Best approach for promotional discount...

[C.E.]

So I'm going to this event (big huge horse show) in a couple weeks. I'll be passing out biz cards, but thought about offering a promo discount. Something like "Mention you saw me at ___ Show and get 10% off your first invoice." or whatever. I don't have anything to order online for my stuff, so using one of those promo code software things is a bit much, but does anybody have suggestions on how to approach this? Should I put little stickers on my biz cards that have #s on them so ppl can't reuse them? Or just offer the 10% to anybody? I'd like to put a notice about it on my website, but fishing for ideas right now. I don't want just anybody saying "oh hey I saw you" but they really didn't, tho I doubt many ppl would do that.

[jlknauff]

Yeah, don't offer discounts.

[D-Frag]

yeah im with jlknauff, when you start offering discounts it just screams "Help, im desperate, I need work" instead, try raising your prices, im serious too. You aren't going to get people who will just pay for your services on a discount. Besides, do you really want "corner cutters" working with you? Someone who wants the world for free? Not me, I would rather raise my prices and single out the people who really understand design and will give me the ball in MY court and let me do the creative stuff, after all, that's why they are paying me the big bucks.

[Satchel]

There was an article about this that I just read: http://www.psychotactics.com/artdiscounting.htm

But you dont have to agree with it - it's up to you if you want to offer a discount or not.

[morea]

nope, don't offer discounts unless your services are overpriced.

http://www.graphicdesignforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=30248

[Logo-Mechanix]

The only discounts I would offer are of the five fingered variety.:D

I would advise against though seriously, if you do that people will expect it and not want to do business with you unless you are offereing one. At least they will always ask you for one once you do it.

[C.E.]

Hmm interesting reads. They talk about bonuses being okay. What kind of bonus would be in our industry? Buy website get logo free?

[morea]

I hope that you're joking...

[jlknauff]

If you buy a web site, you get a web site. 99 times out of 100, discounts are bad because like someone else mentioned, your clients come to expect them. Plus - you start to attract the bottom feeder clients and it becomes a bad downward spiral.

[D-Frag]

buy a website, get a rope? ooohhhh, how about, buy a website, get a pope soap on a rope!

[Virgo Nightingale]

People also expect discounts out of you when a competitor offers them. We had a guy last week ask us (twice) if we would give him a "buy 100 business cards, get 100 free" deal, because that's what Staples was offering. :rolleyes:

[jlknauff]

http://www.stupid.com/Merchant2/graphics/products/pope-1.jpg

[budafist]

Don't offer discounts. If you must, offer a gift or something free instead. That way you still make the same amount so they value of your service has not diminished.

[C.E.]

I hope that you're joking...

Shhhh they might find me out!!!!

No in all seriousness tho, I dont understand the difference between discounts and bonuses. 2 of the things I read, surfed from somewhere, perhaps googled, I don't know, I fly when I'm searching for stuff, both said that discounts were bad, but bonuses were good. To me they're one in the same.

[budafist]

Examples
Discount: $20 off your next website.
Bonus: Free consultation or soft toy with next website.

Discount means that at the end of the day, you make $20 less than normal.
Bonus means that at the end of the day, make the normal amount.

It also means that clients don't think that websites are actually worth less than they are worth.

It's better to give away a $20 gift than to give a $20 discount.

[C.E.]

Hmm, I wonder if I still have any of those old CE can koozies laying around. That would be perfect! Thanks guys. Little less foggy now.