How to Coach Yourself and Others Beware of Manipulation | Page 269
By keeping pressuring you, subtly or not so subtly, manipulators may get you
to succumb to what they want. Even if it was only to stop them from bugging
you.
Escape by: Don't give in, but when a manipulator's persistence starts to annoy
you, tell them. Tell them to stop, to go away, and persist at that. If you
succumb, you reward them for their persistence, which will make them do it
again. All you have to do is keep repeating telling them to stop. Get angry if
they don't.
Hurrying
To force you into a decision without thinking it through, manipulators may press you to hurry. They
may put up some kind of deadline, put you into a hasty mood by way of music, or tell you that it's the
last item in stock. This scares you, and because of that you'll feel like you'll have to do something.
Escape by: Be prepared, so that you know what you want, and rushing you won't affect you. Avoid
situations where you're made to hurry, or don't buy when you are in such a situation.
You "should" buy from this person
You may come to believe that you "should" buy from someone. However, if that person has been
manipulating you into believing that, why would you? Why would you have any such obligation
towards someone who treats you without respect?
Hiding the manipulation
In order for you not to be suspicious of being
manipulated, manipulators use various
techniques. They make sure they're likable,
seem trustworthy and unthreatening.
So, how do you notice you're being
manipulated? Unfortunately, normally you
don't.
The first warning sign is that someone who
might want something from you, is behaving
in a likable, seemingly trustworthy and
unthreatening way.
The second warning sign would be that you
feel yourself reacting with a feeling that is
out of character when dealing with such a nice person. Feeling guilty, or feeling pushed to do
something.
If you notice that you're being guided towards a buying decision, you are being manipulated.
Escape by: Not making the decision to buy just yet. Take a day or so to let the influence of the
manipulator wear off, and then make an intuitive decision.
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