In today’s business environment, sometimes it is the little extra that brings in the customer, and more importantly the repeat customer.
Incentives take many forms. It is becoming common practice for car dealerships to have their (purchase) customers get prioritized service treatment. Almost all hotels and airlines have frequent customer clubs chock full of perks.
The incentive plan, loyal shopper clubs, and the like are far from dead.
There are also many gift with purchase tie ins (just look at the fragrance isles at the local department stores). The key is to find that extra that your customer will want and use, that doesn’t detract from any other purchase.
People do like to receive ‘freebies’, and we do collect our ‘trophies’, mementos of our vacations and such. The same thinking can apply with great profit to your sales effort. Just factor the ‘goody’ into your pricing structure, and remember, it is often better to give the gift than additional small percentage off. Some studies have shown it to increase sales up to 40%.