Key Messages
What You Need To Know About The Dark Art Of Marketing And Advertising
The Brain Sell by Alistair Bain is all about how retailers use your brain to sell their products.
In this book, readers will gain insight into the dark and sinister tactics employed by marketers and advertisers to get us to purchase as much as possible without even realizing it.
The topics covered in the book provide a clear picture of exactly how these strategies work.
Readers can expect to learn the difference between going shopping with a plan and randomly doing shopping, why no clerk should ever cross their legs, and more surprisingly, why using your pet’s name as a password is way too easy for people up to no good.
All of this combined make The Brain Sell a necessary read if you want to be able to protect yourself against sneaky marketing ploys.
The Two Types Of Shopping: Going And Doing
Have you ever thought about the way that we shop? It might seem pretty straightforward, but psychologists, neuroscientists, and behavioral analysts have studied shopping habits and categorised shoppers into two different kinds: those who go shopping and those who do shopping.
If you’re a shopper who goes shopping, it’s often an experience that you enjoy and even intentionally seek out to escape the daily grind.
Going shopping is more than just buying something – it’s also about experiencing brands and services in a pleasant environment.
On the other hand, there are shoppers who approach it as an unpleasant chore.
They’ve got to pick up the things they need but don’t necessarily want – like milk, toilet paper and cat food – so they do it quickly and efficiently.
This type of shopper can be likened to a one-person SWAT team rescuing a hostage!
The people who go shopping linger in stores to admire products and make decisions; that’s why advertisers, manufacturers, and retailers all love them.
Subsequently, if you’re trying to attract this demographic to your brand or business then you should aim for making their experience enjoyable!
How Companies Use Limited Supply And Social Anxiety To Turn Products Into Want-Needs
In advertising, elevating your product to the ‘want-need’ stage is key for success, as this will trigger customers’ desire to buy it.
An effective way of doing this is by making your product scarce.
This technique has been seen employed by Apple when people line up outside the store desperately trying to get their hands on the latest iPhone.
By limiting its availability, the excitement and uniqueness are maintained, which ignites their passion for it.
Product scarcity also arises an element of FOMO (fear of missing out) for those who don’t manage to purchase it, which can be used as a clever marketing tool to draw them in.
For example, back in the 1920s, Lambert Pharmaceutical Co.
created Listerine – an antiseptic mouthwash with advertisements showing dejected men and women who were eager for love but foiled by bad breath.
Customers had feelings of insecurity and anxiety regarding social acceptance, which was perfectly tapped into and increased their revenue from $115,000 to over $8 million within 7 years!
Ultimately, if you want your product to become a want-need in the minds of your customers use tactics like scarcity and clever marketing to show how they won’t quite fit into their environment until they purchase it.
The Power Of Body Language In Retail: How Posture And Arm Position Can Influence Buying Choices
Body language can make or break a successful sale – and how likely you are to buy.
In the retail scene, it’s essential to apply body language correctly as customers quickly determine if someone is competent, competent but dismissive, or even aggressive based on the power poses they display.
A sales representative’s stance can command respect for his/her competence or could lead to disappointment leaving an eager customer untreated.
Customers use phrases such as “arms crossed” “sleeping on the job” and “leaning on the wall” synonymously with low-power posing which may be interpreted as unhelpful or careless.
It doesn’t end there though.
Even how your arms are positioned in stores, whether in flexion (bent) or extension (straightened), has an effect on customers’ buying choices!
Arm flexion is linked with a desire to acquire, while arm extension evokes rejection.
That’s why companies should offer shopping baskets instead of trolleys that require customers reach out and grab items so they feel more comfortable when purchasing them!
The truth is that body language influences us all in more ways we expect – which means it is key for retailers to create positive experiences that ensure customers get served properly through crafty knowledge of body language!
How Businesses Use Sound And Smell To Manipulate Customers Into Spending More Money
It’s no secret that customers can be easily tempted by specific sounds and smells.
Companies understand this, and often use these two marketing tactics to entice shoppers in stores.
Music is one such example – retailers can manipulate the tempo of music that’s being played, as slower tempos have been known to slow down customers’ movements, increasing the time they spend shopping.
Studies have even shown higher sales due to this technique!
The genre of music can play a role too – playing classical music in wine stores has been found to increase the purchase of more expensive bottles.
Smells can also be used as a powerful form of marketing.
Dunkin’ Donuts arranged for the smell of coffee to be released during their advertisements on public buses, leading to an increase in store visits and sales.
Oxytocin, a hormone associated with trustworthiness and bonding between mothers and children, has also been explored by some companies looking to create loyalty among their customers.
By leveraging sound and smell as tools, businesses are able to tempt customers into making purchases they may not have otherwise made.
It’s important to recognize these tactics when you’re out shopping so you don’t fall into any traps set by clever marketers!
How To Fight Back Against Underhanded Retailer Tactics: Put An End To Impulse Shopping And Use Fantastical Images To Distract Yourself From Buying Too Much
Shoppers today are constantly bombarded with marketing tactics from retailers that are designed to get them to impulsively buy products.
Thankfully, there is something you can do to protect yourself against these tricks: disrupting your own thoughts.
The first step is to try and avoid impulse shopping altogether.
Impulsive purchases usually happen when you’re feeling unhappy or on vacation – so be aware of any feelings you are having before you start shopping.
Additionally, it’s important that if you’re feeling blue and tempted to use shopping as a coping mechanism, step back and ask yourself if the purchase is really necessary? Vacations are also often occasions of excessive spending in souvenirs – try your best to resist the temptation!
Finally, an effective way of defending yourself against marketers’ tricks is by interrupting your own thoughts through visualization.
Basically, this works by giving your brain something fantastical and vivid to imagine – like a pink elephant diving into a bowl of blue custard – so that it has no capacity for anything else related to the purchase.
This interruption can give shoppers the few seconds they need to stop themselves from making an impulse buy.
For those who do shop online though, it’s important to stay vigilant in using strategies that help deflect any marketing ploys coming their way.
Stay Safe Online: Tips For Navigating The Digital World
With the rise of online shopping, it is important for all users to be aware of the potential dangers associated with it.
Shopping online can be dangerous if one isn’t taking precautionary measures!
To stay safe on the web, always choose complex passwords that are regularly updated and are not related to yourself or anyone you know.
Avoid using passwords like your favorite band name or your mother’s maiden name – a simple scan of your social media profile could make these easily guessed by hackers.
It is especially important to remember this when children are involved.
Make sure they know how to exercise responsible online behavior, and monitor their access – this will foster positive internet practices in the future and may even help those around them learn tips and tricks to keep safe while shopping online.
Wrap Up
The Brain Sell provides essential tips on how to maximize sales through a scientific approach.
The book encourages marketers to use psychological tactics and sensory experiences to draw in customers, as well as providing actionable advice for customer’s when it comes to secure passwords.
The final summary of the book is that if you are a marketer, you should use psychology and sensory experiences for customer engagement, while as a customer you should be careful with ensuring your passwords have enough security so they can’t be hacked.
With this essential advice in mind, marketers and customer alike can now make informed decisions about maximizing sales – enabling them to achieve success!
