Step into any major electronics store in China and veritable teams of workers flock out of nowhere to move in for the kill. Nametags glint in the fluorescent lighting as employees shout news about their latest release and repeatedly ask the customer what he needs until he finally cracks under the pressure and surrenders his cash in exchange for an electronic device he wasn’t even sure he wanted. This phenomenon is not without cause: Chinese shoppers in electronic stores cited store personnel as the second most influential form of advertisement.

Wanting to gain more insight, China Polling’s field research team did an on-site survey at a popular chain-store of electronic goods to find out from customers what, exactly, convinces them buy.

Not surprisingly, most traditional avenues of advertisement rank at the top of the list. However, one potential method not yet widely used by most distributors remains to employed: coupons.

Although only 9% of purchasing customers use coupons, 67% said they would find it helpful if they could print coupons at an electronic kiosk. While this statistic is impressive in and of itself, marketing opportunities seem to grow when taking the electronic kiosk into consideration.

Staying right on beat with the general clientele population, 46% of those that consider themselves to be “smart/informed shoppers” had used an electronic kiosk to get more information about a product. Not bad for a machine that doesn’t even harass the customer into checking out a single iPod. However, no one likes to be considered an “unsmart/uninformed shopper,” particularly at an electronics store where employees circle like vultures in wait for the first easy victim. Still, consultation of a kiosk may be perceived as just that: admittance of ignorance on the customer’s part.

Instead of using promises of information to attract customers, evidence indicates kiosks would see even more traffic if they offered coupons. Naturally, the primary purpose of an electronic kiosk remains to disseminate information amongst the purchasing population and convince the customer to buy. The problem is that information cannot be passed on to a public that simply isn’t there, ignorant or not.

Results indicate those looking to push their latest product onto the masses may find it astounding how much more willing one is to ask questions and listen when promised a lower price.

Companies may bristle at the idea of using machines to pass on information and prefer to do it the good old-fashioned way with a flock of employees working on commission. But when was the last time an electronic kiosk asked for a bigger salary or a longer smoke break?