I never thought “going for no” was a sales tactic- I guess I always thought the salesperson was genuinely throwing me a bone/an out. It was funny to me to think of this as something they did as a way to get me to finally bite the bait. I am a very “think it over” person- I leave a webpage with a dress up for days before I pull the trigger, I spend at least 5 minutes deciding on whether to splurge and buy sorbet, and I insisted on seeing no less than 20 Pittsburgh apartments before making a decision. So when I am engaged in an in-person sales exchange, I am a perfect target for the “go for no.”
I am an impulse purchaser, so deep down I always want EVERYTHING, but I’m also a nut about my personal finances; most of the inner debate is me convincing my highly logical left brain that I “deserve” everything from flip-flops to a car. So when a sales associate, or a leasing agent, in my most recent experience, pulls the “Is that a no?” line, I panic. That genuine out they may be offering 99% of the time gets me to agree to the purchase.
I think this sales technique is a great one! I know I’m a sucker for it, and I am sure so many people are. People inherently want what they can’t have, so when the product pusher backs off, instantly the consumer will desire the item more than just a moment ago. Next time I am out shopping or making a big purchase decision, I’ll have to remember this tactic and not allow it to make me impulse buy (beyond my regular tendency to do so).
BoweryJE22
Great Posts! I agree 100%, it reminds me of the Campbell’s soup study where they found putting a limitation on the amount of soup you can buy actually increases the amount you want to purchase. This is a weird trick but it is definitely effective.
Aubrey-
This makes so much sense and I feel like I think the exact same way when it comes to shopping. I am very aware of what I spend and what I don’t and it almost makes me nervous to spend money but now I know that sales associates might be doing that on purpose.
I couldn’t believe this was a sales tactic either, but it makes so much sense now. A salesperson that says “so that’s a no?” is so opposite to what we are used to hearing and completely catches us off guard. It seems counter intuitive but really is effective when compared to letting prospects “think it over” who ultimately never make a decision.
While understanding that this is a sales tactic can be helpful for us as consumers, I think that as salespeople we need to be careful not to use it to simply make a sale. It is a “tactic” that should only be used when genuinely meant, or else it is a sneaky way to get a prospect to agree to buying something that they may later regret purchasing. If “going for no” makes someone make up their mind to purchase something, that’s good only if it truly is a solution to their problem. Otherwise, at least in my opinion, it seems sneaky and backhanded.