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In 2012, JCPenney offered fair and square pricing strategy, which eliminated coupons, sales, and discounts in favor of just everyday low prices.
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That caused a catastrophic financial collapse that heavily damaged the company and contributed to its long-term decline and subsequent bankruptcy and store reductions.
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This is Appointment Only, the podcast for custom clothiers and entrepreneurs building profitable high-end businesses.
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If you want control, profitability, and freedom from what feels like an endless hustle, this is for you.
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We're Kenny and Danny, twin brothers from day one and business partners for more than 15 years.
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We're sharing insights from our own experiences as luxury custom clothiers who built our own business from nothing.
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The highs, the lows, and what we've learned along the way that will help you build a high-end business you actually enjoy running and isn't running you.
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Clothier Coaching's official podcast.
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Appointment only starts now.
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Today we're talking about something that is near and dear to my fart.
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It's a lot nearer and dearer to my farts than it is to my heart.
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Exactly.
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That's what I mean.
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We're talking about discontent.
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Exactly.
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That is the sound effect.
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Those parks and wreck.
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If you've ever seen that show Those Parks and Rec Radio DJ.
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Ira and the douche.
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Yeah.
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Where it's always like be so horny.
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With the toilet flush.
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I think our editor could, I think our editor could pick up on some sound effects.
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That's right.
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That'd be great.
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Toilet flush.
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So we are talking about discounts.
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And I know a lot of you are tempted to issue them.
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We have done that too.
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We are going to share our experience and our two cents.
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Maybe it's more than two cents.
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Two dollars.
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Whatever.
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Our opinions.
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More like two dollars.
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Two bucks.
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Oh yeah.
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What you said?
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I said I would give you a buck.
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Discounting is to custom clothing what Spirit Airlines is and was to travel.
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Yes.
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Because there's a really fine line between offering a discount and being a discount clothier.
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In fact, is there a line?
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In fact, I don't know.
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That's what I was gonna say.
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In fact, I don't know that there is necessarily even a line.
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That's not to say if you've ever offered a discount, you've immediately boxed yourself into being the discount guy.
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But if you if you constantly have promotions running, you're constantly offering discounts, you're constantly doing this, you are a discount clothier.
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Think about the businesses that you go to, the emails you get.
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You know, you you can picture some of those emails that come through every single day.
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It's some new promotion, it's some new sale.
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Now is your chance back now before it goes away.
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And everyone's like, oh yeah, whatever.
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Like now is not your chance because there'll be another chance in another day.
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All you got to do is be patient.
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And the the ironic thing I think about that perspective is oftentimes I feel like people are offering discounts to establish some sort of sense of urgency to people to get in the calendar and to book.
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But when when businesses are discounting things, they're always running a deal.
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It's like furniture shopping to one of those big chains, and they're running their Fourth of July special that rolls into a Labor Day special.
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That rolls then rolls into a spooky season special, into a giving thanks special.
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And it's it's like you're just a discount business.
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There's always going to be a special.
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You're always on sale.
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So the reason we're talking about this is because it's that time of year where you might be tempted to be doing this.
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And Lord knows, 10 years ago, we would have been running a special right now.
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Oh, yeah, I would have been live at this point.
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It would have been rockin'.
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And quite honestly, we would have seen a little bit of it from it, but it wouldn't have been great.
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Yeah, it wouldn't have been any anything game-changing.
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The turnout wouldn't have been good before we ever realized the damage we
Load full transcript
we were doing to our really to our positioning in the industry and in our market.
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Because we were doing that damage and we had a lot of hurdles to jump over once we decided we weren't doing that.
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But before we even established that, we heard from a client of ours.
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We were reaching out, we were doing this thing where, you know, we're you're following up.
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Hey, it's been a while, it's been a while.
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We still do that, by the way.
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I'm not afraid to do that.
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But we we were doing it back then, and we had reached out to someone and he said, Oh, I'm good.
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I'm actually just gonna wait till you run your next promo promotion.
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Uh oh.
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And that was all we needed to hear.
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And we thought we said, okay, this is an interesting behavior that we have trained, because we had trained it.
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You you are training your clients.
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Is this what we want our business to look like moving forward?
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Where our clients are smarter, they've wised up, they're waiting.
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And and it's been an evolution since that moment to where we sit today and the business that we run now.
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It's been it's been an evolution of figuring out because I don't necessarily think that um offering a better value is bad sometimes.
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It's not like I think that we run this business and you should never incentivize anybody to do anything ever.
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And there are ways to incentivize and offer value without discount, which we'll get to.
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And I think that that's been the that's been the where the evolution has come to is the understanding of value proposition is different than just knocking the price down or slapping a certain percentage off of this thing.
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There is a way to additionally incentivize or to or to uh steer the ship towards the outcome you're after that isn't just about slashing the price.
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I don't remember if we've shared any element of this on the podcast before or not, but this this I think sums it up perfectly.
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Um in 2012, JCPenney offered fair and square pricing strategy, which eliminated coupons, sales, and discounts in favor of just everyday low prices.
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That caused a catastrophic financial collapse that heavily damaged the company company and contributed to its long-term decline and subsequent bankruptcy and store reductions.
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So, what that is saying is that JCPenney said, enough of this inflating our prices only to offer coupons and sales to have people think that they're getting a good deal.
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We're just gonna come to the table with our best prices and the best deal without the coupons.
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Now nobody has to show up with anything, they can just show up and get this fair and square low price.
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And it caused a catastrophic collapse of this large company because discount people want to get a discount.
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And there are certain businesses out there that are designed for discount shoppers.
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And spoiler alert, discount shoppers are never gonna go pay full price for anything.
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You've seen those crazy couponing shows, right?
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Where somebody ends up with a zero dollar balance and 25 carts full of things and it's all like bottled water and canned goods.
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They're not buying what they want, they're buying what's on sale.
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Cheap clients are not what you want.
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And I know some of us have gotten into that headspace where we think we want to be something for everyone.
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And you may think that now, but when you're serious about growing your business and staying in it for the long term, you'll realize that cheap clients aren't the way to get there.
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And by offering discounts, all you're doing is you're bringing more cheap people through.
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And every once in a while you'll have a good person who uh is just happy to get a little bit of, you know, an money off.
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But for the most part, the influx in business you're feeling, first of all, it's it's costing you more because you're offering discounts and you're presumably not making as as strong of a margin, but you're growing this clientele who will be outraged if and when you stop catering to them.
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It's a lose-lose for you.
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Whether you realize it or not, it is.
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But I understand that it's good intentions that drive offering a special or offering a discount.
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It it's it's well-intentioned business owner.
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Well, let's just talk through what are the intentions.
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The intentions are I'm feeling slow.
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I want to generate some interest.
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The intentions are I have this great new thing that I'm trying out and I don't really know how to do all that well.
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Let's call it custom jeans, for example, just because that's an example that I think some of you can relate to.
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So let me offer it at 50% off.
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And while I get my C legs
under me and figure out how to measure and fit these things right, let me just offer it for 50% off.
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Okay.
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So we're gonna use those two examples and we're gonna talk through an alternative.
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Rather than offering a discount for those things, we're gonna share with you some things that we've done that have worked well.
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Uh, it does not drive just throngs of people banging our door.
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Well, that will never happen.
