See title.
I constantly feel like any interaction with a sales person is just a big con. Whether it’s a car, insurance, an apartment, internet, or a specialty item that I’m interested in but not an expert on. I always feel completely lost and uncomfortable and like no matter what decision I make I’m making the wrong one.
I’ve spent a fair number of time in computer and photography shops, and also been in the retail side for the latter. Here’re my tips for retail stuff!
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Always know what you’re looking to get. Do your own research first. If you need to rely on the sales person to make a recommendation, you’ve already lost. There’s always a community of enthusiasts to rely on. Find them.
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Always do a price check with various reputable sources first. That way you have a rough idea of the price range.
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If add-ons of any kind are being recommended, say no and research first. Don’t fall to pressure tactics to get them. If the salesperson is geniunely being helpful with the add-ons, they’ll be happy to let you come back another day to get it. If they’re saying you have to act now, it’s a high-pressure tactic to sell higher-margin products to pad their bottom line.
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If a similar but alternative product is being hawked at you, again, do research first then come back. There’s always a motive behind that. Sometimes it’s just a need to clear stock of an otherwise decent product, but usually it’s because the profit margin is higher, there’re sales targets to hit etc.
This is great advice. If you walk in somewhere with no real idea what you want and no research to back it up, you’re subject to the bull shit the sales person might tell you. They could also be 100% totally honest as well but, you have no way of knowing that. Do you research.
I mean, you have the right attitude. I also feel like everything these days is a scam. It used to be that someone was just trying to get a fair shake for the value of their labor. Buy a refrigerator you get a quality, supported, and long term product worth the money. Now, it feels like I am getting something specifically designed to squeeze as much money from me as possible.
My two cents on ways to avoid the swindle.
- Abandon brand loyalty of any kind. A good brand will become a hollowed out shell only focused on profit
- Buy tech that is relatively new. The first few years of a new production product are usually the best engineered. The best VHS tapes were made when the tech was new. Same thing for new laptop designs, or M.2 Ssd, etc. Later in tech cycle they cheapen everything to make more profit and design in failure to keep you buying.
- Assume money and greed is the reason for company behavior above all else. That will properly contextualize and answer most questions you have for why things are the way they are.
Buy tech that is relatively new
This is a great point but just to add, if its a brand product you can get common issues that don’t crop up for 6 months (e.g. xbox 360’s red ring of death). So buy new but not on 1st day release, and do a quick research on issues people often have.
Consumer Reports is also a great source for good info on product reliability.
If you’re making a large purchase like a car or if you have a handful of smaller purchases to make, a month or a year subscription is a drop in the bucket.
As of the last time I purchased a car, it seems to be the one holdout that realizes if you sell out to ads and corporate interests, you undermine your own reputation.
Right like I was searching around reviews for emergency generators and I see apopular mechanics site. A magazine I used to enjoy when I was younger, I thought I might find some insight. It had zero real breakdown of products it was straight ad push for amazon. It seemed to just be their product descriptions copy and pasted.
You’ve already taken the first step by being self-aware when dealing with salespeople. I commend you for recognizing this, as it’s disheartening to see many people in the US unaware of it and consequently spending more money than necessary. I share your sentiment that everything seems like a con these days, particularly when it involves big companies. It’s crucial to conduct thorough research before making purchases exceeding $200+.
First if all, you’re not wrong. Depending on the financial risk in play, the anxiety and trust get tossed into a tizzy.
When I say financial risk, if I’m buying a car, we all already know that that’s a whole racket. Buying a house, even bigger $$$$ involved. Buying a staple commodity, like a loaf of bread? Meh, it’s no biggie.
One big factor in play is our emotional side.
I’ll make a suggestion here. Feel free to ignore.
There’s a book by Dr Robert Cialdini on persuasion. From what I recall, he got into learning how humans react to certain things, because he felt that he himself was duped into doing/buying things that he later realized he wished he hadn’t done/bought. He wanted to better understand the process so that he could be more aware and less vulnerable to the grift. He ended up going into psychology and… well, specializing in the subject.
One sec, there’s a website that gives a nice intro to this:
Influence by Cialdini is really good and reasonably deep. Presuasion (also him) is more accessible and focused a lot more specifically on manipulative sales tactics.
If you read both of those and still want more, Nudge by Richard Thaler is pretty good as well.
Edit: one extra that’s not about in person manipulation, but how you’re manipulated before the interaction by branding: Brandwashed by Martin Lindstrom.
@Ski Yes! I am in the middle of car shopping at the moment and it is atrocious. Every salesperson comes off as if they work for Dewy, Cheetum, & Howe! It basically makes me say to hell with it an put off the purchase.
Not only do they come off as swindlers, but also as if they are doing me a favor by just talking to me. The whole process just sucks.