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On December 6, the first so-called Black Friday will take place in Russia. True, unlike the United States – the birthplace of mass sales – in our country this event will be held on the Internet. To take part in the promotion, you need to register on a website specially created for this occasion, where discounts from leading online stores are collected. How to competently make purchases during online shopping and not regret the results of wasted money? We turned to psychologists and coaches for advice. They all agree that the main thing is to remain critical. Here are some tips on how to achieve this.
Our experts
Takhir Bazarov, social psychologist
Vladimir Malygin, psychotherapist
Marina Kuznetsova, psychologist, business coach
Maxim Sirbu, sales expert
Marina Kuznetsova:
«Make a list. First of all, you should decide what exactly you need to buy – make a list of what you need right now or in the near future. What we acquire “with the prospect”, as a rule, is never used later. And often we completely forget that we bought this thing.
Determine the total purchase limit. During online shopping, the main thing is to keep track of how much we have already collected goods. It is intermediate control that is important, and not SMS after payment with a notification that there is nothing left on the card. You can even put on the card in advance the amount strictly allotted for this shopping.
Study the market based on the list of purchases you need. Say, if you are interested in a camera, you should learn about its functionality, about the ratio of price (without discount) and quality. Set a threshold above which you will not rise. Let’s say this camera costs 5000 rubles without a discount, I’m ready to buy it for 3000–4000 rubles, but I won’t take it for 4500.
Be critical. It is important to understand even before the purchase how the ordered product can be received, whether it has a guarantee, the possibility of exchange and return (often goods at a discount cannot be returned or exchanged). With online shopping, this issue is especially important. Suddenly the shoes will be small or will not meet the expectations of her appearance! Also pay attention to the terms and conditions of delivery: you can bring the goods when you no longer need them.
Read more:
- How do we really feel about fashion?
Takhir Bazarov:
“Take care of yourself. Before shopping, it is worth getting a good night’s sleep, because otherwise we do not hold a coherent picture well. When we have a fragmented vision of the situation, we are more likely to succumb to various marketing ploys. A certain level of sophistication sets a good lunch: not just hearty, but tasty and varied.”
Vladimir Malygin:
“Don’t shop online alone. If you know that your critical thinking ability is greatly reduced during sales, you can ask your loved ones for help. Let there be, say, a friend nearby, for whom those goods that you will view and choose in emotional stress are less significant.
Control your emotions: it is they who lead to the fact that we commit rash acts. Apply, for example, the usual switching technique: step away from the computer for a few minutes, say, to wash the dishes. This will reduce emotional intensity, turn on analytical thinking and be more sober about shopping.”
Read more:
- What our shoes say
Why is it hard for us to resist discounts?
Takhir Bazarov, social psychologist: “When we buy something, we want to buy cheaper. And that’s okay. When we sell, we want to sell at a higher price. And that’s okay too. But for many women, it is not the discount that is important, but the shopping process itself. For them, this is like communication, and an online sale is just an extra incentive for it. Most people don’t do well in repetitive, repetitive situations. Sale, which is unlikely to radically change the human condition, for many is a substitute for events, a surge, a change in the modality of life, a tribute to spontaneity, which we naturally have, but most often suppressed.
Online shopping has its own characteristics. For example, due to the lack of tactile sensations, a person is completely fixed on eye contact: on the shape, color, design of the picture with the product of interest to him. Brand becomes key. This means that the more loyal we are to the brand, the more it flatters our ego, the more likely we are to make a purchase. Another obvious difference is the payment method. It’s one thing to get money out of your wallet and give it to the cashier. Under such conditions, we behave more economically, because we see how much we spend. When we pay with a card, we have a feeling of a certain virtuality of everything that happens, we count money worse and risk spending more.”
Where do discounts come from?
Maxim Sirbu, sales expert: “The most valuable thing a seller has is a customer base. It includes customers who contacted the company once, contact from time to time or regularly. Why does a seller need a sale? To attract the attention of a new buyer and expand the customer base.
It should be borne in mind that discounts are often made on goods that are not in demand or, on the contrary, those that are in the greatest demand. This allows you to free up space in the warehouse and draw attention to the brand. The formation of a discount usually follows the following principle: the fewer people claim a certain thing, the greater the discount will be; The more applicants, the lower the discount. At the same time, sometimes unscrupulous sellers manage to sell goods at a promotion more expensive than usual – many of us believe the magic word “sale” and do not specify the real price of the goods. In general, before shopping, it makes sense to study the market in order to understand where the discount is real, and where it is only called 50%.”