What Makes a Bargain - Find Out and Sell More!
by Kevin Nunley
Published on this site: July 27th, 2005 - See
more articles from this month
Everybody loves to buy a bargain. Stores and services go out
of their way to come up with fresh bargains that will attract
new customers and keep old customers coming back.
Major corporations spend fortunes working to make every customer
feel like they are getting a bargain. Perception is reality,
and customers who THINK they're getting a great deal tell
others about their excellent purchase and come back to buy
more. So how do you create successful bargains to WOW your
customers? First let's take a quick look at just what a bargain
is.
Ask most business owners and managers what makes a bargain
and they'll instantly blurt a lower price is a bargain. True,
a lower price on the same product others are offering at a
higher price is a bargain.
It gets a little harder with a service. I've never seen two
services that were exactly alike. The guy who tunes up your
car for $100 may not do as thorough a job as the guy down
the street who charges $240. On the otherhand, the cheaper
guy might be better.
Usually you can charge less to create a bargain by saving
the difference in price somewhere else, either by offering
a lower quailty-no sense in customers paying for fancier
than they really need-or charging more elsewhere.
Personally I'm not a big fan of dropping prices to create
bargains. It works well for Walmart, but is hard for many
small businesses who are struggling to make payroll or keep
up with the credit cards. You can raise your prices back to
normal later, but many customers will sit on the sidelines
waiting for you to drop them again.
So how about some different ways to create a bargain?
- It's a bargain if your customer gets the last model somebody
else wanted. That's why Amazon and others let you know "there
are only 2 left, hurry!" Try using that tactic on your
web site, in your mailer, or on your point-of-purchase signs.
If you are selling a service, let a prospect know you've
got "one more appointment open this week" OR "two
appointments open: Wednesday at 10 or Friday at 2."
Once the famous Jeffrey Lant offered me a slot in his networking
business. "I've got one position left and 3 people
want it," he wrote. Brilliant marketing. I was tempted
to join even though I sure didn't need to be working an
additional business. The urge to jump in before the other
guys and get a bargain was almost too powerful.
- A bargain is when your customer feels sure she will be
happy with the product or service. Maybe that is why every
product comes with a brochure saying "Congratulations
on purchasing the finest, highest quality product available,
skillfully designed to give you years of enjoyment."
If you didn't feel like you got a bargain when you made
the purchase, you certainly do after you read the brochure.
- A bargain is when others TELL you it is a bargain. That
is the beauty of an affiliate program or testimonials where
other people tell you what a great bargain the product or
service is. This is also one of the reasons people buy popular
products: so their friends can say "oh you got one
of those, they're so cool, you'll love it!"
- A bargain is when you throw in something extra with the
product or service. A camera is bundled with a no-cost disc
of computer software. The guitar store provides a free cord
with every electric guitar. I always offer to give extra
advice, at no charge, to anyone who buys my writing or promotion
services. Customers can feel that getting expert personal
attention with their purchase makes it an extreme bargain.
Everybody loves a bargain. Try some of these simple, proven
ideas to give your sales a quick boost both now and for the
future.
Kevin Nunley is the Net's best known and longest running
copywriter. Kevin's thousands of customers value his great
marketing advice, sizzling sales copy, and value-packed promotion
deals. See his http://DrNunley.com
and email him today at [email protected]
to find out how you can increase your sales now.
|
