Who knew the tables would turn? For years companies threw products at people convincing them they were necessary.
They used psychological techniques to convince people what they must buy.
Today, the script has been flipped.
Consumers run the shopping game.
If a person wants a product, he or she has many choices.
With those choices come more expectations from the product and the company creating them.
Many companies today are acting more ethically and reaching out to communities by giving away portions of their profit.
 This is a good thing for companies as well as consumers.
 Influencing consumer behavior is not just about dollar bills, it in fact is about reaching out.
Because consumers have the upper hand now, companies have to make sure their product delivers, because if they don't, they can assume there will be a blog about how terrible the service or product was.
People trust people before they trust businesses.
They will confide in each other for advice on a product because they know there is no ulterior motive.
If they ask a salesman about a product, they can't believe everything they hear because they know there is something in it for the person selling them whatever they want or need.
If a person is going to make commission on a product, an incentive will drive them to convince the customer to buy the product, even though it may not be the right product for them.
Websites like "Yelp" help people decide where to spend their money before they reach for their wallet.
"Yelp" is an online site where people write about their service experience.
It ranges from restaurant reviews to what hair salon is the best in your city.
Sites like these show the direction consumption and consumer behavior is going in.
We are not as easily influenced by silly ads and shiny objects.
In fact, we even want the company producing what we buy to do good for the community...
and more so today, the environment.