Does ‘pressure sales’ ever work?

[squiggeldy]

I test drove a car yesterday and I really liked it. It was everything I was looking for but just to be sure it wasn’t an impulse buy, I said I’d sleep on it. I drove home pretty sure I was going to say ‘yes’ but when I got in, I received a text from the sales guy saying a customer had just walked in and wanted the same car. As I’d paid a holding deposit I still had first refusal but instead of letting me wait till the morning, he wanted me to make a decision there and then. I knew this was likely a sales tactic and there probably wasn’t another customer - and immediately I started to be unsure.

I thought about it for 30 minutes and I turned it down - not because of the car but because I felt under pressure to make an instant decision. Really I should have called his bluff and just said ‘ok, let the other customer have it because I’m not ready to make a decision till the morning’ but I didn’t think that quickly.

But I’m curious about ‘pressure sales’. Does it actually work on people? And if not, why do salespeople still do this stuff?

I’d have made it clear you had wanted the car but hadn’t appreciated the pressure. I too would push back against this. My response would be ‘let the inner customer have it. I had decided I wanted the car but wished to let you know in the morning as arranged. I have sourced the same car at x garage now so thanks for your help being able to choose the right one for my needs’

It does work with some and I refuse to tolerate it. I'd have done what you did OP. Bet "something" happens and it comes back on the marked bit is still refuse that salesperson a sale on that basis.

Well they do work on some of course. But for me as soon as there is any kind of time pressure exerted it's just a simple no. Likewise if after they have given me a price and then when I go elsewhere want to offer me a lower price, it's a no. Give me your best price straight up or do one.

I think it depends on your personality type and probably age to whether it works or not.

It obviously does work - the vast number of websites with countdowns proclaiming "50% DISCOUNT ENDS IN..." and the ticker almost always says one hour and some minutes.

Puts me off, though I have very occasionally missed out on the final hours of a genuine sale 😂 Since so many do it, it's fair to assume it's a successful tactic. It's what scammers do, as well, isn't it? They generate a huge sense of urgency to stop the mark thinking rationally.

If you need 12 hours to think it over, you need 12 hours. You were right to stick to your guns.

We buy all our family vehicles from the same dealer. He’s amazing. If he thinks we are making an impulse decision, he tells us to go home and think about it and not to jump into anything😂He’s the least pushy salesman, yet he turns the cars around really quickly. He’s very personable and relaxed and I think that’s what people like. Ive recommended lots of friends buy from him.
He just gives people the keys and leaves them to it when they are looking at a car. You don’t feel like you are being watched or hovered around.
He’s only a small dealer but he’s always busy and his online reviews are incredible.

There's no such thing as a car that only exists in one single item, if you like the car and another customer buys it, you will be able to find the same combo of make and model and colour and features very easily.

But yes pressure sales frequently work

Estate agents do this all the time with house purchases too. Always “lots of other interested viewers”…

Ah, we used to have a small local dealership like that but he then retired. Between us, our family bought 8 cars from him as he was so relaxed and not in a hurry to sell.

I actually quite like the dealership I was at yesterday and would like to buy from them but this put me off. The main concern was that the screen on the digital display had an error which he said would be fixed before I picked it up. I fully believed him (I’ve bought from them before) but when he started to press me for an answer, started to wonder if there was something bigger wrong with it and he just wanted to offload it.

Anyway, one sale lost!

The sales manager at the firm I worked for in the 90s always said that a pressure sale might work once but it would NEVER generate repeat business. He was vehemently against the practice for that very reason.