Bruce D. Sanders, PhD
@rimtailing.bsky.social
Proven persuasion tips from a consumer psychology researcher
Polly Bennett, who designed actor Austin Butler’s swagger for “Elvis”, tells NYT how getting the movement right helps sell the audience. That’s sure true for merchandise: Rotate the item or the item’s image. rimtailing.blogspot.com/2015/02/turn...
Turn It Around for the Sale
Having an undecided customer hold a pleasure-oriented product makes the customer much more likely to complete the purchase . Not only ...
rimtailing.blogspot.com
November 22, 2025 at 10:03 PM
Polly Bennett, who designed actor Austin Butler’s swagger for “Elvis”, tells NYT how getting the movement right helps sell the audience. That’s sure true for merchandise: Rotate the item or the item’s image. rimtailing.blogspot.com/2015/02/turn...
“One Hand Clapping,” published just last month, details how the human brain finds joy in exploration for its own sake. This explains why shoppers prefer item characteristics they discover for themselves over those initially presented by a salesperson. rimtailing.blogspot.com/2016/10/worm...
Worm Your Way into WOM with Self-Discovery
Show your shoppers a gift box being slowly opened, and their evaluations of what’s inside the box will be more positive than if you just s...
rimtailing.blogspot.com
November 19, 2025 at 9:35 PM
“One Hand Clapping,” published just last month, details how the human brain finds joy in exploration for its own sake. This explains why shoppers prefer item characteristics they discover for themselves over those initially presented by a salesperson. rimtailing.blogspot.com/2016/10/worm...
For today’s RIMtailing blog post, “Fill Coffers Using Retributive Philanthropy,” go to rimtailing.blogspot.com/2025/11/fill...
November 17, 2025 at 7:06 PM
For today’s RIMtailing blog post, “Fill Coffers Using Retributive Philanthropy,” go to rimtailing.blogspot.com/2025/11/fill...
Multigenerational trips are now more popular than in the past. In designing experiences to meet this demand, remember parents & grandparents often place the children's preferences over their own because the adults get enjoyment watching the kids enjoy. rimtailing.blogspot.com/2019/12/disc...
Discern Motivations for Joint Consumption
In purchasing merchandise or experiences to be shared with others, characteristics of the buyer, the other consumers, and the item all cou...
rimtailing.blogspot.com
November 12, 2025 at 4:36 PM
Multigenerational trips are now more popular than in the past. In designing experiences to meet this demand, remember parents & grandparents often place the children's preferences over their own because the adults get enjoyment watching the kids enjoy. rimtailing.blogspot.com/2019/12/disc...
For today’s RIMtailing blog post, “Consider Consumer Confidentiality Concerns,” go to rimtailing.blogspot.com/2025/11/cons...
Consider Consumer Confidentiality Concerns
People are happier with items which are personalized. Personalization goes beyond customization in that personalization takes into account d...
rimtailing.blogspot.com
November 10, 2025 at 6:20 PM
For today’s RIMtailing blog post, “Consider Consumer Confidentiality Concerns,” go to rimtailing.blogspot.com/2025/11/cons...
“In God’s Image,” which is being well-received in book circles, provides a good background on why arguments about corrupting the sanctity of the body—on topics ranging from blood plasma sales to prostitution—work well with political conservatives. rimtailing.blogspot.com/2023/03/embo...
Embody Right-Left in Body Selling
We’d all be aghast at news of somebody selling their kidney because they need the money to feed their family. Donating a kidney charitably i...
rimtailing.blogspot.com
November 8, 2025 at 5:52 PM
“In God’s Image,” which is being well-received in book circles, provides a good background on why arguments about corrupting the sanctity of the body—on topics ranging from blood plasma sales to prostitution—work well with political conservatives. rimtailing.blogspot.com/2023/03/embo...
Avoid assuming that in tight money times, shoppers avoid indulgences. McDonald’s is currently doing well testing crafted soda sales. Feature treats which encourage socializing & keep prices modest. rimtailing.blogspot.com/2020/07/cry-...
