The Brain Sell: How the new mind sciences and the persuasion industry are reading our thoughts, influencing our emotions, and stimulating us to shop

The heuristic mainly in use here is the recognition rule, relating to the ease, or fluency, with which information can be processed.

Habit plays a major role in determining how we shop.

Retailers use the anchoring heuristic as a hidden persuader to influence shoppers’ judgment about whether or not a store offers value for money. One way of doing this is by what are called “destination goods” or “known value items” (KVIs).

problems or concerns carefully listened to (Listen). When these arise they are often dealt with, according to the version of the manual I saw, using a very old but extremely effective sales technique known as Feel—Felt—Found.

switch from rational and attentive thinking to a more impulsive and automatic mode of thought.

If a company reduces the price of something by 5% but gives you 10% less, you look at the price and think you are getting a bargain. But they have increased their profit margin by 5%. It looks good to you, but you’re really paying more to get less.

What is important to understand is that want-needs are entirely created—not only by advertisers, marketers, and retailers, but also by public relations firms, internet bloggers, tweeters, and broadcast, print, and social media.

TNA is a widely used and, research shows, highly effective technique for transforming a previously “take it or leave it” product into a must-have item. BOGOFS, three for the price of two, or the free pens,

While most people do, on some occasions, choose to shop in this rational, reasoned, and reflective manner, far more frequently they purchase on the basis of intuition and emotion.