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And if your expectation is that some discount that you're gonna run or some sales, some special you're gonna run is gonna is gonna open up the floodgates of leads and clients, it will never happen.
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Sorry.
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Because you're not a volume business.
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You're a margin business.
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All of you listening to this, if you're a custom clotherier, you are in the you are in the margin business, you are not in the volume business.
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And it doesn't even really matter how many clients you have.
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Many of you who listen, I'm sure, have more clients than we do.
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Oh, yeah.
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We've been very upfront about the fact that we're what what's considered a win to us now is working actually with fewer people, all of whom are spending more, buying more items.
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So our numbers of actual number of clients have been on the decline for years.
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But but don't don't ever be confused and think for a minute that you are in that you are in the volume business and you need to exist operating off of slim margins and just work with more and more and more and more more so that you can earn your living.
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This business is designed unless unless you're a chain store doing it really cheap, really fast with you know like an Indochino or a suit supply.
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Men's warehouse.
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I mean, those are the types of businesses in our industry that are volume driven.
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We are we are not that.
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You are not that.
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You are not a volume custom clothier.
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You are a margin custom clothier.
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So I just wanted to throw that out there because I I think sometimes people expect that a discount or a special is going to just generate huge uh numbers of people.
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And it's not gonna happen like that.
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And that's good.
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Unless you start giving everything away for free.
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Self-preservation.
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I mean, it's
it's saving you from putting yourself in a position that you can't afford to be in.
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What I mean, we talk about this so often.
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What if, what if your marketing works, but you don't have the structure of your business figured out yet?
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If your margins suck, if your marketing works but your margins aren't strong, you're putting yourself in a really bad situation.
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And that's what we're talking about with these discounts.
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So instead of discounting, what what can you do if you're feeling that slow and you want to generate more interest and you you're feeling like you gotta make some money, but what do you do?
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Because the go-to would be to offer some sort of a promo or a discount.
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So let's say you're in that position, you're trying to generate some interest, some urgency, some money, right?
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Instead of saying 25% off or 31% off until October 31st for the Halloween special.
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It's so good, it's spooky.
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Ooh, spooky.
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Instead of doing something like that, what about being intentional with some of your decent clients about something you know they need?
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I've been doing this for the last four months with overcoats.
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You can do it with overcoats too, starting now.
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Uh, if you're in a market like, you know, Scottsdale or Miami, maybe not so overcoats, but you know, whatever.
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Trench coats, jacket shirts, whatever.
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So you have these clients who've bought from you.
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My guess would be that they haven't bought overcoats or something to that effect.
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Reach out to them.
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I would just I just sent a couple of template emails to our LCC group, which included photos we had taken.
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And uh it's basically, you know, it's an email template that just kind of explains, hey, we've never done this with for you before.
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Now is the time to get it going.
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At this point, by the time you're listening, we're actually kind of, you know, maybe even a little.
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I'm not gonna say too late because it's not too late to do this.
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But the reason we had such such success doing this last four months is we were kind of ahead of the game.
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I was selling this stuff in July to prepare people for the upcoming months.
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So by the time you're listening to this, I mean you probably still have a couple strong months of cold ahead of you, and that's what you can use.
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But basically, hey, you don't have one of these.
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Here are a couple of pictures of some that look good.
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Here are a couple qualities, here are the price points.
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Let me know if you uh want to move forward.
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I would strongly recommend we get this order going at some point this next week so that you can have it for however many months.
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It's a much more targeted approach, a much more fine-tuned approach than the broad, you know, the shotgun shooting of running a promotion that probably won't feel all that meaningful anyway.
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It works a lot better.
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Think about it in terms of like you walk outside and your driveway is disgusting and you grab your hose and you turn it on to the spray setting, it's never going to get clean that way.
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You need a power washer, something that can focus and actually remove things and actually get a specific outcome accomplished.
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My guess would be if you're wanting to establish urgency and you're wanting to establish interest, it's because you're wanting to make some money.
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So why not take a direct, targeted approach and hone in on the people who you know will could actually respond to something like this in a positive way.
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And it doesn't have to be overcoats, it can be whatever you want, but targeting a specific group of people or select number of people with something specific that is intentional.
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You've thought about it, you know what their needs are, you're thinking about them.
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And to them, you meeting a need is valuable enough.
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They don't need a discount.
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You'll notice I didn't say anything about a discount or a special or special rate on this or whatever.
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It's just, it is what it is.
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Here's your need.
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I can meet it.
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We should meet it now.
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What do you think?
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Here's another thing.
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Speaking of value add, another way that you could approach this, let's just use, let's just say, for example, that you're selling, you would sell an overcoat to one of your good clients for 3,000 bucks.
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You could also, in that same email, tell that client, let's just say the client's name is Chris.
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I don't know why I said the name.
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It doesn't matter.
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You could also tell that client in the email, oh, and by the way, I just got a new shirt line in
that does or doesn't have to be true.
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I just got a new shirt line in that I'm trying, I'm starting to try to make some things.
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If you buy this overcoat, I'll throw in a complimentary shirt for you too.
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Value add.
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You're not saying, I'm gonna, I'm gonna slash the price of this overcoat by the equivalent of a shirt.
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It's essentially the same thing because it's coming out of the same bank account.
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But instead of Chris feeling like it's maybe it's a good thing I said the name, instead of Chris feeling like he's getting a discount, he's feeling like you're adding value to his purchase.
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There's something very psychologically different about those two things.
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And I get that they're not that different, but they are perceived differently.
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And and shot in the dark, my guess would be Chris, if he's the right type of person, would rather have a complimentary shirt from a$4,000 purchase, say$4,000 or$3,000.
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Three from a$3,000 purchase than a 20% off of his purchase or 10% off of his purchase, whatever the discount is that you would run.
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Chris would rather have something additional that he knows he's gonna wear and knows he's gonna use.
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And it's not gonna cost you 20% of his grand total to do a one free shirt for him, but he values it more.
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Exactly.
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Isn't that crazy?
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Exactly.
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So there's one example.
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If you're trying to drum up some business, try that.
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It's it only needs to work once.
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It doesn't need to work 10 times.
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It only needs to work once before you're starting to feel, okay, yeah, all right, that's great.
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That's a relief.
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But uh taking a more targeted approach because we are not a volume business.
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We don't have millions of people in our in our email database that we can just send some blast to and hope the orders roll in.
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We have to be targeted because we are a targeted business because we're a we're a margin business.
00:17:50.799 --> 00:17:54.880
Okay, so you sort of briefly mentioned this throwing in a shirt.
00:17:55.119 --> 00:18:02.240
Let's say the second scenario where you're trying something new, like the custom jeans or knitwear or whatever, new shirt line, whatever it is, shoes.
00:18:02.559 --> 00:18:09.680
You're trying something new and you feel weird charging full price because you should.
00:18:09.920 --> 00:18:15.599
If you don't feel weird about charging full price for the first time you're gonna do something, you should rethink that.
00:18:15.839 --> 00:18:19.680
You wanna make sure you're good at what you're doing before you start doing that.
00:18:19.839 --> 00:18:26.400
So I would recommend if you just are picking this up and you've never done it before, try this.
00:18:27.200 --> 00:18:29.039
Incentivize with it.
00:18:29.440 --> 00:18:33.599
So a f we've done this before many times.
00:18:34.640 --> 00:18:39.519
Free custom jeans with fill in the blank.
