50 marketing mistakes / Mistake #31
Mistake #31 of 50Don’t automatically discount.
Free delivery, an upgrade or a bonus can beat a lower price and protect your margin.
What it costs you
Every discount comes out of your pocket.
Slow week. You need a reason for people to come in.
So you reach for the easy one. 20% off.
It feels like marketing. It feels like you did something.
A discount comes straight out of your profit.
And the customers who would have paid full price take it too. Then they wait for the next sale.
You didn’t just lower your price this month. You taught people what you’re really worth.
A real example
The groomer who stopped marking down
A dog groomer has a slow February. She runs 20% off every groom for the month.
The book fills up. Mostly with her regulars, who were coming anyway.
In March, the first question on the phone is, “Are you running that sale again?”
Next slow month, she tries something different. Same price. But every groom comes with a free nail trim and a bandana with her name and number on it.
The dogs go home looking sharp. The owners post pictures. Nobody asks when the next sale is.
She kept her price. They got more.
Same slow month. Only one of them paid for itself.
Why it happens
Why everybody reaches for the discount
A discount is the easy answer. It’s rarely the cheap one.
Do this instead
Don’t lower the price. Raise the value.
When you need a reason for people to act, add something instead of taking something off. It costs you a few dollars. To the customer, it feels like a real gift.
| Instead of | Try |
|---|---|
| 20% off color | A free deep-conditioning treatment with every color |
| A cheaper membership | Bring a friend, and you both get a free T-shirt |
| 10% off the next service | A tire gauge in the glovebox of every car that leaves the bay |
| Money off the first order | Free delivery on the first order |
| Matching the guy who’s $20 cheaper | A good tumbler they’ll use every day, with your name on it |
| A holiday sale | A small gift with every purchase, through the end of the month |
Sometimes a discount is the right move. Just make it a decision, not a reflex. Give it a deadline and a reason: “It’s been a year. Here’s 10% off your next visit, through the end of the month.” Discount on purpose. Never by default.
Do this today
- 1
Look at the last discount you ran. Write down what it really cost you.
- 2
Pick one thing you could add instead: a gift, an upgrade, free delivery.
- 3
Price it. It’s probably a few dollars.
- 4
Write the offer with a deadline, and put it on your counter, your voicemail and your next email.
You kept your price. They got more. Everybody wins.
From the book
Chapter 5: Give Them a Reason
Starts on page 40. The whole chapter, plus 250+ ways to market your business, in the free book.
Download the free bookIdeas that fix it
Give them more, not less.
Idea 134 · book page 328Pet Bandanas$3–$10 eachThe customer literally walks your ad around the neighborhood.
Idea 171 · book page 347Insulated Tumblers$8–$25 eachUsed daily, and seen on desks and in cars.
Idea 170 · book page 346Premium T-Shirts$8–$20 eachSoft shirts get worn on weekends, not just at work.
Idea 137 · book page 330Mini First-Aid & Emergency Kits$3–$10 eachKept in glove boxes, desks and backpacks for years, and used when it matters most.
Idea 107 · book page 315Car Air Fresheners$1.50–$4 eachHangs in the car for weeks.Want offers that don’t cut your price?
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