Cry Out to Shoppers in Economic Crisis
When a financial crisis pounds a developed economy, such as after a pandemic, successful marketers will recognize how consumers’ habits an...
rimtailing.blogspot.com
November 6, 2025 at 8:18 PM
Avoid assuming that in tight money times, shoppers avoid indulgences. McDonald’s is currently doing well testing crafted soda sales. Feature treats which encourage socializing & keep prices modest. rimtailing.blogspot.com/2020/07/cry-...
For today’s RIMtailing blog post, “Lay Off Latinx with Latinos,” go to rimtailing.blogspot.com/2025/11/lay-...
Lay Off Latinx with Latinos
What do Latinos think of “Latinx”? That’s the term devised as a gender-neutral way to refer to people with Latin American roots. The term ha...
rimtailing.blogspot.com
November 3, 2025 at 5:43 PM
For today’s RIMtailing blog post, “Lay Off Latinx with Latinos,” go to rimtailing.blogspot.com/2025/11/lay-...
The legacy of recently deceased Rossi Ralenkotter credibly contradicts advice not to mix awe & ambiguity. Mr. Ralenkotter designed Las Vegas’s “What Happens Here, Stays Here” slogan to be ambiguously suggestive, while aiming to awe prospective visitors. rimtailing.blogspot.com/2024/08/awe-...
Awe Shoppers, Then Avoid Ambiguity
Awe can advantage marketers, according to a team of researchers at Utah Valley University, Regis University, and Washington State University...
rimtailing.blogspot.com
November 1, 2025 at 8:16 PM
The legacy of recently deceased Rossi Ralenkotter credibly contradicts advice not to mix awe & ambiguity. Mr. Ralenkotter designed Las Vegas’s “What Happens Here, Stays Here” slogan to be ambiguously suggestive, while aiming to awe prospective visitors. rimtailing.blogspot.com/2024/08/awe-...
For the latest RIMtailing blog post, “Spin Away Service Failure Disappointment,” go to rimtailing.blogspot.com/2025/10/spin...
Spin Away Service Failure Disappointment
When a retailer fails to meet a customer’s service expectations, the customer is likely to feel disappointed or even betrayed. There are cir...
rimtailing.blogspot.com
November 1, 2025 at 8:53 AM
For the latest RIMtailing blog post, “Spin Away Service Failure Disappointment,” go to rimtailing.blogspot.com/2025/10/spin...
The frugality being increasingly practiced by U.S. consumers will likely last even when frugality is not necessary. To tempt the frugal to spend, feature slow fashion appeals to include local origins & item backstories. rimtailing.blogspot.com/2020/03/temp...
Tempt the Frugal to Spend
Frugal consumers derive pleasure from extending the lives of their current possessions rather than trading the possessions in for newer ve...
rimtailing.blogspot.com
October 30, 2025 at 5:19 PM
The frugality being increasingly practiced by U.S. consumers will likely last even when frugality is not necessary. To tempt the frugal to spend, feature slow fashion appeals to include local origins & item backstories. rimtailing.blogspot.com/2020/03/temp...
The operating principle of Ready-Fire-Aim is, “Give it a try and see what happens.” Past research found that worked best starting with small steps. But the AI-enabled ability to conduct massive numbers of simulations makes that restriction less important. rimtailing.blogspot.com/2012/04/fire...
Fire with Small Steps Before Aiming
Profitable retailers are action-oriented. They realize that in the fast-changing reality of retailing, those who stand still are sure to b...
rimtailing.blogspot.com
October 26, 2025 at 11:10 PM
The operating principle of Ready-Fire-Aim is, “Give it a try and see what happens.” Past research found that worked best starting with small steps. But the AI-enabled ability to conduct massive numbers of simulations makes that restriction less important. rimtailing.blogspot.com/2012/04/fire...