00:18:39.680 --> 00:18:46.559
And there was a time seven, eight maybe years ago when that was an email that got sent out to people.
00:18:46.799 --> 00:18:48.559
Free custom jeans with the purchase.
00:18:48.640 --> 00:18:51.440
I think at the time we were doing the purchase of a premiere suit.
00:18:51.519 --> 00:18:52.400
It was right around this time year.
00:18:52.799 --> 00:18:54.400
Premium suit from a premiere mill.
00:18:54.720 --> 00:18:55.519
Yeah, and we listed them.
00:18:55.599 --> 00:18:57.440
It was like Dormet, SCABAL, whatever.
00:18:57.680 --> 00:19:10.480
So they had to buy that level because we knew they were gonna like it, and we knew that we'd be able to make more on that, which would then, you know, offset some of the costs of doing these free genes because we didn't know what the hell we were doing.
00:19:10.559 --> 00:19:12.079
We didn't know how they were gonna turn out.
00:19:12.240 --> 00:19:16.400
And our experience is that it's a lot easier if something doesn't turn out if it was free.
00:19:17.039 --> 00:19:18.400
So that's what we did.
00:19:18.559 --> 00:19:21.279
Fortunately, we didn't really have to remake any genes.
00:19:21.519 --> 00:19:26.720
And on the flip side, some people turned into genes buyers.
00:19:26.880 --> 00:19:28.079
We got genes buyers.
00:19:28.160 --> 00:19:36.160
We also, everyone that came in and did that no longer buys anything under that premier mill that they came in and bought at that point.
00:19:36.319 --> 00:19:42.799
So it's it's twofold approaching discounts or value proposition like this.
00:19:43.039 --> 00:19:50.559
Because yes, it's for that short-term swipe, that short-term sale, that money hitting your bank account tomorrow.
00:19:50.720 --> 00:19:51.839
It's for that.
00:19:52.400 --> 00:19:56.559
But it's also for the long term of your business.
00:19:56.799 --> 00:20:04.640
And getting your people who were at one point in time buying lower end, who now bought higher end, but the and and now they have a pair of jeans that they really like.
00:20:04.799 --> 00:20:09.200
Now they're a high-end suit buyer and they buy jeans from you.
00:20:09.440 --> 00:20:19.279
I just want to talk a little bit about how this looks for us now, because like I said, that that was at, you know, that many years ago, it was an email blast that got sent out to select people.
00:20:19.440 --> 00:20:27.119
And we had that was probably it's not, it's not really fair, I
don't think, to call it a promotion because it wasn't, but technically it was.
00:20:27.200 --> 00:20:27.920
In my mind, it was.
00:20:28.079 --> 00:20:28.240
Yeah.
00:20:28.400 --> 00:20:32.480
So that was the promotion I think that we had the most success with was that one.
00:20:33.200 --> 00:20:36.799
As opposed to any of the other many, many promotions that we ran.
00:20:37.039 --> 00:20:40.319
The way we do it now is not like that at all.
00:20:40.640 --> 00:20:46.960
We save those types of experiments for people who we're already working with who deserve it.
00:20:47.200 --> 00:20:56.640
Great clients who are either coming back, they're repeat buyers, or someone's working with us for the first time ever, and they're just doing the thing, they're spending a bunch of money, they're buying a bunch of stuff.
00:20:56.799 --> 00:20:59.680
Hey, you know, like, let's throw this thing in, see how it works.
00:20:59.839 --> 00:21:01.039
We'll see if you like it.
00:21:01.279 --> 00:21:02.640
That's how we do it now.
00:21:02.799 --> 00:21:05.839
We don't need to use it to drum up business, but we still do that.
00:21:06.000 --> 00:21:10.720
We still, you know, we we switched over to the custom-made genes company.
00:21:10.880 --> 00:21:20.880
And when we did that a couple of years ago, we did the same exact thing where we tried them out on a number of people just to see how it worked for free for them.
00:21:21.039 --> 00:21:26.640
Any anytime we felt like they would value it, we tossed it in.
00:21:26.960 --> 00:21:28.480
And they did value it.
00:21:28.559 --> 00:21:30.240
Or just thought of someone else I need to reach out to.
00:21:30.319 --> 00:21:31.519
So put them in my little note.
00:21:31.920 --> 00:21:32.880
Go ahead and put it in the note.
00:21:32.960 --> 00:21:33.200
Yeah.
00:21:33.440 --> 00:21:35.440
We're running a very high-tech operation here.
00:21:35.519 --> 00:21:37.680
When we think of somebody we need to reach out to, because it's been a while.
00:21:38.000 --> 00:21:38.480
Well, you know what?
00:21:39.119 --> 00:21:39.680
You know what, guys?
00:21:39.920 --> 00:21:41.359
It doesn't have to be more complicated than that.
00:21:41.519 --> 00:21:46.720
I feel so many people ask, What's the what's the system you use for tracking all of your like literally?
00:21:46.799 --> 00:21:48.480
I just think of it sometimes.
00:21:48.720 --> 00:21:49.039
Yeah.
00:21:49.200 --> 00:21:50.240
I was in the airport.
00:21:50.640 --> 00:21:51.839
Again, we're not a volume business.
00:21:52.079 --> 00:21:53.200
I was in the airport the other day.
00:21:53.279 --> 00:21:55.920
I remembered at one point running into a client at the airport.
00:21:56.079 --> 00:21:57.039
I reached out to him.
00:21:57.200 --> 00:22:01.359
He came in, I he responded and came in and Bought clothes this summer.
00:22:01.599 --> 00:22:04.000
He was another great jeans guy, right?
00:22:04.319 --> 00:22:04.880
Jeans guy.
00:22:05.680 --> 00:22:09.680
He loved our our previous jean that we that we sold.
00:22:10.079 --> 00:22:11.039
We could say blue delta.
00:22:11.279 --> 00:22:11.599
Blue Delta.
00:22:12.000 --> 00:22:13.759
We can say blue we used to use blue delta.
00:22:13.839 --> 00:22:15.200
We now use custom made jeans.
00:22:15.359 --> 00:22:17.200
We got kicked to the curb just like you did.
00:22:17.519 --> 00:22:24.799
We incentivized him with we just gave him a free pair of custom made jeans because we didn't know how they were going to fit and feel on him.
00:22:25.039 --> 00:22:27.359
He's a little bit of a tough fit.
00:22:27.680 --> 00:22:34.480
And at this point, I think he's probably bought six or seven pairs of jeans from us.
00:22:34.799 --> 00:22:38.880
And this is all on top of what he what he actually brought because we don't have jeans clients.
00:22:38.960 --> 00:22:41.759
I mean, we don't have shirts clients, we don't have jeans or pants clients.
00:22:41.920 --> 00:22:45.759
This is just he's a suit, jacket, pants, sport coat guy.
00:22:45.920 --> 00:22:48.480
And so we also do jeans for him as well.
00:22:48.720 --> 00:22:49.039
Yes.
00:22:49.200 --> 00:22:51.599
So it's with a couple of birds of that stone.
00:22:51.839 --> 00:22:55.759
I feel like, and I think I've I've been meaning to say this for a little while.
00:22:56.240 --> 00:23:09.200
So often we get these DMs from people, clothiers, who want to know about our they assume, I think, that everything that we do is this super slick, automated, predictable process.
