[originaltext]M: Christmas is coming, and the stores are going to try to keep y

M: Christmas is coming, and the stores are going to try to keep you spending, so they’re relying on some psychological triggers to get your business. So here to expose a few tricks is Kelly Grant. She’s a senior consumer reporter for SmartMoney. com. Thanks for being with us.
W: Hi!
M: All right. I’ve fallen for a lot of these, so help us now.
W: Yeah.
M: First one, gifts with purchase. So many times I think I’m getting such a good deal, because by spending a little bit more, I get a gift.
W: And that’s exactly what the stores want you to think right now. Studies have shown that consumers often overvalue the gift with purchase, not just as you are spending extra money for something that you might not ever want, but we also quit with the discount. (1) You feel like if the gift is worth about 40 dollars, you’re saving 40 dollars, even if that really isn’t the case. So to avoid this trick, (2) you need to make sure that you’re really sure the gift is just on your list and you’re still spending within budget.
M: There are a lot of psychological tricks here. For example, the purchase limits. Sometimes, I just want one and I see a good deal but it says: limit 5. Maybe I should get more than just one. This is such a good deal, isn’t it?
W: That’s exactly the trick. They want you to see the limit and think, wow, this wasn’t here. Then people would just be filling their carts with this and it’s so amazing. And their studies have shown that (3) if there’s a limit in pleasure more like a little, the higher the limit, the more likely you’re to buy. So you should really be thinking about how many of something you need, and try to ignore the fact that there’s stacking limit on everything.
M: How can you ignore those e-mails that you keep getting about this sale and that sale?
W: (4) Don’t open your e-mail. Close your eyes. That’s really the best advice. (5) I mean the stores really know what we’re wired to think about. That is the scarcity. If you know the sale is ending, they want you to act on impulse, and start running out and buying something. But this time of year, the fact is the sales just keep coming, so you don’t actually need to do that. So when you’re looking through your e-mails, try to avoid opening any of the ones, unless you’re going to make a purchase from that store anyway, otherwise just delete it on read.
This is the end of Part One of the interview. Questions 1 to 5 are based on what you have just heard.
1. Why do customers want gifts with purchase?
2. According to Kelly Grant, when is the gift with purchase acceptable?
3. Which of the following purchase limits would most attract people to buy?
4. What is Kelly’s advice about the e-mail trick?
5. What is the psychological rationale of the trick of e-mail selling?