Business Education

Groupon Teaches Us These Lessons About Discounts

Groupon is up in its latest earnings report. About 18 percent and that’s welcome news for the e-commerce discount platform. Headquartered in Chicago, Groupon launched in November 2008. It rose by leaps-and-bounds. That is, until recent years, when it experienced big time losses. In fact, its 2011 Q4 figures revealed a whopping $9.8 million loss. Ironically, that comes about a year after the Wall Street Journal forecasted it to reach $1 billion in sales faster than any other company in history. Today, it’s a different story. And, this business model teaches us all important business lessons about discounts.

The Downside of Discounts

Big companies aren’t immune to blunders. Right now, McDonald’s is trying a bold new experiment. There’s no guarantee it will work. But, the company won’t know unless it tries. Groupon’s saga tells us much about discounts. For participating businesses, Groupon vouchers do get more customers through the door. But the question to ask is if those same individuals would have patronized the business without a Groupon?

Your marketing message plays a huge role in conveying the true value of your products. Even if your prices aren’t the lowest around, emphasizing the added value that customers get from your store, such as any guarantees you offer, personalized service or better-quality merchandise than the competition, can convince shoppers your prices are worth it. —Small Business Trends

Additionally, there’s another phenomenon at play. A large majority who use a Groupon do not repatronize a partner business. After all, why pay full fare? Moreover, it does cause customers to seriously think about the value of non-discounted purchases. That starts a cycle. A business partners with Groupon. That business serves more customers during the discount period. Then, visits go back to the previous levels. If it comes at a net cost per ticket, there’s obviously no benefit. So, they do not participate in Groupon discounts again.

Product and Service Discount Advantages

But, this isn’t always the scenario. Some businesses gain a net plus from working with Groupon. Which means there are some distinct advantages to offering discounts on products and services. Here are the benefits to offering discounts to your customers:

Attract more customers. It’s no secret people like deals. So, play to this by offering discounts on key items or services. You’ll attract new customers and this will increase repeat business at the same time. It’s a great way to advertise and to be seen as providing real value.
Increase sales. With more new customers and repeat business, you’ll have more sales. If you choose the right discount strategy, you’ll come out ahead and that’s money you can use in different ways. For instance, you can purchase more inventory or put that extra sales money to other uses.
Free up space. Discounts can help to free up precious shelf and/or cabinet space. This is a great move for small, independent retailers because it allows them to offload certain things to bring in new products.
Bolster reputation. Offer discounts to certain people, like military and first-responders. This shows your business cares and that’s a positive for its reputation. You can do the same with elderly customers or families with small children.

Do you offer discounts? If so, what kind and how much? Have you found discounts help or hurt your business? Please share your thoughts and experiences by commenting!

Interested in learning more about business? Then just visit Waters Business Consulting Group.

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Smartest Ways to Refresh Your Business Brand for the New Year

November 28, 2024 No Comments

The start of a new year brings a sense of renewal and opportunity—a perfect time to breathe fresh life into your business brand. Whether you’re looking to attract new customers, better connect with your audience, or outshine competitors, a brand refresh can be the key to staying relevant and impactful in an ever-changing market.

