businesses.

Tactic One:

One common tactic used in sales psychology is the use of limited time offers, such as "flash sales'' or "doorbuster deals." These types of promotions create a sense of urgency and scarcity, which can make consumers feel like they need to make a purchase quickly before they miss out on the deal. How often does your own news feed project major promotional headlines full of “last minute” or “extended” specials. Your email inbox is probably full of them. Are these sales and specials really designed to help you? No, ‘Sales’ are loaded words, psychological tools to convince you, the consumer, to part with your hard-earned money. According to Priceintelligently.com, “The idea behind psychological pricing is that customers will read the slightly lowered price and treat it lower than the price actually is.” Retailers, and often their marketing departments, will use all different kinds of sales sizzle language to tie your emotions or intelligence to their offers (“I’m being smart buying at this price”, “they’re practically giving it away”). Trained, well-paid psychologists and advertising experts armed with data points have manipulated the media to convince you to give them your money by using certain language like “limited time offer” or “while supplies last” to create the illusion of “get it before it’s gone”.

Tactic Two:

The second tactic used in sales psychology is the use of "anchoring," which is the practice of setting a high price for a product and then offering a discounted price to make the sale appear more appealing. This can make the consumer feel like they are getting a great deal, even if the discounted price is still higher than the normal market price for the product. Businesses also use price comparisons to make consumers feel like they are getting a good deal. For example, a retailer might advertise a product as being "50% off" when compared to a higher "original" price, even though the "original" price was never actually charged for the product. Remember that generally a real sale is designed to reduce prices to offload excess (otherwise called UNWANTED) goods. The morality here is having the discipline to not buy items like unwanted goods that you do not have the money for.

These are just a few examples of how the term "sale" can be used to manipulate consumer behavior. Sales psychology is a powerful tool that retailers use to drive sales and increase profits, but it can also be misleading and manipulative. It is important for consumers to be aware of these tactics and to approach sales with a critical eye, to ensure they are getting a fair deal and not being taken advantage of. This approach also ties into BNPL systems that coerce consumers into paying for things under financing conditions that aren’t always

P.S. Here are some questions to ask before engaging with a retail sale:

 “Am I buying this just because it is on sale?"

Cross reference your prices, ask “Could I find this item for a better price somewhere else? How much does it cost to manufacture?"

Here to help,

The Financially Fit Coaches Team