Psycho-Shopping TV Pitch

Mix the science of why people buy with the evangelic vigour of television reps and you get the optimum behavioural economic infomercial pitch.

I know this via the FT’s deliciously irreverent Undercover Economist’s suggestion of a perfect pitch based on such principles.

He believes there are half-a-dozen main psycho-strands of the field a salesrep should deploy to nail the sale. They are:

1. Make them feel like they already own it
2. Create aura of losing out if you miss out
3. Drop higher anchor price than actually applies in their mind
4. Shroud reality in complex pricing models
5. Tell them everyone’s buying
6. Chuck in a freebie at the death

And here’s the application of these he imagines for a mythical product from the mouth of a rogue rep.

“The TimCo smokemaster doesn’t retail for £200; it doesn’t retail for £100; it doesn’t retail for £50” (anchoring to a price of £200)

“if our lines are busy, please try later” (social approval)

“the smokemaster is not available in regular stores” (loss aversion)

“but wait! When you buy the TimCo smokemaster you get the TimCo soup knife absolutely free” (complex pricing and use of “free”)