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Refusing to sell as a sales strategy

by Steven Carl Kelly
10 replies
Has anyone ever implemented the idea of refusing to sell your product to potential customers as a method to increase their desire to purchase? I'm considering that as a possible method.

In a nutshell: tell them about the great product, then early on in the pitch insert an alert of some sort that indicates the product has been completely sold out, then offer to take their e-mail address and put them on standby for when additional copies of the product is released.

Shortly thereafter, you contact them and offer them the chance to purchase the product.

Clearly this strategy would likely work best for high-end offerings. Any thoughts?
#refusing #sales #sell #strategy
  • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
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    • Profile picture of the author MaskedMarketer
      Refusing to sell something- this could be considered some type of take away selling. People want what they can't have. If you seem desperate to sell something, people will sense that and most likely not buy. If your offer is exclusive and you use take away strategies, this could be very powerful.

      Another common strategy is using an "application process". Making people jump through hoops can make them more committed to the purchase and also can build desire. Posture yourself as an expert, use an application process, and use scarcity/ take away selling, and this could possibly improve sales.

      Good Luck..
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  • Profile picture of the author J. Barry Mandel
    Of course.

    I know someone who limits sales to 50 products a month @ $150 a piece.

    So he makes $7500 or so by *limiting* the amount that is sold.

    Scarcity is one of the most powerful marketing techniques employed.

    A good way to use this is by having a script on your site which shows how many sales have been made and updates itself automatically based on how much inventory is still available for purchase.

    He consistently gets those 50 sales every month which is great
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  • Profile picture of the author Chris Lockwood
    Originally Posted by faxinator View Post

    In a nutshell: tell them about the great product, then early on in the pitch insert an alert of some sort that indicates the product has been completely sold out, then offer to take their e-mail address and put them on standby for when additional copies of the product is released.

    Shortly thereafter, you contact them and offer them the chance to purchase the product.
    If you didn't actually have the product for sale, this sounds like building your sales on a lie.

    I wonder how many customers would just give up when told the product is sold out and not bother signing up for the list.
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    • Profile picture of the author naruq
      I think this is an excellent strategy for premium High Ticket products. The reason for this is that it focuses on scarcity and the fear of loss.
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    • Profile picture of the author Steven Carl Kelly
      Originally Posted by Chris Lockwood View Post

      If you didn't actually have the product for sale, this sounds like building your sales on a lie.
      Everybody lies.

      But that aside, you can do it without lying: simply limit the number of units you offer at a time and release them in small groups to those who are interested.

      I am reminded of man who was opening his new restaurant in July, and took out a full page ad in the newspaper at the end of May announcing that he would take no additional reservations for the month of June because his restaurant was completely booked until July. Naturally, his phone rang off the hook with bookings for July.
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      • Profile picture of the author J. Barry Mandel
        I think I've heard the same story before, but If I saw that ad and passed by that restaurant during June and did NOT SEE 1 car whatsoever in the parking lot I would *not* ever go that restaurant in the first place.

        Talking about lying!


        Originally Posted by faxinator View Post

        I am reminded of man who was opening his new restaurant in July, and took out a full page ad in the newspaper at the end of May announcing that he would take no additional reservations for the month of June because his restaurant was completely booked until July. Naturally, his phone rang off the hook with bookings for July.
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        • Profile picture of the author Steven Carl Kelly
          Originally Posted by Justin Mandel View Post

          I think I've heard the same story before, but If I saw that ad and passed by that restaurant during June and did NOT SEE 1 car whatsoever in the parking lot I would *not* ever go that restaurant in the first place.

          Talking about lying!
          Actually, in this case if I am remembering correctly, he paid a local used car dealer to park his vehicles at the restaurant at night. I may be wrong on that, but for some reason that's what I am remembering.
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      • Profile picture of the author Chris Lockwood
        Originally Posted by faxinator View Post

        Everybody lies.
        Well, I guess that means it's OK.
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      • Profile picture of the author Amy Bass
        Originally Posted by faxinator View Post

        Everybody lies.
        That is completely UNTRUE. You do NOT have to lie to do business. I would rather have less sales and hold on to integrity and honesty.

        If a person say the sales are limited then make sure they ARE limited. If a sale ends at a certain time and you say it will, end it. No one should lie to get sales in my opinion. Honor is far too important.
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  • Profile picture of the author Justin Jordan
    Originally Posted by faxinator View Post

    Has anyone ever implemented the idea of refusing to sell your product to potential customers as a method to increase their desire to purchase? I'm considering that as a possible method.

    In a nutshell: tell them about the great product, then early on in the pitch insert an alert of some sort that indicates the product has been completely sold out, then offer to take their e-mail address and put them on standby for when additional copies of the product is released.

    Shortly thereafter, you contact them and offer them the chance to purchase the product.

    Clearly this strategy would likely work best for high-end offerings. Any thoughts?
    Jimmy D. Brown does something very much like this with his FTM sites - they are only open to so many people, and you go on a waiting list to get in when a spot opens. As far as I know, he's not lying and the list is real, but there's precedent for the technique.
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