00:23:09.359 --> 00:23:11.119
And it's just not.
00:23:11.599 --> 00:23:13.200
We are not volume.
00:23:14.240 --> 00:23:19.440
We're we're specialized, we're individual, we have brains, we have relationships.
00:23:20.160 --> 00:23:27.519
I just ran into one of my clients at the hotel I was staying at in Chicago over the weekend and ran up to him, gave him a big hug.
00:23:27.680 --> 00:23:28.480
Hey, how's it going?
00:23:28.640 --> 00:23:35.839
I've never hung out with him here, but you know, we don't work with so many people where I don't recognize these people.
00:23:37.519 --> 00:23:40.319
And I would also happen to be wearing something that he doesn't own.
00:23:40.480 --> 00:23:47.519
So you better believe when he comes back to pick up the things that he's got pending, I'm gonna be saying, Hey, remember that thing I was wearing?
00:23:47.920 --> 00:23:48.559
You saw me wearing this.
00:23:48.720 --> 00:23:54.720
When I ran, well, and this is the thing is I brought this sort of jacket shirt thing that I'd never worn before.
00:23:54.880 --> 00:23:57.039
And uh I wore it every day.
00:23:57.119 --> 00:23:59.039
We were in Chicago because the weather kind of sucked.
00:23:59.119 --> 00:24:00.400
It was rainy, it was windy.
00:24:00.559 --> 00:24:06.240
I'm so glad I brought it because I every every photo I have of myself on that trip, you'd think it was the same day.
00:24:06.400 --> 00:24:08.559
Because I was wearing the same thing every single day.
00:24:08.720 --> 00:24:18.319
But I'm gonna sell one to him when I see him again because he doesn't have one, he wasn't wearing one, and I know he doesn't have one, and I'm gonna be able to use that in order to uh get that sale.
00:24:18.559 --> 00:24:27.920
But we're not running this super slick, fast-paced, you know, virtual tech business.
00:24:28.400 --> 00:24:31.599
We use our brains, we think of people, we reach out.
00:24:31.839 --> 00:24:33.680
It can be that simple.
00:24:34.559 --> 00:24:38.160
Targeted, targeted, targeted, targeted.
00:24:38.319 --> 00:24:50.000
That is our mentality when it comes to reaching out to clients, to for whatever reason, to drum up business, to incentivize, to try something new.
00:24:50.240 --> 00:24:54.880
Everything is targeted because we are a margin business.
00:24:55.359 --> 00:25:01.599
And that is our as it as it relates to discounts, discounts, discount behavior attracts discount buyers.
00:25:01.839 --> 00:25:16.880
The first thing we ever did when we came out with Clothier Coaching years ago was a for those of you not in the uh the online course world, there's something that's called a a freemium, a freebie.
00:25:17.440 --> 00:25:23.599
And you offer something for free to get people invested in you.
00:25:24.400 --> 00:25:26.079
Does anyone remember what ours was called?
00:25:26.880 --> 00:25:28.720
Three, two, one.
00:25:29.279 --> 00:25:32.240
Five mistakes you're making that are costing you money.
00:25:33.039 --> 00:25:35.519
I accidentally said five mistakes you make that are costing you money.
00:25:36.079 --> 00:25:41.839
I wish I had it's five mistakes you are making that are costing you money.
00:25:42.240 --> 00:25:47.200
One of which, I believe it's number two, was you're casting too broad a net.
00:25:47.759 --> 00:25:48.160
Mm-mm.
00:25:49.119 --> 00:25:50.160
That was the last one.
00:25:51.359 --> 00:25:53.599
The number two was you're always on sale.
00:25:53.839 --> 00:25:54.799
Well, you're discounting.
00:25:55.200 --> 00:25:57.279
That's exactly what we're talking about right now.
00:25:57.519 --> 00:26:00.079
Yeah, you have to be targeted.
00:26:00.720 --> 00:26:04.960
And also, just straight up discounting isn't a good look.
00:26:05.200 --> 00:26:06.720
Do you understand yet?
00:26:06.880 --> 00:26:08.880
And uh I that kind of sounds rude.
00:26:09.119 --> 00:26:10.160
You're not stupid, right?
00:26:10.319 --> 00:26:11.920
Regulars, you're you're smart.
00:26:12.000 --> 00:26:13.200
I and you're not supposed to.
00:26:13.519 --> 00:26:14.880
I'm a big boy.
00:26:15.119 --> 00:26:15.920
I'm smart.
00:26:16.240 --> 00:26:18.319
My mom, my mommy says I'm smart.
00:26:18.640 --> 00:26:23.359
Uh no, did you know in communication, you're not supposed to say, does that make sense?
00:26:23.599 --> 00:26:26.480
You're supposed to say, am I making sense?
00:26:26.720 --> 00:26:27.119
Interesting.
00:26:27.359 --> 00:26:30.240
Because if that says if you say, does that make sense?
00:26:30.400 --> 00:26:35.279
You're essentially putting them on the defense where they're they need to admit, like, I don't understand.
00:26:35.519 --> 00:26:41.119
Whereas if you say, am I making sense, it's your fault if you're not making sense.
00:26:41.440 --> 00:26:42.400
I'm working on that.
00:26:42.559 --> 00:26:50.000
Am I making sense when I say discounting and value add feels very similar?
00:26:50.160 --> 00:26:51.920
You might be thinking, well, what's the big deal?
00:26:52.000 --> 00:26:52.799
What's the difference?
00:26:52.960 --> 00:26:54.319
There's a huge difference.
00:26:54.559 --> 00:26:56.960
There's a huge difference in the psychology of it.
00:26:57.200 --> 00:27:00.559
And throwing a free shirt, there's not a difference.
00:27:00.799 --> 00:27:01.279
Right.
00:27:01.440 --> 00:27:04.799
The only difference that exists is the psychology of it.
00:27:05.279 --> 00:27:13.119
It's the same thing for us, but the result is better for us and the client if we do it in the value proposition way.
00:27:13.359 --> 00:27:16.799
You know what's a perfect example of this that I've realized?
00:27:17.119 --> 00:27:20.960
Uh booking your hotel stay on Amex travels.
00:27:21.200 --> 00:27:22.000
And here's why.
00:27:22.480 --> 00:27:28.720
It always costs if it's not exactly the same as booking direct through the hotel, it's maybe a little bit more.
00:27:29.200 --> 00:27:29.519
Okay.
00:27:30.160 --> 00:27:33.599
Like marginally, five bucks, ten bucks a night.
00:27:34.079 --> 00:27:35.119
Not that much more.
00:27:35.279 --> 00:27:42.960
However, if you book through Amex Travels, they offer you, if available, an early check-in and a room upgrade, if available.
00:27:43.039 --> 00:27:44.559
So they are not on the hook for that at all.
00:27:44.720 --> 00:27:45.599
And it's not their fault.
00:27:45.680 --> 00:27:49.680
And I've never once called Amex and said, What the fuck?
00:27:50.319 --> 00:27:52.319
You have called Amex and said, Well, I have.
00:27:52.480 --> 00:27:57.039
I got my standard room that I paid for, and I couldn't check in at 10 a.m.
00:27:57.279 --> 00:27:58.799
They made me wait till three.
00:27:59.039 --> 00:28:00.160
It's not their fault.