Book industry reporter Jeffrey Trachtenberg attributes the recent surge in bible sales to feelings of existential anxiety topped by the killing of Charlie Kirk. This affects other consumer issues, too: Keep store shelves and online displays fully faced. rimtailing.blogspot.com/2011/09/fenc...
Fence In Consumer Anxiety
When shoppers are worried about intrusions to their well-being over which they have little control, they often seek boundaries. Includin...
rimtailing.blogspot.com
October 24, 2025 at 5:53 PM
Book industry reporter Jeffrey Trachtenberg attributes the recent surge in bible sales to feelings of existential anxiety topped by the killing of Charlie Kirk. This affects other consumer issues, too: Keep store shelves and online displays fully faced. rimtailing.blogspot.com/2011/09/fenc...
The current fight between Smucker and Trader Joe’s over PB&J sandwiches concerns their U.S. customers. In Spain and Germany, the fight between national- and store-brands concerns how consumers define a smart-shopper self-image. rimtailing.blogspot.com/2022/04/be-s...
October 23, 2025 at 5:24 PM
The current fight between Smucker and Trader Joe’s over PB&J sandwiches concerns their U.S. customers. In Spain and Germany, the fight between national- and store-brands concerns how consumers define a smart-shopper self-image. rimtailing.blogspot.com/2022/04/be-s...
Carol Ryan, who reports on the luxury-goods industry, says that the resale market is now hurting new item sales. What effect will this have on the practice of luxury goods producers destroying overstock? We may see trashing replaced by price reductions. rimtailing.blogspot.com/2024/02/dest...
October 22, 2025 at 5:28 PM
Carol Ryan, who reports on the luxury-goods industry, says that the resale market is now hurting new item sales. What effect will this have on the practice of luxury goods producers destroying overstock? We may see trashing replaced by price reductions. rimtailing.blogspot.com/2024/02/dest...
Recently-published “The Book of Memory” provides actionable implications of how people with strong political beliefs are more likely to remember incidents supporting their politics, even when those incidents never occurred. rimtailing.blogspot.com/2023/08/spot...
October 21, 2025 at 5:30 PM
Recently-published “The Book of Memory” provides actionable implications of how people with strong political beliefs are more likely to remember incidents supporting their politics, even when those incidents never occurred. rimtailing.blogspot.com/2023/08/spot...
For today’s RIMtailing blog post, “Orient Causation Consistently,” go to rimtailing.blogspot.com/2025/10/orie...
Orient Causation Consistently
Suppose you operate a store which offers two nutritional supplements to shoppers, with each supplement claiming on the label to amp up a sen...
rimtailing.blogspot.com
October 20, 2025 at 5:12 PM
For today’s RIMtailing blog post, “Orient Causation Consistently,” go to rimtailing.blogspot.com/2025/10/orie...
The longer the U.S. shutdown, mass layoffs & inflation continue, the further along will consumers’ responses move from reacting to coping to adapting. Anticipate this so you can properly market to your shoppers who are feeling poor. rimtailing.blogspot.com/2019/06/acco...
Account for Financially Limited Mindsets
When people feel financially poor, their consumer behavior changes. From a thorough review of past studies, researchers at Georgetown Univ...
rimtailing.blogspot.com
October 19, 2025 at 5:23 PM
The longer the U.S. shutdown, mass layoffs & inflation continue, the further along will consumers’ responses move from reacting to coping to adapting. Anticipate this so you can properly market to your shoppers who are feeling poor. rimtailing.blogspot.com/2019/06/acco...
Jay Pistono’s death last month can remind us of his valuable teaching to Teton Pass skiers about how to avoid avalanche dangers. That, in turn, can remind us how educating consumers how to handle danger sometimes emboldens them to take on danger. rimtailing.blogspot.com/2020/03/reme...
Remedy Safety Overconfidence
Skier Heidi Julavits’ avalanche safety instructor cautioned his students about the indisputable statistical evidence: As a result of parti...
rimtailing.blogspot.com
October 18, 2025 at 5:16 PM
Jay Pistono’s death last month can remind us of his valuable teaching to Teton Pass skiers about how to avoid avalanche dangers. That, in turn, can remind us how educating consumers how to handle danger sometimes emboldens them to take on danger. rimtailing.blogspot.com/2020/03/reme...
