A simple question at a local chaat stall in Bengaluru has sparked a wider conversation about sales psychology and how businesses influence customer choices without people even realising it. What caught attention was not the food, but the way the vendor framed her questions. Bengaluru-based founder Pradeep Kannan shared the experience on X, explaining how one clever tweak in wording subtly pushed customers toward more expensive options. His post quickly resonated online, with many people pointing out how often global brands use the exact same strategy.
Kannan, a Bengaluru techie-turned-founder of a falooda shop, explained that “sales tricks are universal,” whether it is a multinational fast-food chain or a small roadside vendor. According to him, most customers never consciously notice these tactics while ordering. Recalling the incident, he said he and a friend had visited a local chaat shop for pav bhaji. What immediately stood out was how the woman at the counter framed her questions.
Cheese or masala?
Instead of asking customers whether they wanted a plain pav bhaji, she directly presented two upgraded choices: “Cheese pav bhaji or masala pav bhaji?” Kannan noted that the same pattern continued with other items on the menu as well. While taking orders for bhel, the vendor did not ask customers if they wanted regular bhel. Instead, she framed it as a choice between “plain bhel or Mexican cheese bhel.”
According to him, that tiny shift in wording completely changes the customer’s thought process. He explained that the brain stops questioning whether an add-on is necessary in the first place. Instead, it automatically starts comparing the two upgraded options placed in front of it.
Kannan pointed out that large global brands have been using this strategy for years. He cited a multi-national food joint as an example, saying the brand often asks customers, “Single cheese or double cheese?” rather than asking whether they want extra cheese at all. That subtle framing, he explained, increases the average bill size because customers are no longer deciding if they should spend more. They are only deciding how much more they want.
What impressed Kannan even more was discovering that the vendor had never received formal sales training.
He shared that the girl at the counter told him nobody had taught her the technique. Instead, she had picked it up herself simply by observing customer behaviour over time. For Kannan, that was the most fascinating part of the interaction. Calling it “real business understanding,” he said effective salespeople often develop a strong grasp of psychology through experience, even without formal business education or an MBA.
Kannan, a Bengaluru techie-turned-founder of a falooda shop, explained that “sales tricks are universal,” whether it is a multinational fast-food chain or a small roadside vendor. According to him, most customers never consciously notice these tactics while ordering. Recalling the incident, he said he and a friend had visited a local chaat shop for pav bhaji. What immediately stood out was how the woman at the counter framed her questions.
Cheese or masala?
Instead of asking customers whether they wanted a plain pav bhaji, she directly presented two upgraded choices: “Cheese pav bhaji or masala pav bhaji?” Kannan noted that the same pattern continued with other items on the menu as well. While taking orders for bhel, the vendor did not ask customers if they wanted regular bhel. Instead, she framed it as a choice between “plain bhel or Mexican cheese bhel.”According to him, that tiny shift in wording completely changes the customer’s thought process. He explained that the brain stops questioning whether an add-on is necessary in the first place. Instead, it automatically starts comparing the two upgraded options placed in front of it.
Kannan pointed out that large global brands have been using this strategy for years. He cited a multi-national food joint as an example, saying the brand often asks customers, “Single cheese or double cheese?” rather than asking whether they want extra cheese at all. That subtle framing, he explained, increases the average bill size because customers are no longer deciding if they should spend more. They are only deciding how much more they want.
What impressed Kannan even more was discovering that the vendor had never received formal sales training.
He shared that the girl at the counter told him nobody had taught her the technique. Instead, she had picked it up herself simply by observing customer behaviour over time. For Kannan, that was the most fascinating part of the interaction. Calling it “real business understanding,” he said effective salespeople often develop a strong grasp of psychology through experience, even without formal business education or an MBA.
