Gold bar scheme: 120 fear they may lose $40m

[kazukirai]

It's interesting some Buddies are bringing up such experiences and from Yeo-san's post, it seems like these super-salesmen are employing some very slick tactics that are rooted in Social Psychology.

For those interested, you can read Influence by Robert Cialdini. Interestingly, the good author who's a Psych prof. studied the methods of Super Salesmen because he was trying to find out why he often fell for the pitch of hucksters (Or maybe he was employing his own slick method of Social Proof to tell readers "Hey, I'm fell for tricks like you did. Continue reading to figure out how to avoid those tricks in future."

The books available from NLB and very readable.

[fsqsean]

10% a month is unbelievable, those people should have known -.-

[corydorus]

Some sales use scare tactic. I remember a time where HDB changed the main wooden door HDB door for free but the agent scare the occupants to pay to buy/
change the main gate as well.

[Jared Seah]

Ahem... As a ex-salesman, I don't use scare tactics, but would like to share that all the best "techniques" won't work on people who are "full" in their hearts or minds.

Only for people who have "empty" hearts or minds can we "mesmerise" or "hypnotize".

This technique is not just used by salesmen.

Politicians, Idols like movie stars and singers, Religious leaders, Feng Shui masters, Fortune-tellers, Mentors, Lovers, and other Opinion leaders can have the same "hold" on us.

Very simple test. I am sure we all have at one time or another "blindly" believed whatever someones says or write No?

I consider "buying" an idea or outlook as "sales" too!

[fsqsean]

Haha I hold that rather true, people who get sucked into such stuff are those who weighs greed much more then risk. Its almost as bad as people who sign up for investment policies that just track an index (eg STI) and exist only to suck the management fee out of people.