The word gullible isn’t in the dictionary?

I’m an evil marketer. It’s what I do, and I’m pretty good at it. I spend quite a bit of my time figuring out ways to get my company’s customers to take the actions we want them to take, so I know all the tricks (or as we like to think of them, creative persuasion techniques).

And yet, they still have a power over me. Today I got a letter from a furniture store in Frederick that I have never even visited. It was addressed to me with my maiden name, which I generally don’t use anymore. They were sending me, as a preferred customer, a special invitation to their going out of business sale! But the only way to get in the door is to come and bring the letter. Now we still need a china cabinet, so I considered going by there to see if they have any decent deals. And then I thought to myself, I wonder if I really need to bring the letter? Which, no, of course I don’t! But you see how sneaky we marketers can be?

And then there’s Borders and Barnes & Noble, who have really got my number. Every so often they send me a coupon – Borders sends me one by email every week, although the deal varies, so I don’t always use it. Barnes & Noble sends them out by mail, but not as frequently. And I have to say both methods are surprisingly effective. Barnes & Noble’s because the way they space them out makes them feel more valuable, and Borders because I usually have to spend 20 bucks to save my 20% or 25% or whatever it is. And I can always find $20 worth of books that I want. Hell, today at Barnes & Noble I spent more than that and I didn’t even need to. I got Pamie’s book because I saw it on the table and then I had to buy it because I “know” her (although really, I just read her site. She doesn’t usually have comments on, and I’ve never emailed her or anything, so saying I know her is a stretch. I guess now her complex and yet surprisingly successful strategy of starting a website and writing interesting stuff on it so someday a girl in Maryland who she doesn’t know will spend $13 [-10%!] on her book has paid off. Cha-ching!) And I bought a hardcover book because it was 30% off, and then an additional 10% because I’m a booksaver member or whatever the hell they call it and then an additional 15% off with my coupon, which took this $26 book down to $12 something, and who could pass that up? Especially since the mass market paperback is going to cost $8 anyway. And then I bought this fantasy novel that keeps getting good reviews, so I finally broke down and bought it, even though it isn’t my usual type of fantasy. We’ll see.

Score:

Evil marketers who aren’t me: 3;

Me: 0.