Network Event Do’s and Don’ts

May 16, 2017 No Comments

Some people have an innate ability to walk into a room full of strangers and start connecting and uncovering business contacts galore. They seem to glide through the room, smiling, freely introducing themselves, while holding conversation. These people know how to read a room and individuals naturally. Then, there are people who move through events quickly, collecting an astounding number of business cards while shaking hand after hand. The difference between the two personalities couldn’t be more stark. One is making new contacts, the other is doing little more than trying to bag new clients. It’s obvious which one will benefit and which one won’t. The purpose of networking events is to do just that: meet new people and have conversations. It’s how you go about it that makes all the difference. Connecting with people is an art form, and, is learned over time. Before there’s any real connection, though, you’ve got to be prepared to meet new people. Network Event Do’s and Don’ts There’s a huge difference between meeting new people and connecting with them. Meeting a group of new people is even more of a challenge than meeting a single person or a very small group. Attending a networking event is something that stirs excitement and anxiety. These events tend to be noisy, where it’s not easy to hold a conversation. What’s more, you’re expected to participate and interact with several people. We network because we don’t work and live in a silo. Due to human nature, we tend to trust doing business with people we know or who are referred to us. People often think of the need to network whenever their jobs are in jeopardy, or whenever they’re in search of new business. —Career Builder When you go to a networking event, you do so to open new doors. There won’t be time to establish a relationship and connect with others, but there will be plenty of opportunity to introduce yourself and hold brief, casual conversations. To accomplish this simple, yet challenging feat, you ought to know the do’s and don’ts of event networking. Network Event Do’s Go prepared. You ought to have a brief list of topics to discuss and/or experiences to share. It’s okay to go over these out loud and practice introducing yourself. Just don’t practice too much, or, it will sound rehearsed and artificial. Keep one hand free at all times. Keep your dominant hand free of snacks, drinks, and other objects. You’ll be able to freely shake hands without having an awkward moment to find a place to temporarily set something down. Know who to approach. Just because someone is standing alone doesn’t mean you ought to rush over to approach. Take a moment to read his or her face and body language. When you do make eye contact, confidently approach and introduce yourself. Look for opportunities to offer help. One of the most powerful and likable gestures is to ask questions and offer your assistance. Only offer to help when it’s realistic and be sure to follow-up. Don’t make the mistake of over-promising or over-extending. Network Event Don’ts Believe collecting business cards is a measure of success. Remember, the purpose of attending these events is to meet people — not just to collect business cards. If that’s all you accomplish, the whole exercise is for naught. Be on the lookout for someone else while speaking with another. If you do have the misfortune of getting into a boring conversation, find a gracious and courteous way to excuse yourself. What you should avoid is awkwardly scanning the room for someone else to speak with to break away. Try to impress others with jargon or facts. Using big words, insider jargon, or trying to impress with a barrage of facts is a turn off. It’s pretentious and tells others you lack self confidence. What’s more, it keeps you from having a genuine conversation. Speak over or interrupt others. This sounds obvious, but, it’s something that can be unintentional when you’re nervous. When you do approach someone else and introduce yourself, be courteous, ask polite questions, and listen. Yes, the purpose of attending Network Events is ultimately to acquire new business. However, do not go to a Network Event if that is your initial purpose. Your priority for attending a Network Event is to develop Relationships which you can foster over time into a business opportunity with that connection or with someone they introduce to you. Minimize your agenda, and spend time listening and asking the other person questions about themselves and their business. Show them genuine interest and watch how your relationship moves to trust even during the Network Event. Isn’t it more rewarding to leave a Network Event with 3 or 4 really good, meaningful connections where both of you developed a relationship and can follow up after the event to further explore opportunities together? When is the last time you attended a Network Event and made some meaningful connections that turned into real business? [shareaholic app=”follow_buttons” id=”26833294″]

3 Necessary Replacement Manager Qualities

July 3, 2021 No Comments

Replacing a manager in any size business presents a number of challenges. It’s not just finding the person with the right skill set, or the most experience, or even the best aptitude for the position, but all of these and more. Unfortunately, too many administrators and entrepreneurs only look at these types of qualities. They fail to factor in other intangibles that would benefit their team members the most. Read on to learn about the three most important qualities of a replacement manager. Why Past Job Performance is No Guarantee of Future Success You’ve no doubt heard or experienced two different cliches: that past performance of an investment is no guarantee of its future result, and the Peter Principle (the phenomenon of people rising to their highest level of incompetence). Unfortunately, this is where many administrators and business owners go wrong. They mistakenly believe that an individual’s past performance is indicative of future results. But, this just isn’t true. Bad managers cost businesses billions of dollars each year, and having too many of them can bring down a company. The only defense against this massive problem is a good offense, because when companies get these decisions wrong, nothing fixes it. Businesses that get it right, however, and hire managers based on talent will thrive and gain a significant competitive advantage. —Harvard Business Review Sure, it’s absolutely necessary to look at a candidate’s previous experience and performance. It’s also just as necessary to rely at least somewhat on their proven skill set and untapped potential. However, this isn’t likely to give you a good overall evaluation of how he or she will fit into his or her new role. 3 Important Replacement Manager Traits One of the most difficult aspects of replacing a manager in any type of business is how he or she will be received by the team members he or she will lead. So, ask yourself if potential candidates have the following qualities: Empathetic ears. There are many different kinds of managers out there, and some of them are a better fit for a promotion or lateral move than others. Depending on their new responsibilities, you most definitely want them to be ambitious and take ownership of their responsibilities. Equally so, it’s critical to have a manager who truly listens to their team members because this will be the perception employees have of the company overall. Decision confidence. Obviously, if someone has all the experience and potential to move up or across, he or she should likewise possess a strong self confidence. In other words, a manager who doesn’t always have to rely on higher ups to make decisions, particularly ones that are relatively small. After all, you don’t want to put someone in a management role who just can’t make up their mind and constantly comes to you for those very reasons. Golden rule follower. If there’s one thing that rank-and-file team members despise the most, it is managers who cannot follow their own rules. Hypocrisy, double standards, and negative traits such as these will quickly erode away employee morale and productivity. Nobody performs well under such types of management, because it is so counterproductive by its nature. What other suggestions do you have for replacing a manager as a business owner? Please take a moment to share your thoughts and experiences so others can benefit from your unique perspective! Interested in learning more about business? Then just visit Waters Business Consulting Group.