[UA] Re: UA:cults, salesmen and whatnot

[Mattias Östklint]

Had a player make a salesman character once, he used the skill doublethink
every morning, was a really, really good salesman and had three failed
notches in self....

Mattias Östklint             tel:   036-146856
EM-OKA                          fax: 036-146064
56182 Huskvarna

> I forget the proper technical term, but personally call it
> control-of-options, since that what it seems like. Whether you're in a
cult,
> a business, or just want to have your way in a group of people, you want
to
> give people the illusion of choice while actually giving them little
choice
> at all. People who think they have no choice will usually resist anybody
> trying to force choices on them; this is the biggest arguement in favor
of
> the world being ruled in secret by some shadowy agency or society like
the
> Illuminati or Freemasons.

Yup, the technique is used all the time.  Hell, I was taught to use it
in retail sales.  "Which card would you like to use to pay for this?"
"So, do you want the black or the gray?" and so forth.

Done right it's powerful.  Done wrong it's just annoying.

Greg "thinks the world is run by hamsters"

<snip>

A car salesman acquaintance once demonstrated a bit of
the same technique.  "Well, Mr. Johnson, what's wrong
with this car?"  Then the guy can't point out anything
specific, it's just not the car he wants, etc., but
the salesman tries to get him to find fault, and when
he can't, "great, let's go inside."

I read an interesting article about car salesman.
They are almost cult like in their own behavior, etc.
I.e. Aside from the pressure sales tactics, Management
sort of indoctrinates the salesman themselves.