Learning Resource for Managers and students of Psychology,Sales and Marketing by Jayadeva de Silva

1. Applied Psychology in Sales
and Marketing
1. CLOCKS: Many methods for marketing include avoiding
placing clocks or any digital displays which can give
shoppers a sense of time. The goal is to never put clocks
in stores because customers will lose track of other
responsibilities and continue to shop for hours when
their intention may have been 15 minutes had there
been a few analog clocks throughout the store.
2. GROCERY CARTS: Have you ever noticed how much
larger grocery carts have become over the years? They
have almost doubled in size compared to my
grandparents’ time. The larger the buggy the more you
will buy unconsciously whether or not you want
to. ALSO have you ever noticed that there aren't baskets
in certain stores but there are carts? This is because
marketers know that if you use a basket you will be more
conscious of how much money you are spending
because you will feel the weight of the items and buy
less. Four items in a large cart doesn’t seem like much
but when you are carrying it around the store it does. It’s
so simple but marketers play tricks on our sub-
conscious. That’s why paying with cash helps because
the action of paying is more conscious and tangible,
which helps you to actually see how much money you
are spending.
3. PRICE TRICKS: What seems more to you - $9.99 Bread or
9.99 Bread? Your brain normally will unconsciously
assume that 9.99 is less. That’s why some retailers and
even owners of restaurants have abandoned the dollar

2. Applied Psychology in Sales
and Marketing
sign. The dollar sign/symbol makes the number
associated with money otherwise it’s just a number to us.
4. PLACEMENT: This one is very sneaky. Marketing
specialists will put an expensive item (A) Ben and Jerry’s
beside an item that is more expensive (B) Hageen Däs to
make item (A) Ben and Jerrys seem reasonable. The
entire purpose of item (B) Hageen Däs is to sell item (A)
Ben and Jerrys. This isn’t just used in grocery stores but
department stores, and even car salesmen and women
will show you cars way out of your price range so that
you are comfortable breaking your ceiling price and then
they show you a car only a bit out of your price range
because compared to the other ones you are “getting a
steal.” Beware also of realtors who use this ploy.
5. MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL: For some this will be
common sense but most people don’t realize the price
system. When you are comparing items in a grocery
store and trying to find the best bang for your buck,
don’t just get the one on sale or the cheapest price
because chances are you are wrong. Look at the CENTS
PER OUNCE (oz) not the price tag. Say you are buying
“table syrup”, and Aunt Jemima is $3.70 and 11 cents per
oz but Log Cabin is $2.90 and 14 cents per oz the
obviously cheaper choice seems to be the Log Cabin;
however, Aunt Jemima will be giving you more for your
money compared to what you pay for the amount of
product!

3. Applied Psychology in Sales
and Marketing
6. FOOD ARRANGEMENT: Have you ever looked at the
arrangement of food in a grocery store? It is designed to make
you spend more money. The top shelf of a candy aisle will have
the options that the older generation leans towards, such as
dark chocolate, because adults are taller than adolescents. The
candy a bit lower is meant to hit the eye level of the preteens
so their fan favorites according to demographic will be slightly
lower. Then between the waist-high shelf and lower shelf will be
candy favored by toddlers because they are shorter and will be
seen when a child is in a buggy or at mom’s hip height. Then
the least popular candies will remain at the bottom and consist
of oddballs like the occasional Baby Ruth or the obscure
PayDay candy bars.
7. THE WATCHERS: Did you know you are being watched? It’s
easy to tell that you are being watched constantly with the
countless security cameras set up in every corner of a Target,
but companies like Target actually hire people to follow around
shoppers and see what items they pick up, and pay attention to
their shopping habits. They will follow certain demographics
and see what packaging women like most or what shoes men
go for before buying the knock-off brand. Creepy, isn’t it? Some
grocery stores even have hidden cameras inside the freezers
you open to see if you are buying Eggos or Toaster Strudels.
Marketers are constantly looking for what “makes people tick.”
Say I am a marketer who wants to observe the spending habits
of college men. I’ll hire undercover employees to follow young
men and see what beer they prefer or what type of displays
they are drawn to. Say my statistics show men only buy Modelo

4. Applied Psychology in Sales
and Marketing
if it is placed beside Corona? That information I can give to
supermarkets when they arrange inventory.
8. STORE CREDITS: Are you happy that TJ Maxx took back your
shirt and gave you a store credit even though you lost your
receipt? This is probably because they know you will spend
more than what’s on your store credit shopping there anyway,
that is, if you even use it. Thousands of dollars of rebates and
store credits go unredeemed, expire or are lost annually by
customers, which makes the company money. On top of that
some secondhand retailers have very slack return policies
because they know that getting you inside will almost force you
to look at what’s in stock this week. Someone who wanted to
return a $15 shirt may find much more than they bargained for
and leave with $100 less.
9. ATMOSPHERE: Many shops are accustomed to playing slow
music. Slower music encourages shoppers to slowly walk,
instead of rushing, which leaves more time to spend more of
your money.
10. ILLUSION: Grocery stores are not what they seem!
Surprised? Especially their meat sections. Have you ever
ventured into the poultry department and found yourself
admiring the plump chickens? The reason they look so plump
might not be particularly because they are fine meat, but
because these chickens are injected with water to give the
illusion that you are getting more than you actually are.
11. I SCREAM YOU SCREAM WE ALL SCREAM FOR ICE CREAM!
You will scream once you realize how much money you are
wasting paying for air. Dreyer’s ice cream is one of the main

5. Applied Psychology in Sales
and Marketing
offenders. Lots of the “slow churned,” or “creamy,” ice cream
isn’t dense because it is whipped with air. If you melted down
Dreyer’s and Blue Bell, you would see that Dreyer’s has
significantly less volume when melted while Blue Bell remains at
primarally the same height. Cheap, cheap, cheap.

6. Applied Psychology in Sales
and Marketing
Pumpingwaterinto chickentomake it bigger
LearningResource
Jayadeva de Silva for Humantalents International