Understanding how consumers think allows marketers to generate effective selling strategies. Today’s session shines a light into the consumer’s mind to extract two such insights for the marketer. Professor Sengupta draws on his extensive research on persuasion tactics to explore how salespeople can fruitfully employ the tactic of flattering their customers, while Professor van der Lans examines how positioning a product as a gift can help the marketer, with consumers being willing to pay higher prices for gifts.

Persuasion Tactics in Marketing: The Insidious Impact of Flattery
Marketers and other agents use a variety of tactics to influence us. One commonly-used persuasion tactic is flattery. But does flattery really work, or do we see right through it? Professor Jaideep Sengupta draws on his extensive research on persuasion techniques to present insights into this topic. He highlights the unexpected long-term effects of flattery, and the resultant implications for marketers and managers.

Pricing Strategies for Gift Giving
Gift giving generates large revenues for businesses, corresponding to 17.6 percent of retail sales in Hong Kong. Despite their importance for the retail industry, retailers tend to follow the same pricing strategies as for other regular products or services. Yet, consumers purchase decisions for gifts are fundamentally different compared to purchases for own consumption. This presentation, Professor Ralf van der Lans highlights these differences and the implications for pricing strategies of retailers that serve a significant portion of customers who buy their products as gifts for others.