00:28:00.319 --> 00:28:01.119
It's not their fault.
00:28:01.279 --> 00:28:09.119
But the most genius thing that they do, which gets me every time, is they give you the$600 hotel credit, which is basically money to spend.
00:28:09.440 --> 00:28:13.279
Or$100 a day at their restaurant.
00:28:13.440 --> 00:28:14.400
It's not always a$600.
00:28:15.039 --> 00:28:16.160
No, but that's also sometimes.
00:28:17.279 --> 00:28:17.519
Right.
00:28:17.759 --> 00:28:18.559
So it depends.
00:28:18.640 --> 00:28:35.200
It's it's either it's like$100 a day or$110 a day for to use at the hotel, like a breakfast credit, a food credit, and or a$600 hotel credit where you use it for the hotel or for the spa, or you know, if you need to send out something for dry cleaning, it's your room charges.
00:28:35.440 --> 00:28:37.599
So they're not discounting the room.
00:28:37.680 --> 00:28:42.640
In fact, you're paying a little bit more, but you get something in return.
00:28:42.880 --> 00:28:46.799
And it's enough of a difference where I always choose to book through Amex.
00:28:47.599 --> 00:28:53.599
Unless for some reason there's not like the cancellation policy is really bad or something.
00:28:53.759 --> 00:29:01.039
But it's really, really, really rare that I ever book anything that's not through Amex travel.
00:29:01.119 --> 00:29:03.119
And it's for those three reasons.
00:29:03.359 --> 00:29:09.119
I never take advantage of the late checkout because I always like to fly home in the morning so I can be home in the mid-afternoon.
00:29:09.359 --> 00:29:12.240
But early check-in, yes, please.
00:29:12.559 --> 00:29:15.039
Hotel credit, yes, please.
00:29:15.440 --> 00:29:16.240
Value add.
00:29:16.400 --> 00:29:17.279
It's a value add.
00:29:17.519 --> 00:29:18.640
And hook line and sinker.
00:29:18.880 --> 00:29:20.400
And I'm willing to pay more for it.
00:29:20.559 --> 00:29:26.000
Hook line and sinker for Kenny booking every single trip he ever takes through Amex's platform.
00:29:26.559 --> 00:29:28.559
Like it everybody wins.
00:29:28.720 --> 00:29:33.359
And sometimes when you do get a room upgrade, oh my gosh, it's great.
00:29:33.680 --> 00:29:36.000
But you I don't expect it.
00:29:36.160 --> 00:29:36.400
No.
00:29:36.640 --> 00:29:37.519
It's not a guarantee.
00:29:37.759 --> 00:29:38.319
No, it's no.
00:29:38.640 --> 00:29:40.880
And it's great when it happens, but it often doesn't.
00:29:40.960 --> 00:29:41.839
And sometimes it does.
00:29:41.920 --> 00:29:45.759
I just got upgraded at in Chicago to a suite, which was great, awesome.
00:29:45.920 --> 00:29:46.559
Loved it.
00:29:46.880 --> 00:29:49.599
Super, you know, had a great experience.
00:29:49.920 --> 00:29:52.960
But I would have been just as happy in a standard room.
00:29:53.359 --> 00:29:54.720
That's a perfect example.
00:29:54.880 --> 00:29:57.359
And I am if I could pat myself on the back, I would.
00:29:57.599 --> 00:29:59.759
You'd be you'd do it a lot if you could pat yourself on the back.
00:30:00.319 --> 00:30:01.759
So there think about that.
00:30:01.920 --> 00:30:02.640
And you know what?
00:30:02.799 --> 00:30:04.880
I'm not gonna, I'm not gonna mince words.
00:30:05.039 --> 00:30:12.960
That's kind of a maybe it's a bit of a luxury uh take.
00:30:13.759 --> 00:30:31.359
But you okay, yeah, maybe, but that's why we also talk about the importance of market research and knowing what's out there so that you can provide that luxury approach to your clients through your business.
00:30:31.920 --> 00:30:37.440
Like I agree it's a a first world benefit or a luxury take.
00:30:37.839 --> 00:30:44.160
But for those of us who want to run luxury businesses, we better have a luxury take or two.
00:30:44.640 --> 00:30:48.720
We better have experienced
something that's a luxury take.
00:30:48.960 --> 00:30:52.079
I said that in our the newsletter that went out this morning.
00:30:52.160 --> 00:30:54.400
If by the way, if you want to be on our newsletter, it's free.
00:30:54.640 --> 00:31:00.079
We send you a weekly email with uh episode reminder and just a little extra context for the episode.
00:31:00.240 --> 00:31:04.960
All you have to do is go to clotheyeourcoaching.com and scroll all the way to the bottom and sign up.
00:31:05.119 --> 00:31:06.480
But that's I said that.
00:31:06.640 --> 00:31:25.359
I I was recapping my visit to Chicago and I was saying, I mentioned that I ran into a client and I said, it's so interesting to me because if you don't put yourself in these places, these experiences where you ever experience anything luxury, yet you're claiming that you do luxury suits, you are incorrect.
00:31:25.599 --> 00:31:26.000
Right.
00:31:26.160 --> 00:31:29.839
You need you can't say that if you don't actually know what you're saying.
00:31:30.079 --> 00:31:36.720
And people who experience that stuff, aka your target demographic, they can tell.
00:31:37.279 --> 00:31:39.839
They can tell if you're faking it or not.
00:31:40.160 --> 00:31:42.319
Value add, Amex travels, that's what we were talking about.
00:31:42.480 --> 00:31:44.160
So discounts are bad.
00:31:44.799 --> 00:31:51.359
No, but I don't think we have to hammer home the point of discount behavior attracts discount buyers.
00:31:51.519 --> 00:31:53.599
Um, I I think that point is very clear.
00:31:53.680 --> 00:31:56.319
It's a it's again a psychology thing.
00:31:56.559 --> 00:32:03.920
Just like value proposition speaks really uniquely to people of a certain caliber.
00:32:04.160 --> 00:32:18.400
I think it would be helpful if you could sort of as we wrap up, give some exam other examples maybe of value add as it relates to like whether you're in your appointments or you're sure back and forth with someone.
00:32:18.880 --> 00:32:19.200
All right.
00:32:19.440 --> 00:32:24.799
Let me just let me just fly by the seat of my pants here.
00:32:25.039 --> 00:32:26.559
I can start with one if you want to think.
00:32:26.799 --> 00:32:27.839
Uh yeah, sure.
00:32:28.079 --> 00:32:30.559
Here's one, we've mentioned it before on the podcast.
00:32:30.720 --> 00:32:39.119
As we've been getting emails from people who want alterations on stuff because they've been losing weight, the value proposition is not, oh yeah, we'll take care of those alterations for free.
00:32:39.200 --> 00:32:39.759
Come on in.
00:32:39.920 --> 00:32:49.279
It's if you want to buy something new for your new body, go ahead and bring some of the things you want altered.
00:32:49.359 --> 00:32:51.759
We'll take a look and see if there's anything that can be done.
00:32:51.920 --> 00:32:54.880
That's our version of an Amex free upgrade.
00:32:55.119 --> 00:32:56.000
I don't know.
00:32:56.240 --> 00:32:56.880
We'll see.
00:32:57.039 --> 00:32:58.000
I don't know if it's possible.
