Buy Everything You Don't Need! - Society

There is a call from an unknown number. A cheerful voice starts to offer you new telecommunications services, prevention of plastic windows, magic anti-aging cream, and the like? These calls are heard at the most inopportune moments; and if you have the imprudence to start a conversation, it can drag on for an indefinite time. What to do?

Losing time and money

Sometimes it can be very difficult to get rid of intrusive operators. At the same time, one gets the impression that you are talking not with a living person, but with a robot. The fact is that call center employees work according to special templates ("scripts"), which can be extremely poorly composed, and "live" direct communication is prohibited. Many non-standard questions "human robots" are unable to answer. At the same time, even if we even have an interest in the proposed product, the impossibility of achieving intelligible answers causes irritation.

Apart from spoiled mood and wasted time, there is another danger. Write down (preferably on a granite slab) the rule: the more aggressive the sale, the less the desired product is offered to buy. And this means that among the goods imposed by phone, there are, as it were, slightly useless (like the proposal to connect 200 cable TV channels instead of the 100 that you already have), absolutely unnecessary and even harmful.

Dear performances

Here, for example, often offered "prevention" of plastic windows. The market for the production and installation of these windows is quite complex and highly competitive. You can make a double-glazed window both at the factory and somewhere in the garage; and two people are enough for installation. At the same time, a huge number of people do not at all consider plastic windows as a necessity. They both glued old wooden frames for the winter, and continue to do so. But the main difficulty lies elsewhere: quality windows are a "one-time" and "eternal" product. In any business, the main money is made on regular customers. And with plastic windows this is impossible! And you have to come up with some kind of "upsell".

It doesn't matter that 99% of plastic windows do not need prophylaxis, but for the remaining 1%, people can do all the simple preventive work on their own! Thanks to aggressive sales, there are now many "air sellers" who offer us imitation services. We will pay an impressive sum for the performance called "prevention". But that's not the worst part. It is much more dangerous when dietary supplements, “miraculous” medical devices, treatment courses in private clinics, etc. are “vaped” in this way. So we risk losing not only money, but also health or even life.

What to do if there is a call (by phone or to the apartment), and they want to "sell" something to you?

• 1. Remember - you didn't call, you called. And this means that they want to sell you something that you do not want (did not intend, did not plan, did not dream) to buy. Switch on the "internal fuse": "I don't need this. They need it. " You are not interested in any obsessive offers from the outside - make it your life principle.
• 2. The best conversation with obsessive salespeople is not having one. Just hang up or slam the door. Yes, it's impolite. But you didn't call them, they invaded your personal space. You have every right not to be hospitable.

• 3. If you nevertheless involuntarily started a conversation, it is never too late to say the magic word "no!" (although it's best to do this as early as possible). Let me tell you a little secret: when templates of a selling dialogue are developed in decent call centers, they clearly prescribe when the conversation should be stopped and when should be "squeezed". For example, the customer will be left behind if he says “no” three times in response to the seller's arguments. Please note that this must be a categorical and firm "no". If there is even a hint of doubt in your voice (“probably not necessary”, “perhaps not worth it”, etc.), you will be “pushed” to the bitter end.

  Well, if the call center is "indecent" and said "no" three times in a row does not work, you can add a couple of original phraseological phrases (to the best of your upbringing) and follow advice number 2.

• 4. Not everyone knows how to easily and decisively send away uninvited and aggressive sellers. There is this type of people: soft, well-mannered and tactful quiet people. They are afraid to act impolite, say something harsh to another person, even simply interrupt a conversation with an unpleasant interlocutor. If you add to these qualities a high gullibility, you get an "ideal sacrifice" for those who sniff out all sorts of nonsense. In the manner of speaking, aggressive salespeople instantly identify such "soft" customers and make every effort to sell everything at once. How do they do it? Traditionally, they use two factors - threat and urgency. On the one hand, they start to intimidate and inflate negative consequences that will surely come if you do not purchase their "wonderful" product or service.

  I know a case when one "vparivat" prevention of plastic windows in all seriousness told that if there are cracks between the window frame and the wall, the wall will begin to rot and mold, and this will certainly lead to the collapse of the house within three to five years. This is complete nonsense, but the target audience (single pensioners) believed. Urgency is usually justified by some kind of "exclusive offer": "We have the last three days of the promotion; this is only for beneficiaries,”etc. Sometimes they add a third factor to increase sales - various kinds of bonuses. For example, "order from us the prevention of plastic windows, and we will give you a special tool for cleaning them!"

  What are these three factors (threat, urgency, gifts) for? To turn off our mind and activate our emotions. We have two ways of making decisions - rational (intelligent) and emotional (impulsive). Aggressive salespeople try to force us to make our buying decisions based on emotion alone. How to protect yourself? Under no circumstances make decisions while communicating with the seller! Let him go out of his way, trying to persuade him to pay at least an advance right now. Do not do that!

  If you are a gentle person and find it difficult to "send" an obsessive seller, this does not mean that you should give in to his pressure and buy something. Listen to his arguments, nod your head, smile mysteriously. For all direct questions about whether you are ready to purchase a product, answer: "I need to think." Even if the seller tries to get some certainty from you, answer: "Perhaps I will buy, but maybe not, I need time to think." If you can buy time, the likelihood that you will not make an unnecessary purchase under the influence of urgency and emotion is very high.

• 5. One last tip. Telephone sales are dangerous because they are direct and personal contact. Only you and the seller communicate. In this case, you are in the role of a naive victim of manipulation (we will not use the word "sucker"), and at the other end of the line is a specially trained manipulator. You really need more information and advice from other people. Postpone the deal for the next day in any way (see tip # 4). And immediately ask for help from friends, relatives, at least from neighbors (this advice is especially relevant for the elderly).

Be a conscientious and active consumer! Buy things intelligently and only on your own initiative. Remember, the more intrusive they are trying to sell something to you, the less you really need it

Photo: © Yakov Filimonov / Photobank Lori