Win Sales with Holiday Offers

‘Tis the season for gift giving and rampant consumerism, so why not join into the spirit? With Black Friday & Cyber Monday now behind us, there seems no let-up in the number of special offers available, to try and jumpstart our economy in this traditionally heavy traffic period. As a retailer, you may have been looking forward to this month all year and it may take on added significance in 2009 as we wind down what has been, by any standards a challenging year.

If competition throughout 2009 was difficult, the advent of Black Friday and the holiday season has really placed an emphasis on ingenuity. Deals abound and it is no good just coming up with a few uninspiring loss leader adjustments, you really have got to set yourself apart, to connect with would-be purchasers and to get them to buy from you.

Be careful when coming up with deals related to your products or services, as it can be easy to project that they’re not worth as much as you suggest. You still need to justify your rates and must be able to market the business when all of this December madness has come and gone. This is where you will need to innovate and most definitely set yourself apart from the competition. Always sharpen your intelligence and find out what your competitors are offering and where possible, go the extra distance.

Good marketing is about creating a perception of value and then suggesting that the product or service is available at much lower cost. The best offers pile on the benefits of purchase, almost creating a “must have” urge within the consumer to buy. It is a good idea to offer certificates to existing clients and try and focus on those who may have purchased from you before and lapsed, or to pay attention to those who have expressed an interest in your services.

If you offer recurring services, consider a very steep discount just to get the prospect to try your wares. If you can really stand behind your product or service and are confident of your ability to perform, then you hope that once they are in the “system,” they will be pleased with what they receive and will continue to subscribe to your business.

Try and enter into the spirit of the holidays, as after all we have seen enough of Mr. Scrooge all year long, without letting him have his way right now as well!

What are Your Holiday Specials?

Matthew Toren