I can be a total sucker for a “good deal.” For example, when makeup counters are having their “bonus” time, I often purchase items that I otherwise did not need immediately in order to receive the free gift. Or another example, the “buy two, get one free” type of deals are super tempting. I mean, technically you are getting three items for the price of two, however you never actually intended to buy, or needed, more than one item. It wasn't until the lovely salesperson pointed out how much you'd be saving and how exceptional of a deal it was that you decided to buy the product. Therefore, people like me get sucked into spending more money than necessary.
This strategy for compliance is known as the that’s-not-all technique. The technique is a two-step process in which the influencer starts with a somewhat exaggerated request and then reduces it by offering discounts or bonuses (Burger, 1986). Salespeople wrangled us in to buy their products by offering us, what we consider, a great deal and what do we do in return… comply.
Burger, J.M. (1986). Increasing compliance by improving the deal: The that’s-not-all technique. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51, 277-283.
My mom taught me to shop that way. She is usually really tight with her money but she loves to get special deals or great sales. I think it was sometime last year when I had to start living off my own money that I relized when I fed into deals like that I was spending money to save money. Made no sense when I thought about it like that.... tricky little sales people.
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