Let’s start this article with a story that seemingly has little to do with the tanning industry. The other day, I had a moment of weakness when I decided to browse Shein for some new clothing. On the site, there was a beautiful sundress I just wanted to buy so badly—but I was running out of available cash.
I had a cart filled with other goods, mostly stuff for photoshoots. I looked back at the dress. It was so cute! And I looked back at the photoshoot stuff. The dress was running low in stock and it would be perfect for my more professional-looking shoots. It also looked so comfortable!
The photoshoot stuff was in high stock, even though it was the neon leopard print Lisa Frank pants of my dreams. That would be ideal for my more “on brand, punk rock, party anima” type of shoots that get me followers.
I was low on crazy outfits to wear for my photos, but that dress, ooh it was hard not to like it. After a deep breath and a promise that I’d order the pants later, I switched out the pants for the dress. Boom. Just like that, they made the sale.
Let’s deconstruct that sale for a sec…
The two items in question were roughly the same price. One, however, was running out of stock. The other was just there, even though it was a very fun and enjoyable look. The big difference here was not just the photoshoot types I could do with them; it also dealt with scarcity.
Simply put, the scarcity of the dress added urgency that wouldn’t have been there otherwise.
That urgency was what made me make the leap to buying that over the pants that I had already planned to shoot in. After all, the pants were going to be there within the next few weeks when I got paid. I wasn’t that concerned about the pants.
But the dress…? The dress that got my brain thinking? Oh, that’s different. That dress could be out of stock forever after it sold, for all I knew. One thing was for sure: if I didn’t buy it right away, it might not be there when I would be able to come back later.
Here’s why urgency works.
As you can see in this transaction, urgency is a powerful motivator. It’s the equivalent of feeling like you have a “now or never” moment—a moment where, if you don’t get that item or service now, it’s gone for good.
We always apply pressure on sales, but the truth is that there are different types of pressure. Urgency related to loss works because we are naturally wired to avoid loss, even when the loss itself is not necessarily a bad thing.
Loss is a scary, scary thing.
Our reptilian brains see loss and immediately assume it will be a sign we’ll starve or lose important support. This is why it can be so hard to break up with a bad partner (“What if I don’t find another partner to love?!”) and why it can be so hard to risk walking off a bad job for a better one (“What if I get fired?”)
In fact, that fear of loss is the main driving force behind the Sunk Cost Fallacy. The Sunk Cost Fallacy is a logical fallacy where we keep holding onto things that don’t serve us, or even eat up our resources in hopes that the investment will eventually pay off.
We often see our fear of loss in a Sunk Cost Fallacy when it comes to sales that have gone wrong. For example, you might’ve seen a hapless buyer pouring money into a rackety car because you’ve “spent so much on it already” in hopes that it’ll be the last fix they need.
Here’s how you can use urgency to boost your sales…
Your sales are your lifeblood, so you always need to find ways to improve them. As the economy worsens, hesitant customers are going to be a dime a dozen. As a professional copywriter, I know the right words can trigger (or prevent) a sale.
I have a couple of phrases that can help jog your mind when creating urgency…for sales pitches or actual copywriting for your company.
“This particular lotion is going to be discontinued soon, so stock up while you can.”
Believe it or not, it makes sense to let your clients know if a certain lotion is about to fall off the shelves. This immediately makes people think about the results they got with that lotion and gets them nervous. They need that lotion, right?
Well, tell them it might get pulled off the shelves. Watch those bottles fly!
Pro Tip – If you use text message marketing (SMS marketing), make sure to send text blasts whenever one of your most popular lotions is about to go out of stock. It adds urgency and also keeps your clients in the loop about their favorite products so they can avoid running out.
“Oh, this is on sale for first-time customers only.”
If you just got a brand new customer onboarded to your system, it’s important to get them interested in their suncare routine. Having a “first-day only” type of sale encourages them to invest in their time with you and also boosts numbers.
After all, getting a discount that is only valid for one day adds pressure. No one likes losing out on the opportunity to save money.
PRO TIP – Consider offering small samples for your client’s first time, just to whet their appetite for suntanning lotions.
“This sale only applies to the first 100 customers this month.”
Timing makes a world of difference when it comes to the urgency a person feels. Having a sale that stops occurring after a set number of redemptions is a good way to add another layer of uncertainty.
Sales that have a timed ending already add a little urgency to your pitch, but this mixes things up. It adds extra uncertainty because it’s hard to tell how long it will take for the sale to end. Sure, the sale’s going on right now, but there’s no guarantee that the sale will still be there tomorrow…or even in two hours!
“Our prices are going to increase next month. If you become a member today, you get to lock in today’s rates.”
I’ve seen quite a few gyms pull this urgency move with their membership sales. It’s a common trick because it works. There’s nothing stopping you from taking advantage of the same trick, provided that you offer memberships at your salon.
“This sale’s only on for five days.”
Of course, you can also do the tried-and-true method of showing that sales don’t last forever. Everyone knows that sales eventually run out of time, but stressing that fact makes a big difference in the minds of others.
With that said, pressure is best done in small doses.
While having that bit of urgency can make a big difference in your sales numbers, there’s always the chance of going a little bit too hard on it. As with all things in life, moderation is key—especially when it comes to sales.
