Brits feel bamboozled by sales spin

New research from Network Q, the used-car retailer, has confirmed that 7 in 10 of the working population, are not making financially sound purchases because of ‘information overload’.

The report reveals that 72 per cent of the public are being overwhelmed by sales jargon from retailers, both on and off the high street. 36 per cent of British consumers openly admitted to not listening to professional sales advice because of all the information they have to remember. Nearly a quarter of the working population often struggle to keep up with the terminology used by sales staff.

Remarkably, only 2 per cent of Brits recall all the information they are given 24 hours after a typical sales pitch, with 48 per cent claiming to forget nearly all of the information they have heard.

British businesses are in danger of driving Christmas shoppers away from the high street and onto the web as over 40 per cent of British consumers admitted to being so overwhelmed with sales jargon that they now only purchase their goods online.

The results of the report have also dispelled the myth that used-car salesmen are the kings of jargon. The mobile phone salesperson is seen as the worst offender of ‘information overload’, with 26 per cent of consumers left feeling confused when leaving the premises followed by insurance reps (25 per cent), mortgage advisors (18 per cent), double glazing salesman (17 per cent) and used-car salesmen (8 per cent).

The report also discovered that consumers in Scotland take extra care when shopping:over a quarter of the Scots take a companion with them to help them understand sales talk.

Consumers in the North West are better at deciphering sales talk, with 44 per cent stating they understood sales advice given to them straight away.

Consumers in the South West are the most cautious shoppers – over 60 per cent of customers in the region have changed their minds about their purchases because they distrusted the sales person. 56 per cent of Welsh consumers believe that sales staff purposely confuse them into purchasing unfavourable deals.

The secret behind the perfect sales pitch, agreed by 50 per cent of the public, was to allow customers to browse first, and then wait for the customer to approach a sales representative. 26 per cent preferred to be referred to a website.

David La Rooy, Senior Lecturer in Psychology at University of Kingston, comments on the research: “Preparation is the key to making sure you are not overloaded with information. Consumers should be arming themselves with as much information as possible before talking to sales assistants. Talking to friends, quietly browsing products in-store, and searching the Internet are all useful ways of doing this.

“The more consumers know beforehand, the more new information they will be able to integrate and upload to memory; the preparation will have paid off. Spending time going over and digesting what was said will consolidate and strengthen memory.”

Mike Brown, Used Vehicle Sales, Marketing and Operations Director at Network Q, states: “The report reveals that overwhelming customers with too much information is detrimental to the high street. In response to the research, Network Q is launching an online guide with tips on ways consumers can improve their memory and make an informed purchasing decision. We want to offer peace of mind to all our customers.”

The Network Q guide is available to download from networkq.co.uk.