[00:00:00] When it comes to promotions, FOMO isn't a dirty word. It is your ticket to getting customers off the fence and into action. But the key is knowing how to create urgency and promotions without sounding pushy or desperate. One of the stupidest marketing investments I ever made was being pushed into buying advertising space on a TV in a golf club.

Maybe it was a bowling club. Either way, I thought it made sense. I mean, grandparents were my best customers. They spent the most amount of money. They never rushed, they never haggled, and a golf club was filled with grandparents. The reason it was a big mistake was that I was pushed into it by a slimy salesperson telling me he would discount the price if I signed up by the end of the month, which just happened to be the next day.

Of course, I was naive. This door-to-door sales guy probably thought that he [00:01:00] had hit the jackpot with me. I just opened my store. I was desperate to get people in the doors, and I remember talking to my husband about it at the time, and he could see the positives. He told me I should go to the club and check it out, but I was brand new.

I was eager, and I actually didn't have time to get to the golf club before the deadline that was coming the next day so I could get the 50% off. And so when he came back. I signed up over $1,500 for a three month campaign, and I still cringe when I think about it because I still remember talking to a customer who mentioned that they were a member at that club.

I need to be so told, oh, that TV hasn't worked for months. Oh, I mean, even to this day, as a marketer who can spot those hard-nosed last minute FOMO pitches. I have to say I'm still not immune to them when it comes to [00:02:00] promotions. F. Isn't a dirty word. It is your ticket to getting customers off the fence and into action.

But the key is knowing how to create urgency and promotions without sounding pushy or desperate. Because no one wants to feel like that slimy, sleazy salesperson shouting, hurry up, a limited time only sign now, buy before it's gone. But the truth is, if you're not giving your customers a reason to act now, most of them aren't going to.

Not because they don't love your product, not because they don't need what you have for sale, but because life happens. They get distracted, they forget. They tell themselves, I'll come back later and later, later never comes. So today I wanna show you how to leverage FOMO without the, without the pushiness, and absolutely without the ick, because urgency well done.

It does not feel spammy. It feels exciting, it feels real, and it feels like an [00:03:00] opportunity I don't wanna miss out on, so it helps you and your customer. Hey there. I'm Selena Knight, retail and e-Commerce growth strategist and welcome to the Bringing Business to Retail podcast where we talk all about different ways to grow your business, yourself and your bank account.

And today we are diving into a strategy that when used well, has the power to significantly boost your sales. Creating urgency and scarcity in your promotions ethically, I'm gonna walk you through why sold out messages work so well, how to time your emails for maximum impact and why having your urgency messages written before your launch is actually a game changer.

Oh, and how tools like SMS and MiniChat can help you show up in real time. I'll even share a brilliant example from one of my accelerator members who used a personal story to add a beautiful human touch to her promotion and a work like magic. So. Why does FOMO work and why is it not [00:04:00] manipulation? Let's start here because this is where a lot of people have resistance.

We have all had the hard sell from a used car salesman, a real estate agent, or just a really desperate sales associate, and it gives us the ick factor. We don't want to do it. FOMO is the fear of missing out, and it is real. It taps into basic human psychology, and as humans, we don't wanna be left behind.

We don't wanna miss another opportunity, especially if there are other people jumping in, because here's the thing, FOMO should not be about tricking people. It is not about making up false scarcity or making up pretend deadlines, or it's not about lying to your customers. It is about telling the truth.

Clearly, if your stock is limited, please tell them If your bonus offer expires at midnight, tell them if your free gift is only for the first 10 or 50 customers, tell them that is not [00:05:00] manipulation. That is good communication. So I want you to think of FOMO like this. It is not about pressure. It's about clarity.

You are helping your customers to make a decision while the opportunity still exists. Because how many times have you thought, oh, I'll grab that later. Or even added it to your cart, and then the phone rings. Well, your kids throw a tantrum. I need to come back. And you find that it's gone and didn't you wish someone had just kind of said, Hey, heads up, these are almost gone, or you've walked into a store.

I might have done this just recently to kill time before an appointment, but you don't want to show up to that appointment with like an arm full of purchases and then an hour later after you've done, you go back to the store only to find that that thing you're looking were at was the last one and it's sold while you were at your appointment.

Can you see, as a retailer, you are not helping your customer if you don't highlight urgency and the fact that they might miss out. Okay. Let's talk about scarcity messaging and why this should be [00:06:00] one of the top sales strategies in your toolkit. This is one of the simplest tools that you can use to boost sales because people respond to momentum when they see that other people are buying.

It validates their decision. It lowers their risk factor. Just like when you are on holidays and you're searching for a great cafe for breakfast, are you gonna choose the one that's full or the one that's empty? So here's how you can create scarcity in a really authentic way. Tell your customers there is limited stock and as you hit key milestones, like 30%, 50%, 75% tell your customers we're over a third sold out in just four hours.

We've only got 10 left. We're down to just our last few. If you are sitting there thinking, Sal, my numbers are a bit small, or, I don't wanna say I've sold eight or 10. Here's my tip. Focus on percentages or phrases like almost gone instead of hard numbers, because what matters here is momentum. The feeling that others are [00:07:00] getting in on this.

It's like walking past that cafe that's buzzing and wondering if you need to go in or looking at the one that's empty going, maybe let's go there. Like, which one are you more likely to move? Walk into? You're gonna walk into the one generally that has the most amount of people because. It feels like that should be the right decision.