00:32:58.160 --> 00:32:59.039
We'll see.
00:32:59.359 --> 00:33:03.200
Uh, and provided that there is something we could do, we will take care of it complimentary.
00:33:03.359 --> 00:33:06.480
But the premise of the meeting is that there's a purchase being made.
00:33:06.559 --> 00:33:11.839
So that's it's an added value where they come in to buy something and they're getting something else taken care of.
00:33:12.160 --> 00:33:22.559
Added value is, I think, by definition, is the one that the one thing that we do that you could argue is a discount, which is our shirt package.
00:33:22.720 --> 00:33:25.119
Buy five, get the sixth for free.
00:33:25.359 --> 00:33:26.000
Right.
00:33:26.319 --> 00:33:30.000
And we don't schedule appointments for somebody to come in and do the shirt package.
00:33:30.160 --> 00:33:33.759
We're often working with somebody who's doing who's doing a bunch of things.
00:33:33.920 --> 00:33:38.799
And in the moment, they can't figure out, they're like, ah, you know, I'll do a few shirts too.
00:33:38.960 --> 00:33:43.839
They land on four, four shirts, and it's like, well, we have this buy five, get a six for free.
00:33:44.000 --> 00:33:45.119
They're like, oh, okay, sounds good.
00:33:45.200 --> 00:33:46.559
I'll pick out two more.
00:33:47.200 --> 00:33:48.559
That's a perfect example.
00:33:48.720 --> 00:33:52.319
By the way, you mentioned, and I interrupted, but we did use to schedule for that.
00:33:52.400 --> 00:33:54.640
I'm not, we're not saying you should never, you could never.
00:33:54.880 --> 00:33:54.960
Right.
00:33:55.200 --> 00:33:56.319
We just don't do it anymore.
00:33:56.480 --> 00:34:02.799
Uh, but that is that used to be our uh order minimum was a shirt package.
00:34:03.119 --> 00:34:08.320
And it is the only thing, is like the only thing that you could argue is a discount that we have online.
00:34:08.559 --> 00:34:22.159
So that's an example, and I I think it works really well because it it really does help set people up for success in their shirts rather than somebody coming in and and buying two or three that you know they're gonna wear all the time and beat the hell out of.
00:34:22.320 --> 00:34:32.000
Like it puts them in a position where they really see the value in buying five to get that sixth, and they are so much better prepared in that scenario.
00:34:32.159 --> 00:34:44.079
Um, here's here's another thing that that we are known to do that could be uh seen as a discount, I suppose, but it's not.
00:34:44.320 --> 00:34:45.760
And here's why.
00:34:46.000 --> 00:34:52.159
So, or here's what, and then I'll I'll explain why it's not necessarily just a straight up discount.
00:34:52.559 --> 00:34:58.320
Let's say we're in a meeting with somebody and they're buying a couple of suits or a suit and a spore coat pant combo.
00:34:58.400 --> 00:35:01.199
Okay, so they land on the suit really easily.
00:35:01.280 --> 00:35:02.000
It's a blue suit.
00:35:02.079 -->
00:35:10.800
They land on a uh red wine jacket with a uh blue uh check, and they really liked something they were not expecting to really like.
00:35:11.039 --> 00:35:14.480
A green check jacket, and they're like, you know what?
00:35:14.639 --> 00:35:18.079
I'm I'm just gonna, I'm just gonna, I don't need it today.
00:35:18.320 --> 00:35:20.320
Let's just focus on these two things.
00:35:21.199 --> 00:35:22.079
Timeout.
00:35:22.400 --> 00:35:25.440
So when they say that, don't put it away.
00:35:25.679 --> 00:35:26.400
Don't put it away.
00:35:26.559 --> 00:35:27.199
Put it off to the side.
00:35:27.360 --> 00:35:28.079
Put it off to the side.
00:35:28.239 --> 00:35:29.360
Don't close the book and put it away.
00:35:29.519 --> 00:35:30.320
Put it off to the side.
00:35:30.480 --> 00:35:36.960
And at some point, whether you know this off the top of your head or you've needed to take just a minute to do a little bit of math.
00:35:37.119 --> 00:35:39.840
Nothing wrong with that, by the way, saying, Hey, can it give me a minute?
00:35:40.079 --> 00:35:49.519
Let's say this order total is coming out to uh 12 grand, okay, for this client getting these things plus his shirts and whatever else he buys.
00:35:50.000 --> 00:35:58.719
And you've done the math, and you had originally communicated that this jacket was gonna cost him 3,300 bucks.
00:35:59.039 --> 00:36:05.199
You've done the math, you know what you need to make, you know what you w you know where your your kind of your bottom number is.
00:36:05.440 --> 00:36:09.840
And let's say at the meeting you say, all right, so here's everything.
00:36:10.079 --> 00:36:16.000
Before we close out here, and then you bring the jacket out and say, remember this?
00:36:16.480 --> 00:36:21.679
If we did this jacket too and we just call this order total 14.5, would you do the jacket?
00:36:22.239 --> 00:36:26.079
Half the time they're gonna say, Yeah, let's do it.
00:36:26.800 --> 00:36:36.159
And I only in that scenario shaved uh what I shave off um well if you said it was 33, you shaved 3300 off.
00:36:36.239 --> 00:36:38.480
Yeah, 800, shaved 800 bucks off.
00:36:38.639 --> 00:36:39.920
My margin's still taken care of.
00:36:40.000 --> 00:36:42.320
I can sell that jacket for 2500 bucks, no problem.
00:36:42.480 --> 00:36:45.440
And I'm still I'm still totally fine in my margin.
00:36:45.679 --> 00:36:50.079
Some of you are like shitting your pants right now, saying, What are you thinking?
00:36:50.159 --> 00:36:51.119
That is such a bad idea.
00:36:51.280 --> 00:36:55.119
And some of you are saying, I've never even sold a$2,500 sport coat.
00:36:55.360 --> 00:36:56.000
Yeah.
00:36:56.719 --> 00:37:11.840
But and again, like I phrase it in terms of like, if we call this order total this, as opposed to if I can if I can give you this$3,300 jacket for$2,500, would you do it?
00:37:12.000 --> 00:37:12.800
And you know what?
00:37:12.960 --> 00:37:14.480
Maybe somebody will respond well to that.
00:37:14.639 --> 00:37:16.320
That's just not how we typically phrase it.
00:37:16.480 --> 00:37:16.639
Right.
00:37:16.800 --> 00:37:22.960
We typically like to present as like if the order total becomes this, that's a pretty nice deal on this jacket.
00:37:23.039 --> 00:37:27.119
Would you still do you do you want to just do it and we can design it really quickly?
00:37:27.280 --> 00:37:31.519
And then in the design, you know, they maybe that maybe they'll find another shirt they want to wear with it.
00:37:31.840 --> 00:37:35.199
But those are those are these like kind of value proposition things.
00:37:35.280 --> 00:37:36.400
And yes, it's a discount.
00:37:36.559 --> 00:37:40.960
Yes, it is a discount objectively, but it's phrased strategically.
00:37:41.039 --> 00:37:45.360
And ultimately it's the client feeling like they're getting a really great value add.
00:37:45.519 --> 00:37:53.039
You know what you could do if you were an LCC, I'd tell you you should sell them another pair of pants for their new jacket that they're getting such a great deal on.
