When I was at college I would often see a person standing on the street advertising for a local tattoo parlor. The sign he held said, “Tattoos. Half Priced. Today Only”. Every time I drove by him I couldn’t help but think that the person in charge was failing at some basic Marketing 101 principles.
Know Thy Customer
Although I don’t have a tattoo I can only speculate that the main concern of someone who is about to endure a painful procedure to permanently bind ink to their skin isn’t the price. If I were getting a tattoo, quality would be of utmost importance.
A tattoo isn’t a whimsical purchase. I can’t imagine that anyone who saw that sign whipped their car into the tattoo parlor and got branded just because it’s a good deal. People spend thousands and fly to distant cities to get their tattoos.
Answer your customer’s main concern.
If price isn’t the tipping point to get business, then don’t advertise it. Advertise that your quality is unbeatable.
Consider what you’re selling and what factors cause people to use you or go with your competitors.
Maybe you are not selling yourself correctly.
P.S. Naomi wants to remind you to proofread your tattoo designs before getting them done.
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I think a failed tattoo is probably one of the most telling signs of a bad decision. I hope everyone has heard the horror stories of someone getting a “Chinese character” that says something embarrassing.
I also think it’s important to remember that if you do advertise “Big Discounts” you will attract customers that are more interested in the discount than the product, which is probably not the clientèle most business folks are looking for.
Excellent lesson all around Jeremy. I tend to be cost-conscious, if not price-focused, and it is a mistake to assume that my customers will be, too.
And actually, when there’s something I want bad enough, the cost isn’t enough to stop me. I may pause to scrounge change from the couch cushions and my other magical cash reserves
, but I’ll persevere to have it, no matter the price.
Thoughtful post…thanks!
It’s very easy to assume that price is what matters most but if you price yourself too cheap you run the risk of affecting your product/services perceived value.
I recall the story of a online jewelry store that couldn’t sell anything and right before quitting the owner tripled her prices because nothing else worked. She never had trouble selling her jewelry after that.
Tattoos, surgery, chocolate are all things that quality trumps price on most occasions.
@Jeremy—Excellent and hilarious examples! I’d add underwear, pantyhose, lotions, and makeup. Cheapies on those never work out well. For comfort’s sake, we should seek out the best we can afford…
I read similar article also named ced Tattoos | Jeremy Adam Davis, and it was completely different. Personally, I agree with you more, because this article makes a little bit more sense for me
I would drape myself in linen if it were publicly acceptable. 2 days ago