Take a Fresh Approach

Today I drove by a sign that caught my eye. Dominating the sign in large, block letters clearly printed on a white background was “25¢.” Underneath in small letters was printed “sale.”

“What a fresh approach!” I thought as I continued on my way.

Now I did not follow the arrow on the sign and check out the sale. However, I assume, probably correctly, that someone was selling stuff that he or she did not want. Instead of calling the sale what everyone else calls a sale of that sort, either a garage or a thrift sale, this person wisely gave the sale a different name. This person called the sale a “25¢ sale.”

While many items on garage or thrift sales are 25 cents or less, calling the sale a 25 cent sale immediately caught the attention of anyone who saw the sign. That amount of money made me think, “Hey, that’s cheap! Anyone could afford 25 cents.”

Others reading the sign probably thought likewise.

With a garage or thrift sale sign seemingly on every corner lately, this sign also set the sale apart from its competition of other garage or thrift sales. A sale dubbed “garage” or “thrift” sale immediately suggests old, used stuff that someone else does not want. I know that you can find treasures at garage and thrift sales, but you can also find a great deal of stuff that you do not want.

Since this 25 cent sale did not use either “garage” or “thrift” sale on its sign, I have no idea what items were being sold. The mystery of what was on sale was intriguing. Whereas I usually suggest telling as much as you can about your product or service, piquing interest by telling less is an effective marketing technique, particularly when what you tell directly appeals to what your customer wants.

Customers who are attracted to a garage or a thrift sale are interested in something that is cheap, hopefully unbelievably cheap. When a sign speaks to what they want, cheap, that sign gets their attention. A sign that gets their attention has a high likelihood of prompting them to check out the sale, and, ideally, their doing so increases sales. That makes the sign’s fresh approach profitable marketing.

Look at what your customer wants and what you offer. How can you rephrase your communications to speak to what your customer wants?

Just like the person running the “25¢ sale,” break away from the pack and position your business differently from your competition.

Take a fresh approach.