Persuasion: The Bicycle Purchase

The beginning of the spring season has arrived and a woman has decided that she would like to buy a new bicycle. She goes into a bicycle store and looks around. She spends time looking at a 3-speed bike, and a salesperson approaches.

The salesperson asks, “This is a nice bike. Are you looking to buy a new bike?”

The woman answers, “I’ve been meaning to get a new bicycle. With the start of spring, I thought it would be a great way to get more exercise.”

The salesperson says, “Have you considered a mountain bike? They tend to be easier to pedal and ride. They are a great bike for all around use, and the tires are very durable. Let me show you a few different styles.”

The salesperson walks the woman over to an area where the mountain bikes are located and picks one out. The salesperson explains the different features, and then says, “Let me show you another model. They are basically the same, but this one is a lot lighter which is why it costs a little more.”

The salesperson then says, “I have one more to show you. This one is the top of the line. The gears are designed to be easier to shift. It’s made out of titanium so it very light.”

The woman says, “It’s very nice, but I think it is outside my price range.”

The salesperson says, “I understand. Would you like to try riding one of the bikes? We have a dedicated area outside where customers can try out the bikes. You can try all three.”

The salesperson removes the first bike from the sales floor and walks along with it while the woman follows. They walk towards the back of the store, and the salesperson opens the door. There is a large paved area where a few people are out riding bicycles.

The salesperson says, “You can try riding the bike outside here. Take as much time as you want.”

The woman spends some time riding the bike. It takes a little getting used to, but the bike is a lot more comfortable and has a smoother ride than her previous bike. After she finishes testing out the bike, she takes it back into the store and looks for the salesperson. The woman finds the salesperson and the salesperson asks, “What did you think?”

The woman says, “I like the bike a lot. It is a lot easier to ride than my previous bike.”

The salesperson says, “Do you want to try the other bike? It’s a good idea to test out a few of them.”

The woman says, “Ok.”

The salesperson removes the second bike and walks with it towards the back of the store while the woman follows. When they reach the back of the store, the salesperson says, “Here you go. Take as long as you want.”

The woman tries the second bike and notices it has an even smoother ride than the first bike and the seat is more comfortable. It is a little more expensive, but she feels the extra features are worth it.

She goes back into the store and finds the salesperson. The salesperson asks, “Did you get a chance to ride the second bike. What do you think?”

The woman says, “I did. It’s really nice. It was easier for me to pedal and the seat is more comfortable. I think I will take it.”

The salesperson says, “That’s great. If you have time, and just for fun, why don’t you try the third bike while you are here. A lot of people visit our store just to try out different bikes.”

The woman says, “Ok, I’ve always wanted to try that brand.”

The salesperson smiles and says, “You are in for a real treat. I ride last year’s version of this style and I am considering getting this one for myself. They’ve made a few improvements to the bike chain.”

The salesperson removes the bike and walks along with it towards the back of the store while the woman follows. The salesperson opens the door and hands the bike to the woman and says, “Here you go. Just be sure not to ride off with it. You may want to after you try it.”

The woman spends some time trying the third bicycle. She quickly sees why it is the top of the line. It’s very light. The bike also fits her better and feels more comfortable. The overall ride is very smooth, and she also notices that the brakes seem sharper. 

She goes back into the store and finds the salesperson. The salesperson asks, “Well, what did you think? It’s nice, isn’t it?”

The woman says, “Yes, it’s really nice. I can see why it’s the top of the line. The ride is very smooth. I like it, but I think I will go with the second bike.”

The salesperson says, “We’re offering a special promotion. I can give you 10% off.”

The woman says, “I like it, but I think it is still outside my price range.”

The salesperson says, “Just for fun, let’s do the math. I do this all the time. How often do you think you will ride the bike?”

The woman says, “I don’t know. Probably two or three times a week.”

The salesperson says, “Let’s assume you will ride it three times a week.” The salesperson pulls out a calculator and says, “That’s 12 times per month.” 

The salesperson makes a calculation on the calculator by dividing the price of the bike by 12 and shows the price to the woman, and says, “The price per ride is only that amount. How much do you pay for gas? The bike is actually a very good investment. This bike will last for a number of years. I sell a lot of these.”

The cost per ride is very reasonable and the woman considers whether she should purchase it. She figures that since it is so comfortable and easy to ride that she will get a lot of use out of it. She also knows that she will plan to use the bike for a number of years.

The woman hesitates, and then says, “Ok, I’ll take it. This will force me to use it.”

The salesperson says, “Great, let’s get you outfitted.”

The salesperson explains that she will need to buy a bicycle helmet, a light for nighttime use, a good tire pump, and lock. The salesperson also recommends including a speedometer and an attachment to hold a thermos.

The salesperson says, “Do you want to add a rear basket to hold items?”

The woman says, “I don’t think it is necessary. I will most likely use a backpack if I need to hold any items.”

The salesperson says, “I agree. You probably don’t need it, and they add weight. You can always add it later.”

The woman ends up spending a lot more for a bicycle than she planned, but is excited about using it and plans to use it on a regular basis. She makes arrangements to pick up the bike the following day.

The woman rides the bike every day for the first two weeks. She uses it to run errands and rides it along a few bike paths. She joins a bicycle club and meets the group for a ride along a well-known trail. The woman gets a lot of compliments about the bike, and a few people ask if they can try it as they wait for the group ride to begin.

It’s a relatively challenging ride with a number of hills. The woman is not used to these types of rides and she quickly falls behind the other riders. She is sore for several days after the ride.

Her use of the bike becomes less and less frequent and by the middle of the summer she rarely uses it. She stores the bike in the basement with a bicycle cover over it and soon forgets about it. Carrying it up from the basement also seems to be a barrier to using it. 

When the following spring arrives, she makes another attempt to use the bicycle on a more frequent basis after noticing some other bikers riding outside during the warmer weather. Inspired by seeing them, she goes down into the basement and removes the cover from the bike. The bike still looks like new, but the tires have deflated. She makes an attempt to fill them and carries the bicycle up the stairs. She goes outside and rides the bike around, but notices the tires seem to be deflating. She decides to bring the bicycle to a bike shop for a tune-up.

After the bicycle tune-up, the bike is in good shape and she makes a conscious effort to ride it more frequently by keeping it in the garage instead of the basement. For the first few days, she rides it every day, but after a few weeks, she uses the bike less and less.  

She eventually moves and considers whether or not she should bring the bike. She considers selling it, but once she looks over the bike, she decides that it is still in good condition and brings it along.

The woman ends up keeping the bike for a number of years. Each year as spring rolls around, she commits to riding it more often, but her use of it tends to decline by mid-summer. She doesn’t regret buying the bike, but did not use it as much as she thought she would.

When she has to buy a new barbecue grill, she finds it easier to resist the higher-end models. She has learned she probably won’t use all the features to justify the higher cost even when she does her own favorite exercise of calculating the cost per use and finds it very low. It’s a very persuasive selling technique, but depending on the situation, may not be realized, and finds it helps her when she needs to make a purchase.