Have you noticed that we tend to derive more pleasure from pursuing a product than actually using it? It's very much like dating and relationships. Some people feel that chasing after a love interest is more exhilarating than actually locking in and dating the person.
I majored in marketing and minored in psychology, so I know full well that emotions play a pivotal role in consumer behavior.
Emotions, stirred up in part by the advertisements that assail us on a daily basis, are what drive us to buy stuff -- and that includes products that we may neither need or use. Whether it's the sense of accomplishment that comes over us when we take advantage of a "buy one, get one free" sale or the prospect of buying something that can help us shed weight, look younger, or land more dates, purchasing things gives us an emotional high not unlike that experienced when kissing someone for the first time or receiving your first paycheck.
But once you have the object of your desire within your grasp, well, it's no longer much of a challenge, is it? And that's what happens with a lot of the stuff we buy -- whether it's clothes, shoes, or even appliances. If we show little regard for a product once it's ours, it demonstrates that we likely desired the item in the first place only because we could buy it at a deep discount, want to impress someone by using it out in public, or wish to compete with the Joneses.
As you can see, people's reasons for buying products aren't always so logical. I've lost count of the many houses I've gone into where clothing with name tags remain in people's closets for years on end.
I think it's important for us to always assess why we're driven to buy a certain product before we shell out the money for it at the cash register. Is it something you really need? Is it something you plan to put to good use? Is it something you can wait until later to buy?
Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you've regretted buying something because you never came around to using it?
I majored in marketing and minored in psychology, so I know full well that emotions play a pivotal role in consumer behavior.
Emotions, stirred up in part by the advertisements that assail us on a daily basis, are what drive us to buy stuff -- and that includes products that we may neither need or use. Whether it's the sense of accomplishment that comes over us when we take advantage of a "buy one, get one free" sale or the prospect of buying something that can help us shed weight, look younger, or land more dates, purchasing things gives us an emotional high not unlike that experienced when kissing someone for the first time or receiving your first paycheck.
But once you have the object of your desire within your grasp, well, it's no longer much of a challenge, is it? And that's what happens with a lot of the stuff we buy -- whether it's clothes, shoes, or even appliances. If we show little regard for a product once it's ours, it demonstrates that we likely desired the item in the first place only because we could buy it at a deep discount, want to impress someone by using it out in public, or wish to compete with the Joneses.
As you can see, people's reasons for buying products aren't always so logical. I've lost count of the many houses I've gone into where clothing with name tags remain in people's closets for years on end.
I think it's important for us to always assess why we're driven to buy a certain product before we shell out the money for it at the cash register. Is it something you really need? Is it something you plan to put to good use? Is it something you can wait until later to buy?
Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you've regretted buying something because you never came around to using it?
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