00:37:53.199 --> 00:37:54.079
There you go.
00:37:54.320 --> 00:37:55.440
So that's a great one.
00:37:55.599 --> 00:38:00.960
Another one, a value add that we do, which is not a discount and actually just saves us money.
00:38:01.199 --> 00:38:08.320
And this has been one of our oldest practices, and I stand by it, swear by it, is well, it's twofold.
00:38:08.719 --> 00:38:20.239
The first is everybody gets a shirt, uh, whether they buy one or not, uh, whether they want one or not, because I don't want to do jacket sleeve alterations.
00:38:20.320 --> 00:38:24.239
And if you don't have one of our shirts, you are measured, your jacket sleeve is measured for our shirt.
00:38:24.320 --> 00:38:32.800
So if you don't, if you don't have one and you don't buy one, well, now you think your jacket sleeves are wrong and I'm making alterations to fit a$75 shirt that you're wearing.
00:38:32.960 --> 00:38:34.559
So I'm not gonna do that.
00:38:34.800 --> 00:38:44.960
We never we used to throw in a free shirt just right off the bat for every suit or like jacket that somebody did.
00:38:45.199 --> 00:38:50.239
So if someone bought three jackets, we'd say, okay, you get three free free shirts, and then you can buy more.
00:38:51.119 --> 00:38:52.639
Yeah, no one bought more.
00:38:52.800 --> 00:38:53.599
They never bought more.
00:38:53.760 --> 00:39:00.639
So then we decided this was in one of our own sort of uh what's the word when you're brainstorming.
00:39:00.880 --> 00:39:01.440
Goal setting.
00:39:01.599 --> 00:39:02.639
Yeah, it was a goal setting.
00:39:02.880 --> 00:39:05.199
Evaluating evaluation, that's it.
00:39:05.440 --> 00:39:08.000
We were evaluating and we said, we shouldn't do that anymore.
00:39:08.159 --> 00:39:10.960
How about we just like let's give them the opportunity to buy it?
00:39:11.119 --> 00:39:15.840
Before we say you get three free shirts, we say something about shirts and we allow them
to purchase them.
00:39:15.920 --> 00:39:22.480
And if they say, Oh, you know what, I actually don't want any shirts, then we can offer to do one complimentary, one.
00:39:22.960 --> 00:39:31.519
But if you know, our experience now is like 90 some percent of them are actually buying the shirts rather than us needing to do them for free.
00:39:31.679 --> 00:39:39.119
But on the very, very rare occasion where somebody doesn't want to buy a shirt, they're adamant that they don't want shirts, we're still throwing one in for free.
00:39:39.280 --> 00:39:45.440
We have not done a jacket sleeve alteration that was necessary in years.
00:39:45.840 --> 00:39:50.079
So it's twofold because everyone loves our shirts.
00:39:50.239 --> 00:39:50.480
Yeah.
00:39:50.719 --> 00:39:52.400
We're closet killers.
00:39:52.800 --> 00:40:02.480
So now they only have the, I mean, unless they want to wear their cheap, bad fitting shirts more, they need to buy more shirts and they will.
00:40:02.880 --> 00:40:08.480
So it it it's again, long game, benefit, value add, relationship building.
00:40:08.559 --> 00:40:10.960
Like that's how luxury businesses operate.
00:40:11.119 --> 00:40:13.119
So that was just the first half of what I was gonna say.
00:40:13.280 --> 00:40:29.199
The second half of what I was gonna say was speaking of free shirts, do not undervalue or underestimate the power of a free shirt to save you from any number of negative things.
00:40:29.920 --> 00:40:40.320
Offering to throw in a shirt, oh, I'm so sorry that this took XYZ longer, there was some issue or something bad happened, or you, you know, you got mad at me, or you know, whatever it was.
00:40:40.480 --> 00:40:44.079
A free shirt works almost every time.
00:40:44.320 --> 00:40:54.000
And it's a hell of a lot easier and less expensive to do a free shirt than it is to remake something or refund something or get a bad review, fill in the blank.
00:40:54.239 --> 00:40:59.360
Any other value proposition things instead of discounts that you can think of off the top of your head?
00:40:59.679 --> 00:41:00.880
I think we covered it.
00:41:01.119 --> 00:41:04.079
I'm sure more will, I'm sure more will have to mind.
00:41:04.320 --> 00:41:04.639
We'll have more.
00:41:04.880 --> 00:41:09.760
But again, the general the general theme of today's podcast is a discounts are bad.
00:41:09.920 --> 00:41:10.320
Don't do it.
00:41:10.480 --> 00:41:12.559
Discount behavior attracts discount buyers.
00:41:12.639 --> 00:41:18.559
Don't do the JCPenney thing, where you you train your customers to expect these discounts.
00:41:18.639 --> 00:41:27.039
And then even if you enter the re-enter the market with the lowest bottom-of-the-barrel price points, they all stop buying because they would rather go somewhere where they feel like they're getting a deal.
00:41:27.199 --> 00:41:32.719
It's psychology, which is why instead of discounting, you value add.
00:41:32.960 --> 00:41:38.960
We worked with a guy years ago who was
so, so picky.
00:41:39.199 --> 00:41:41.280
And we haven't seen him in many years.
00:41:41.519 --> 00:41:44.079
Don't believe he's on our current roster.
00:41:44.639 --> 00:41:54.239
But uh, he was so picky and uh things had a tendency to go wrong because he was so picky and he was very nitpicky.
00:41:54.320 --> 00:42:02.639
It wasn't just that he was particular, it was that, you know, like, oh, this is uh an eighth of an inch different than the last one.
00:42:02.800 --> 00:42:08.800
When I was measuring these at home when I got home and comparing them to, like, probably medically something.
00:42:09.039 --> 00:42:12.719
It's time to play hot or not.
00:42:13.280 --> 00:42:13.599
Oh.
00:42:14.559 --> 00:42:16.639
Let's do a sound effect, please.
00:42:18.239 --> 00:42:18.880
You know what?
00:42:18.960 --> 00:42:22.960
That would the toilet flush and the fart would be the perfect sound effect for most of our leads.
00:42:23.119 --> 00:42:24.000
Oh, okay.
00:42:24.239 --> 00:42:25.519
Here's the name.
00:42:25.760 --> 00:42:27.039
I'm gonna say that's a hot lead.
00:42:27.199 --> 00:42:28.079
Oh, Kenny's saying hot.
00:42:28.400 --> 00:42:29.679
So I gotta go not.
00:42:30.000 --> 00:42:33.360
I gotta be the opposite, the antithesis of Kenny.
00:42:33.920 --> 00:42:40.079
And that really is my life's goal to be the opposite of the way Kenny lives his life.
00:42:40.320 --> 00:42:41.280
Get in line, everyone.
00:42:41.519 --> 00:42:42.239
Um, okay.
00:42:42.559 --> 00:42:48.000
So the lead is it's really hard to say if this is a hot lead or not.
00:42:48.159 --> 00:42:49.119
Really tough to say.
00:42:49.280 --> 00:42:49.840
Why?
00:42:50.159 --> 00:43:03.920
Because he's getting his hair cut next door tomorrow and wants to stop by tomorrow, but he did say that he needs items after his hair, but it's it's gonna require a little bit of back and forth.
00:43:04.159 --> 00:43:04.480
Okay.
