We have all seen the infomercials advertising crazy products whether it is knives that can cut through metal, exercise devices guaranteed to give you results, or knick-knacks and trinkets to make life easier. These companies rely on the mass distribution of their advertisements and deceiving payment programs to profit.
When these companies advertise their products on TV they are relying on viewers to think to themselves unnecessarily “I NEED that!” Nobody needs a steak knife that can cut through a cast iron pan. People need a steak knife that can cut through a steak. These advertisements take advantage of consumerism. These advertisements rarely solve a problem faced by any individual. For instance, if you need a knife strong enough to cut through metal to cut your steak, you should probably invest in grilling lessons instead of a stronger knife.
These advertisements often use deceiving pricing. When an advertisement says something along the lines of “You can have this super workout machine for just four low payments of $24.99. You just cover shipping and handling .” $100 for a guaranteed six-pack sounds pretty good until they overcharge you for shipping and handling.
These selling practices are great examples of what sellers ought to avoid. We want to be highly effective sellers but we also want satisfied customers. Using shady selling practices is not a way to satisfy customers and they are ineffective. There is a reason we see repeat commercials like this so often on television and streaming services. Impersonal selling does not grab people’s attention and it does not lead to a lot of sales.
BoweryJE22
The older generation, especially, finds themselves being victims of this selling. I think you’re right that sales people should really avoid this type of selling, because it’s deceiving, and in the grand scheme of things, ineffective, like you mentioned.