"If you can't convince them, confuse them"- do marketing and sales departments follow this quote these days?

Not my sales & marketing management. RESPECT { Customer Service and Customer Care} is a vital factor in sales & marketing and as such we respect "them" and contribute as much as possible to each one's development. 

While they may follow it ultimately they will be victims one day.That is playing the game on bad terms.

Confusing customers may work once or twice but would be determinal in the long run. A good example is the Resort tourism industry in India. They invite a couple over tea and make a sales presentation . They try to confuse the couple into buying a vacation or resort time share and collect the money within half an hour. The success rate is about1-2%. But if a couple has already such a session the success rate would be zero. You can confuse1 people one time. Cannot cofuse all the people all the time.

This approach may serve to short term sales objectives but this will absolutely destroy the brand's reputation and image . 

I will vote against that if I can. If you want to lose your customer, foul him/her once.

Perhaps one more "C" is missing !

CORRUPT

So try convincing, if failed then corrupt him, if still failed then confuse him.

These are very unprofessional approach for very short term benefits.

Nithin Happy New Year . I guess this still works either convince or confuse and you have a customer 

Generally, ethics and prevailing practices contradicts. this practice of confusing customers is prevailing in market.

Those who lack in logic or fact will do the same.

As per as my experience it is not ETHICAL to do so and may hurt long term business.

This is age old irrelevant quote, one who is honest with declarations with his/her clients, wud get the deal, sooner or later