Abstract

IGLESIAS, Fabio  and  DAMASCENO, Raissa. Persuasive strategies of salespeople: consumers' perceptions in retail stores. Rev. Psicol., Organ. Trab. [online]. 2013, vol.13, n.2, pp. 171-186. ISSN 1984-6657.

Consumers' perceptions of persuasive strategies in retail stores were investigated, based on Cialdini's six principles of social influence (reciprocity, consistency, social proof, scarcity, liking, and authority). A standardized instrument in an attitude scale format was developed for consumers to evaluate a series of typical interactions with salespeople, as well as self-other judgments of vulnerability to persuasion. Principal components analyses in Study 1 revealed three types of strategies perceived in salesperson behavior: Pressing (scarcity and reciprocity), Approximating (liking and authority), and Deluding (liking, social proof, and consistency). Though seemingly less persuasive, approximation strategies were more often perceived, and no systematic differences were found due to consumer gender, age, or income. This factorial structure was replicated in Study 2 with another sample, offering stronger evidence for semantic and construct validity, and reliability. The results also revealed support for the so called third person effect - consumers judge themselves less vulnerable than their friends and other consumers in general. Given the problems typically associated with how salespeople can promote inappropriate purchases, and the consequences of an illusion of invulnerability, results are discussed in the perspective of consumer research that benefits consumers themselves, and its relations to organizational and work psychology.

Keywords : Retail Sales; Persuasion; Consumer Behavior.

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