Used car salesman and PR professionals should seemingly have little in common. However, many do. See if any of the below practices sound familiar.
1. Loss-Leader Advertising:
Notice the PR services on different site listings that come with unreasonably low prices? Actually, the PR firms who posted those do not intend on selling such services. Those listings only serve as bait in order for consumers to approach the firm. When they successfully discourage you in availing such services, they immediately introduce a more extensive and much costly service in exchange. Since the new service is more advantageous in so many ways compared to the previous, you gladly accept the offer and pay more in the end.
2. Lowballing:
This is a technique used by a lot of PR firms to wear down potential customers. It starts with the “consultant” quoting a very low price for a certain product or service, and then suggests that you go to others and find a price that can beat what they have given. Since the amount is already absurdly low, you are expected not to find anything better. You go back to the first firm you visited only to find that the salesman still has to confirm the price with the manager and doesn’t get approved. This process is done repeatedly until you become too tired and decide to just go with what they’re asking.
3. “Free” Extras:
By including a few freebies to the purchase, the “professional” is hoping that the negotiation can be slowed down adequately. It is natural for a person to refrain from asking a lower deal when he is aware of the numerous things he gets with the purchase. The thing is, even though the presence of the extras serves as consolation, the fact that you paid more than the value of the services you bought cannot be changed.
4. Making Friends:
PR professionals are trained to be as conversant as possible with the hopes of developing a friendly bond with the customers. This is very helpful in order for the professionals and the customer to relate completely with each other. When this happens, the buyer has already found it hard to let down his new found friend by not buying.
5. “My Wife/Husband/Mother Drives One”:
The main purpose of this is to make you think that a service can be suitable for you if it is already that good enough for the consultant’s family. The problem is, even if this is true, the consultant gets it for a discounted price for being an employee while you end up paying more than him or her.
6. Limited-Time Offers:
This is probably the most worn-out sales trick in the book used by almost every type of business. This technique aims to put pressure to a buyer by making him realize the urgency of getting the item before the deal is cut off. Such action forces the buyer to decide within the moment instead of looking around for other products and make an informed purchase.
7. Hot Property:
Whatever choice you have in mind, most consultant claim that such choice is a current and in-demand trend in order to encourage you in buying it. Whether or not this is true, you should be mindful of such statements.
8. The Lapdog Trick:
This particular technique gives the buyer the chance to return to the firm after he or she considers other offers. Whenever a customer decides to refrain from buying first and go to other firms, the salesperson then promises the customer that they’ll match whatever is the lowest price.
9. Highballing:
Be mindful of this particular trick if you’re switching firms. Many customers get drawn to firms that provide high values for switching firms and make the offer seem too good to miss. However, this only masks the proven theory that you get to pay more for the new services in the long run.
10. Stalling:
This trick is a way to practically tire you out while you are shopping. When you reach a point when you get too impatient with getting the whole errand done, you become prone to make decisions hastily. Part of this trick is sudden manager consultations, lengthy processing and assessment of different services and misplaced documents by consultants..
11. Spraying:
This is a sales trick you’ll never want to experience. It involves the salesperson persistently pursuing you to make a purchase until all possible avenues are exhausted. Even if you end up buying at a different firm, the so-called professional tries to make feel awful by arguing that you overpaid compared to what they could’ve given you.
12. Referred by a Friend:
Beware of letting the consultant know that their firm has been suggested by an acquaintance. Even if your friend has truly gotten a reasonable deal, it isn’t an assurance of your getting the same. Do not be too trusting even if the person was recommended in order for you to be level headed when deciding the purchase.
13. Selling Up:
If you still don’t have any idea on what type of services you need, you can get tricked by the PR professional into buying services that is way beyond what you really needed.
I am sure none of the PR firms or PR professionals that you have meet are anything like the ones mentioned above :-).