I’m a green personality, which means I believe I’m a tough sell, shop with my spreadsheet rather than my heart, and generally have little interest in salespeople and their pitches.
However, I also (begrudgingly) know that this is bullshit. I’m every bit as susceptible to the right sales pitch as the next guy. Recently I proved it to myself yet again.
My car, which went into the shop for routine service and safety inspection, was now stuck there with thousands of dollars in repairs necessary to extract it. I had a choice to make — pay the exorbitant fee for my car, or take this nice, cushy alternative that was presented to me.
The soft pillow option was a new car.
I was just a pawn in their game. I knew it, and I was powerless against my own emotions.
I wanted the new car. My old car had 120k+ miles, was six years old, and was now boring. I liked it, but I really liked the new one.
So I went into rationalization mode.
“The new one has 27k miles. That’s better.”
“The new one is newer. That’s better.”
“The new one has a warranty. That’s better.”
“The new one is a car, not an SUV. That’s better.”
“The new one is blue, not black. That’s better.”
“The new one is fancy. That’s better.”
Rationalization complete. I bent my thinking to my emotions and drove home in a new car.
I’m sure I do it every time.