00:43:04.800 --> 00:43:05.199
All right.
00:43:05.360 --> 00:43:08.239
That was that was today's uh version of hot or not.
00:43:08.480 --> 00:43:08.960
We don't know.
00:43:09.039 --> 00:43:10.079
That's the it's lukewarm.
00:43:10.239 --> 00:43:11.599
I don't even think we can see him tomorrow.
00:43:11.679 --> 00:43:12.559
So well, we'll see.
00:43:12.719 --> 00:43:14.000
The timing actually might work out.
00:43:14.079 --> 00:43:15.199
Uh is it in the morning?
00:43:15.519 --> 00:43:15.840
No.
00:43:16.239 --> 00:43:16.559
Oh.
00:43:16.880 --> 00:43:17.679
We'll figure it out.
00:43:17.760 --> 00:43:18.320
We'll figure it out.
00:43:18.400 --> 00:43:19.280
Okay, anyways.
00:43:19.599 --> 00:43:24.079
So uh the end of the story was that super picky guy.
00:43:24.239 --> 00:43:28.559
Uh, we kept discounting, throwing things in for free.
00:43:29.199 --> 00:43:32.559
And eventually we got to the point where he said, Hey guys, you know what?
00:43:32.880 --> 00:43:34.719
I would rather not get discounts.
00:43:34.800 --> 00:43:36.639
I would rather not get stuff
for free.
00:43:36.800 --> 00:43:39.119
I want to pay for things that are right.
00:43:39.519 --> 00:43:41.679
And we thought, yeah.
00:43:42.480 --> 00:43:43.599
Yeah, I get that.
00:43:43.840 --> 00:43:50.880
And that's probably the attitude that your good clients have at the time he was a good client.
00:43:51.519 --> 00:43:53.519
They don't want necessarily discounts.
00:43:53.599 --> 00:43:55.920
They don't want free stuff necessarily.
00:43:56.079 --> 00:43:59.280
They d they just want to pay for things and they want them to be right.
00:44:00.079 --> 00:44:00.960
And they want to love them.
00:44:01.840 --> 00:44:07.199
And the five mistakes you're making that are costing you money, the first one is your wallet is in your client's pocket.
00:44:07.440 --> 00:44:11.039
And I think the discount mindset is a byproduct of that.
00:44:11.280 --> 00:44:11.679
Yeah.
00:44:11.920 --> 00:44:16.000
Where a lot of times custom clothiers can't afford to wear the suits they're selling.
00:44:16.800 --> 00:44:23.760
As in, you would never spend three, four, five, six thousand dollars on a suit because you can't afford to do that.
00:44:24.000 --> 00:44:25.199
But your clients can.
00:44:25.599 --> 00:44:29.599
So you need to get over yourself and let them buy that from you.
00:44:30.000 --> 00:44:33.599
Just because you wouldn't buy it or you would need a discount to do it, doesn't mean they would.
00:44:33.920 --> 00:44:36.400
Don't don't assume everybody needs a discount to work with you.
00:44:36.639 --> 00:44:42.320
Just because you might need one doesn't mean that's why things feel slow.
00:44:42.960 --> 00:44:50.320
So we have to, as custom clothiers, we have to get out of the headspace of discounting is going to yield a good result for me.
00:44:50.480 --> 00:44:51.199
It's not.
00:44:51.440 --> 00:44:56.079
Even if a bunch of people book, it's a bad result because they're not the right clients for you.
00:44:56.320 --> 00:45:06.880
Value add, figuring out a strategic way to be honed in and to power wash your driveway instead of to just hose it down and spray it down willy-nilly.
00:45:07.119 --> 00:45:12.239
That's going to achieve a much better end result for you, both probably in the short term and the long term.
00:45:12.480 --> 00:45:15.519
Maybe this was the reminder or the encouragement you needed.
00:45:15.679 --> 00:45:18.239
I wish I would have heard this podcast about 10 years ago.
00:45:18.400 --> 00:45:19.679
Things could have been different.
00:45:19.760 --> 00:45:21.519
But you know, you don't you know what, guys?
00:45:21.599 --> 00:45:24.000
Don't bother with that discount.
00:45:24.320 --> 00:45:24.719
Yeah.
00:45:25.039 --> 00:45:26.800
It says no.
00:45:27.039 --> 00:45:28.079
Maybe knock that off.
00:45:28.320 --> 00:45:31.360
Wish I could have heard that, but you just did.
00:45:31.599 --> 00:45:33.840
So now you know what not to do.
00:45:34.079 --> 00:45:37.440
And we've given you some good ideas of what you could do instead.
00:45:37.599 --> 00:45:39.440
I want to hear when it works, because it will.
00:45:39.679 --> 00:45:40.559
Let me know when it works.
00:45:40.639 --> 00:45:45.199
And let us know if there's any other topics you're feeling like you want to hear about or talk through.
00:45:45.360 --> 00:45:51.039
We are still the only podcast talking to custom clothiers about running their business.
00:45:51.199 --> 00:45:54.639
And because of that, we need a five-star rating from you.
00:45:55.599 --> 00:46:01.360
Yeah, a five-star rating on however you're listening, pref preferably Apple, would be great.
00:46:01.519 --> 00:46:06.239
Remember that feeling when you discovered the podcast and you're like, yes, finally, someone talking about what I need.
00:46:06.639 --> 00:46:10.159
We want more colour custom clothiers to be able to experience that as well.
00:46:10.719 --> 00:46:20.320
So don't do, don't operate with poverty and say, well, I don't want more people to discover this because I don't want them to have this information.
00:46:20.400 --> 00:46:27.920
Because at the end of the day, the more people who operate in a high-end way, the better behaved everybody that you were going to work with is going to be.
00:46:28.079 --> 00:46:29.599
We always say that about consultations.
00:46:29.760 --> 00:46:32.000
Just think of every custom clothing you refused to take them.
00:46:32.159 --> 00:46:39.519
Yeah, just think of every lead that came into your inbox, you knew that that person can't go get a whole bunch of free consultations other places.
00:46:39.679 --> 00:46:40.320
That'd be great.
00:46:40.480 --> 00:46:42.159
You would get a lot more people booking.
00:46:42.239 --> 00:46:45.440
So the more people that operate with this sensibility, the better.
00:46:45.760 --> 00:46:49.519
Everyone wins, unlike discounts where everyone loses.
00:46:50.480 --> 00:46:51.440
Disappointment's over.
00:46:51.519 --> 00:46:52.559
We'll see you at your next one.
00:46:52.880 --> 00:47:17.519
If you're a custom clothier and you want to be more profitable, less stressed, and work with more of your target demographic client who spends more and buys more often, we share our exact strategies on how to do that and our resources available now on clothiercoaching.com, including Million Dollar Manual, our playbook for turning your sixth-figure business into a custom clothing business that makes more than a million dollars every year.
00:47:17.679 --> 00:47:27.920
For higher touch, more direct access to us, we have a small mentorship group called Luxury Clothier Collective, where we're actively helping clothiers around the country become their markets leader.
00:47:28.079 --> 00:47:35.440
If you're serious about finally building that profitable luxury custom clothing business you've always wanted, this is your next move.
00:47:35.599 --> 00:47:38.480
Join the wait list and we'll let you know when enrollment opens again.
00:47:38.639 --> 00:47:40.079
Thanks for listening.