The Psychology Of Ticket Selling
There is a clear purpose to supermarket music playing, as well as to the chewing gums, chocolate bars and lollipops being placed just next to the cash register and we all know it. Still, even if not paying attention to music tricking us into staying longer at the store, we do fall for the same old tricks and throw in a pack of M&Ms while waiting in line. After thinking some more about this phenomenon, it becomes clear that wherever we go and whatever we buy, there is some kind of marketing or selling strategy for it ; which is why there is no surprise in similar strategies being applied to ticket selling.
Here are some of the most common tricks you as a buyer can come across or as a seller to implement.
1. Customers easily bite the bait
Indeed, consumers bite the bait and they have nothing against doing so. But, what is in question here? Let’s explain. Basically, the cheaper product is displayed next to the more expensive one. For example, laptop manufacturers sell products that cost from $300 to several thousand dollars per item. What is their goal? Of course, their goal is to sell as many as they can. The most expensive equipment has a narrower group of customers, and therefore the goal is to sell as many of those which are less expensive. When choosing between two products, an extremely expensive and one that is affordable, the second one seems cheap and as a reasonable choice to make.
How is this trick applied to tickets? For example purposes, let’s say that you offer two types of tickets; VIP and custom. The target group which doesn’t care about the VIP perks will gladly take the custom ticket even if the price seemed high at a first glance.
2. Just a little extra sells the ticket
Meet the consumers half way by increasing the price of the custom ticket for a few dollars but throw in a present: one free drink, offering a discount for the next purchase, or giving the second ticket at half a price. What you will opt for depends on the reason you are selling the ticket and what you aim to accomplish.
3. Coupons
Everyone loves coupons as they have a feeling they spent less money. This is true. Having a 10% discount on your final receipt or decreasing the cost of specific items makes your target group content and gives them a feeling of achievement when it comes to their purchase strategy. And what’s more, it makes them want to do it again. Some retailers brought the game to next level by making a lottery out of it, so now in some stores you have a chance to win a 30%, 50% or 70% discount by scratching the discount card. Although the majority scratches the 30% discount they still buy the product and leave satisfied, even though they might not have the intention to spend that amount of money on that specific product.
4. High price (doesn’t) mean(s) high quality
Our standards have been trained lately on the principle if it is expensive, it must vouch for quality. This trick is easily avoided by doing some research on the product, however, there are always those who are impatient and want to take a shortcut falling for this one. Nevertheless, when research is out of the question and the thing you are buying is a ticket for a conference (or better still, the concert of your favourite band) then who’s to say if the quality and the price are proportional?
5. The magic of %
Even in the context of already existing discounts, there is a way of outsmarting customers; short, but powerful words - up to and %. Let's say you put a discount on the tickets from 5-30%. In order to attract as many interested parties, it is enough to write “up to 30%”. It does not matter that you give only two tickets at 30% discount; people will see only a discount of 30%.
6. Almost sold out trick and Limited number per customer
If it is SOLD OUT must be good. Organizers often use this scheme to increase and accelerate sales. It is wondrous how “you can buy it now or never” works great on human brain.
On the other hand, the limited number per customer trick lets you know that there is great interest in the upcoming event and in that case the strategy works like this: If others are interested I have to be there. People need interaction and they need bonding, we also like to be involved in pretty much anything and to posses the information of just about everything. Luckily for business owners, these human traits bring money and sell well.
7. .99 ticket price endings
Perhaps the most commonly used way of taking advantage of the human mind. Our eyes see the first digits and don’t pay attention to the rest of it. If tickets cost $13.99, we round them to the first digits we see (in this case 13 dollars), and we know it, but we still do it, and sellers count on it.
8. Dynamic pricing (browsing and buying history)
Dynamic pricing is neither the invention nor the strategy of the modern age. On the contrary, it has existed since the need for selling things appeared, but today it has taken a quite modern form and uses advanced tools. This kind of pricing actually means that sellers research your browsing and shopping history for coming up with the model of charging as well as advertising.
Naturally getting a good deal is what we all want and aim for as it brings satisfaction. Knowing these facts enable us to anticipate when a dealer aims to trick us or it can get us to even better and smarter purchase. In the end, the target buyers recognize the trick but still buy the product, even then feeling good just for recognizing the ploy.