Everyone else is doing it. So, so should I. So now you know how you can use scarcity authentically, and you know how to highlight the things that are selling fast and how to create that momentum. But here's the thing, it does not matter how great your scarcity messaging is if people never see it. And this is where the timing of your emails becomes just as important as the message itself, because the truth is.

You are going to see the biggest spike in sales at two key moments right at the beginning and right at the very end of your promotion. The first email, it sets the tone. It tells people, here's the deal, here's what's included, and here's why you want it now. But that [00:08:00] final day, that is where the magic happens.

And yet so many retailers miss out on sales because they send one last chance email if they send what at all. So let's talk about how you can time your emails and your messages to make sure your customers not only hear about your offer, but actually act on it. Here's what I recommend sending not one, not two, but up to six emails on the last day of your promotion.

I know most of you're gonna be like, never sell, never promise me when I tell you this every time I tell people to send six emails. And they don't, they always say, I probably could have sent more emails. And always remember to add in your SMS marketing as well, because people need those reminders. They're busy, they forget, they don't check their email every 10 minutes.

They're not gonna open every single one of your emails, and most of them are going to appreciate the fact that you gave them a little bit of a nudge. So whilst we're on the subject of emails and [00:09:00] SMS marketing, let me introduce you to the thing that I like to call. The value of despair. This is the time after that first day rush has dried up and the last minute push hasn't started.

It could just be if you've got a 24 hour promotion, it's like after the first three hours and before the last hour, one of the worst feelings as a business owner is sitting there, mid promotion thinking, should I send another email? Should I do another post? Am I being annoying? Here's my advice. Take the emotion out of it.

Create all of those emails before you launch. Write your sequences ahead of time because that way you're not guessing, you are not wondering, you're just following the plan. But be prepared to add in a few extra. Like if you sell out 30% in the first hour, you wanna tell your customers about that. Now. Now I wanna give you a few next level strategies because let's be honest, your customers right now are on their phones.

SMS and ManyChat are amazing ways to show up where [00:10:00] your audience is at. But the key here is to respect their time. Keep it short, keep it direct. Try messages like, Hey, our mystery packs are almost sold out. Grab yours here, put in the link. Simple as that. Or maybe you could do only a few hours left to claim your free gift with purchase.

Don't miss out shop now. Add in the link. And the beauty of tools like ManyChat is you can set up an automation where someone responds with a word like yes or gift or tell me and instantly on Facebook and Instagram, they're going to get the link to your promotion. It feels conversational. It doesn't feel like a big business, and that is why it works.

So remember, the key to boosting your sales is to meet your customer where they're at. Now, as much as strategy, timing, and tools like SMS and ManyChat are powerful, there is something else that can take your promotion from good. Absolutely unforgettable, and that is adding the human touch. Because at the end of the day, people don't just buy [00:11:00] products.

They buy connection. They want to feel like they are part of something, like they matter. Now, one of my Scalia store accelerator members nailed this beautifully in a recent campaign. She did let me share, she was turning 40. As part of her promotion, she invited customers to leave a note at checkout. Tell me something I should know about life in your forties.

It was such a simple touch. But it created connection. It made people feel like part of the celebration, the orders rolled in and the messages that people left. They were heartfelt, they were funny, they were memorable. It wasn't just about the product anymore. It was about belonging to something. And that is the power of personal touch.

That is fomo done well, not just urgency, but connection. So much thrown at you in this episode. Let's recap how you can leverage FOMO to drive sales without feeling more pushy. First of all, be honest about scarcity. Share the reality. Don't make [00:12:00] stuff up. How many have you got? How long? What's included?

Make sure you plan your urgency sequences before the launch. The first day, the midday, the last day emails and your SMS make sure to use clear, simple language, like almost gone, limited time, final few remaining, 50% sold out. All of those things are gonna drive your customers to purchase and leverage those realtime tools like SMS and ManyChat to show up where your customers are at and if you can add in that human touch.

Don't be afraid to tell your story and let your audience in. Remember, formula is not the enemy when you use urgency. With integrity, you are not pushing people. You are helping them to make a decision that they were probably gonna make anyway. But now, now they have the clarity and the little nudge that they need to take action.

And if you are sitting there thinking, Sal. This sounds amazing, but I would love some help to put it into action. Then I would love to invite you to check out the scale your store accelerator. [00:13:00] It is where we take real strategies like these and turn them into real results for you inside. You're gotta get the support, the accountability, and the dung with you guidance to build out campaigns.

But don't just look good on paper. They actually work and they put money in your pocket. So if you are ready to stop guessing and start growing, head over to selena knight.com/accelerator. I pop a link in the show notes as well. We would love to help you make your next promotion the most profitable one yet.

All right guys. Thank you so much for listening. I'll see you on the next episode. So that's a wrap. I'd love to hear what insight you've gotten from this episode and how you're going to put it into action. If you're a social kind of person, follow me at the Selena night and make sure to leave a comment and let me know.

And if this episode made you think a little bit differently or gave you some inspiration, or perhaps gave you the kick that you needed to take action, then please take a couple of minutes to leave me a review [00:14:00] on. Your platform of choice because the more reviews the show gets, the more independent retail and e-commerce stores just like yours, that we can help to scale.

And when that happens, it's a win for you, a win for your community, and a win for your customers. I'll see you on the next episode.