With the swashbuckling ethos President Trump has set for America & beyond, consumers are accepting—or even demanding—higher risk in their investments & purchases. Providers should rethink how they assess risk tolerance. rimtailing.blogspot.com/2012/08/diss...
Dissect the Shopper’s Risk Tolerance
A familiar ritual with an investment advisor is the interrogation regarding the client’s tolerance for risk. The answers form the framewor...
rimtailing.blogspot.com
October 17, 2025 at 5:32 PM
With the swashbuckling ethos President Trump has set for America & beyond, consumers are accepting—or even demanding—higher risk in their investments & purchases. Providers should rethink how they assess risk tolerance. rimtailing.blogspot.com/2012/08/diss...
Among the releases of Taylor Swift’s newest album were ones with jewelry. If you market a limited edition of items carrying an emotional connection to a beloved creator, consider sequentially numbering the items. People pay more for earlier numbers. rimtailing.blogspot.com/2016/02/clos...
Close the Sale Close to the Source
Why is that purchasers of a limited edition production—let’s say a production run of 200 copies before the die is broken—will robustly pre...
rimtailing.blogspot.com
October 15, 2025 at 5:14 PM
Among the releases of Taylor Swift’s newest album were ones with jewelry. If you market a limited edition of items carrying an emotional connection to a beloved creator, consider sequentially numbering the items. People pay more for earlier numbers. rimtailing.blogspot.com/2016/02/clos...
For today’s RIMtailing blog post, “Appropriate Shame as a Fake Review Response,” go to rimtailing.blogspot.com/2025/10/appr....
October 13, 2025 at 5:38 PM
For today’s RIMtailing blog post, “Appropriate Shame as a Fake Review Response,” go to rimtailing.blogspot.com/2025/10/appr....
Which side prevails in the U.S. government shutdown public relations battle depends to a significant degree on how well each side successfully frames their stakeholders’ sacrifices as sacred. rimtailing.blogspot.com/2023/03/sacr...
Sacralize to Persuade
Sacred nonreligious items and ideas are valued in ways resembling the valuing of religious artifacts and beliefs. The consumer considers sac...
rimtailing.blogspot.com
October 9, 2025 at 4:59 PM
Which side prevails in the U.S. government shutdown public relations battle depends to a significant degree on how well each side successfully frames their stakeholders’ sacrifices as sacred. rimtailing.blogspot.com/2023/03/sacr...
“60 Minutes” & WSJ have recently reported how elected officials from opposing positions are aiming to bring civility to politics by joining together in activities. Research says it helps when the activities include eating the same sweet food. rimtailing.blogspot.com/2016/11/brea...
Break Bread to Curb Breaking Bad
When you and your customer eat sweet foods together, the potential for mutual persuasion can grow as fast as your waistlines, according to...
rimtailing.blogspot.com
October 8, 2025 at 4:58 PM
“60 Minutes” & WSJ have recently reported how elected officials from opposing positions are aiming to bring civility to politics by joining together in activities. Research says it helps when the activities include eating the same sweet food. rimtailing.blogspot.com/2016/11/brea...
AI, IoE, & physician shortages are fostering DIY medical diagnosis. Let's be careful. Wealth of information often bestows overconfidence, leading consumers to discount expert views different from their own premature conclusions. rimtailing.blogspot.com/2017/09/chec...
Check for Empowered Shoppers’ Compliance
A worldwide trend among health care providers is to empower consumers with the responsibility of making medical decisions for themselves. ...
rimtailing.blogspot.com
October 7, 2025 at 5:19 PM
AI, IoE, & physician shortages are fostering DIY medical diagnosis. Let's be careful. Wealth of information often bestows overconfidence, leading consumers to discount expert views different from their own premature conclusions. rimtailing.blogspot.com/2017/09/chec...