How to be Unapologetically Confident in your Brand.

What you offer is one of a kind. I have had a few of my clients express their pain points as business owners and entrepreneurs. They have a hard time selling out of inventory or being fully booked. Selling out of their inventory or being fully booked is where they want to be but they've barely scratched the surface. When it comes to any type of sales strategy to generate sales, a lot of entrepreneurs and small business owners have found that discounting their products help them generate more sales. I guess the question is, is this necessarily a good thing for business owners? Do you open yourself up to falling into the trap of your customers/clients waiting for you to mark down your items to make a purchase? This might be the case for many of you, whether you are selling a service or a product.

Identify when it makes sense to discount your items. It may work in the beginning but for overall growth, what I have seen working for businesses is creating cult-like followings surrounding their brands. I would use examples but I am not being paid to write this post. Let me help you understand what a cult-like following looks like. We as consumers have our favorite brands we love to support because it's cool to be associated with that brand. They offer more than just coffee or premium sneakers. It's a culture and a cool culture to be part of if your wallet allows it. You won't care to wait for a discount because you're willing to pay the extra buck if it means you get to be part of this really awesome club.

You see the thing is, you are offering more than just a service or a product. You are offering an elite crew membership that everyone wants to be associated with. So I guess the question is, how do we get our brands there? How do we hype up our products and services? Do we put our faith in eliminating discounts all together? Here are things I found work for some of my clients:

Don't offer discounts just because you can.

If you are offering a one of a kind type of service, then so be it. Instead of discounting items, try bundling them. We find this method works to sell more of your items and make your clients/customers feel it's for their benefit rather than them thinking you're trying to get them to spend more of their money. Yes, offering discounts can be an effective sales strategy if you are still getting a return on investment and making a profit. Most of the time, B2C businesses succeed by discounting their items. It's a different ball game when you are a B2B type of business or if you offer handcrafted items.

Revamp Your Brand and Keep it Updated

You are offering a 'premium something'. Does your brand look like you offer that premium item? We have an entire checklist dedicated to what you need to be the best you can––and it's FREE, simply sign up for our emails to receive it. Here are a few things you could look into, to get an idea:

• Updated logo

• Are you following your brand guidelines? (Be consistent, this is how people will identify you).

• Do you have a website? Why should you have a website? (A lot of you will ask why you need one, how many times have you favored a business that had a website, versus one that did not?).

• Create a cult-like following around your brand using social media––be consistent and intentional about it. There are other ways to do this other than social media. But in today's digital world a lot of businesses stay relevant by having social media pages with large followings. It is a bonus if your audience engages with your brand online. Are you encouraging conversations surrounding your brand on a daily basis?

You may not feel this way in the beginning but, consistency and intention will get you places. Someone offered me this advice several years ago, and I want to share this advice with you. This is subject to the type of products/services you offer. Yes, some businesses have thrived from giving out free samples of their products. They are very strategic about it and do it for X amount of time before they start charging the rates they deserve. Because your customers got a taste of what they offer, and now they are going to want more of it and willing to pay.

Modify as you go and tailor your strategy to suit your type of business.

Never give anything away for free especially without cause. Your clients will try it. Stick to what you believe in, set boundaries, and be unapologetically confident in your brand. Eventually, they will come around. Even if they don't, this will add value to your business. Would designer handbags be of any value if they marked them down by 75% a couple of times a year? No. Neither should you. Know your worth.